Martial arts, boxing and the Catholic faith seem unlikely bedfellows. Once again British heavyweight Tyson “Gypsy King” Fury has retained his World Boxing Council title in a gruelling 10-round match on December 3: an exercise in punishment. Fury and his Irish wife have six children together; she is a practising Catholic, while his religious beliefs been have described by The Guardian as “a mixture of traditional Roman Catholicism and a literal interpretation of evangelical Christianity.”
Scripture is full of martial language: Jacob wrestles with God, and St Paul speaks of shadowboxing in his letter to the Corinthians. David – later King of Israel – is primarily remembered for subduing Goliath. Cain and Abel clashed in fatal combat. Meanwhile, saints have made references to spiritual warfare down the ages. Fighting pervades the narratives that underpin our faith. Nevertheless, it is usually overlooked or simply deemed immoral. As a martial artist, Catholic convert and former seminarian I’m often asked how faith and fighting can be reconciled. As Scripture shows, they are not incompatible – in fact, they are essentially intertwined.
