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Religions
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Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns
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Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2024 | Viewed by 8703

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Robert Ellis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2LB, UK
Interests: theology of sport; sport as religion; sports participation and religious experience; sports and ethics; practical theological methods; cross-disciplinary and empirical research; prayer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The literature on theology, religion and sport is expanding rapidly. As well as treatments of theological themes such as sin and salvation, anthropologies, gender, and worship, scholars are increasingly mining historical resources as well as considering ethical matters through explicitly religious lenses. Much of this work is inter-disciplinary in nature. This issue will seek both to reflect upon the current state of research in the field and suggest new directions of travel and in this manner it will serve not only to gather and review current research but also indicate new possibilities through both initial work and programmatic suggestions.

Potential areas and topics include:

  • Current options in sport as religion debate;
  • Sport, gender, and ethnicity: liberationist and womanist perspectives;
  • Sport and religion in film and fiction;
  • The application of the thought of major historical thinkers to current issues in theology religion and sport (e.g., Augustine, Aquinas, the Reformers, Schleiermacher, Otto, Barth, Guttierez, Radford Ruether, Mbiti, etc.;
  • Catholic / Protestant angles on sport;
  • Sport, religion, and hermeneutics;
  • Sport and secularization;
  • New insights from social science to illuminate sport / religion debates;
  • Sport and religion: capitalism, the protestant work ethic;
  • Sport and the subjective turn;
  • Sport and religion seen in non-western perspectives;
  • Local studies which illuminate or challenge existing theories;
  • Sport and religion: particularities of places and cultures;
  • Empirical work among sports spectators and players;
  • Disability;
  • Ethical issues as focused on in recent sporting headlines.

Dr. Robert Ellis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sport and religion
  • experience
  • worship
  • secularity
  • ethics
  • local perspectives
  • empirical work
  • inter-disciplinarity
  • gender and ethnicity
  • liberation
  • capitalism
  • fiction and film

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Mimesis, Metaphor, and Sports’ Liturgical Constitution: Ricoeurian and Augustinian Contributions
by Reuben Hoetmer
Religions 2023, 14(10), 1329; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101329 - 23 Oct 2023
Viewed by 726
Abstract
Several scholars have observed the constructive possibilities in approaching sport as cultural liturgy. In what follows, I turn to hermeneutic resources in Paul Ricoeur and Augustine to elucidate the means of sports’ liturgical appropriation and the capacity of this appropriation to mediate values [...] Read more.
Several scholars have observed the constructive possibilities in approaching sport as cultural liturgy. In what follows, I turn to hermeneutic resources in Paul Ricoeur and Augustine to elucidate the means of sports’ liturgical appropriation and the capacity of this appropriation to mediate values of ideological and religious significance. Drawing on Ricoeur’s analysis of Aristotelian mimesis, I approach sport as embodied metaphor and so locate metaphor as a central problem in sport hermeneutics. Following Ricoeur, I address this problem primarily by way of the ‘surplus of meaning’ within metaphor and its reference, and the role of Wittgensteinian ‘seeing-as’ in metaphor’s interpretation. Following Augustine, I observe the pivotal roles of desire and tradition within ‘ways of seeing’ and their outworkings in Augustine’s liturgical interpretation of ancient spectacles. Translating these considerations into sport, I argue that sport’s liturgical appropriation similarly proceeds through ‘ways of seeing’ or experiencing the embodied metaphor of sport, and that these ways are deeply informed by particular desires and cultural and ideological traditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
11 pages, 250 KiB  
Article
Betwixt and Between: Chaplaincy, Liminality and Elite Sport
by William Whitmore and Andrew Parker
Religions 2023, 14(10), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101288 - 13 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1236
Abstract
It is often assumed that chaplains who serve in elite sports settings inhabit a position which facilitates a significant level of influence. Yet, in reality, sports chaplains routinely experience a sense of marginality within their host organizations, which is commonly perceived (both by [...] Read more.
It is often assumed that chaplains who serve in elite sports settings inhabit a position which facilitates a significant level of influence. Yet, in reality, sports chaplains routinely experience a sense of marginality within their host organizations, which is commonly perceived (both by themselves and others) as highly restrictive and constraining. Drawing upon the findings of a small-scale, qualitative study of chaplaincy within the US-based National Football League (NFL) and the English Premier League (EPL), this paper explores the contribution that a sports chaplain might make to their host organizations irrespective of the marginal position which they inhabit. Utilizing the anthropological work of Van Gennep (1960) and Turner (1969) on rites of passage, findings illustrate the level of ambiguity which often accompanies the ‘liminal’ role of the sports chaplain and the freedoms which this might afforded in terms of organizational impact. This paper concludes by suggesting that, whilst it is often viewed in a negative light, the sense of marginality which commonly characterizes chaplaincy has the potential to be re-configured as an opportunity to positively impact workplace relationships and organizational cultures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
13 pages, 586 KiB  
Article
Building Bridges: Examining the Role of University Athletic Departments and Local Congregations in the Holistic Care of Student-Athletes in the United States
by Steven Waller, Rasheed Flowers and Brandon Crooms
Religions 2023, 14(10), 1277; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101277 - 10 Oct 2023
Viewed by 930
Abstract
This conceptual essay discusses how university athletic departments and local churches can collaborate in providing spiritual care for intercollegiate athletes in the United States. Parachurch organizations such as Athletes in Action (AIA) and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) play a vital role [...] Read more.
This conceptual essay discusses how university athletic departments and local churches can collaborate in providing spiritual care for intercollegiate athletes in the United States. Parachurch organizations such as Athletes in Action (AIA) and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) play a vital role in creating and maintaining these partnerships. Additionally, a considerable body of literature is available on the importance of religiosity and spirituality in the lives of intercollegiate athletes in the United States. In the interests of helping intercollegiate student-athletes grow and develop religiously and spirituality, many sports chaplains assist student-athletes with finding a local place to worship while on campus. Chaplains that subscribe to the “urban chaplaincy/congregational model” play a significant role in bringing this task to pass. This essay highlights the primacy of building a relational bridge between university athletic departments and local churches in the United States to collaborate in intercollegiate student-athlete spiritual development and holistic care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
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15 pages, 264 KiB  
Article
Challenging the Integration of Youth, Faith, and Sports: Alternative Religious Beliefs and Assumptions
by John B. White, Andrew Parker and Andrew R. Meyer
Religions 2023, 14(9), 1171; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091171 - 14 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1019
Abstract
The sport/faith interface has long been a site of contention for religious youth who routinely experience two significant obstacles to living out their faith amidst the complexities of sporting locales. The first is a general problem that pertains to the character of adolescent [...] Read more.
The sport/faith interface has long been a site of contention for religious youth who routinely experience two significant obstacles to living out their faith amidst the complexities of sporting locales. The first is a general problem that pertains to the character of adolescent spirituality and is typified by a subscription to a compromised, diluted religious belief system known as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD). The second concerns the way in which the Christian religion functions as a servant to sport and when the reality of the gospel becomes subordinate to the identity, power, and cultural meaning and norms of the institution of sports and is commonly termed ‘sportianity’. This paper maps the contours of a high school retreat for Christian student-athletes—Baylor University’s Faith and Sports Institute (FSI) retreat- that intentionally seeks to address these problems. The paper is theological in that we interpret MTD as a religious belief system and how it structures and orients reality and the lived experiences of Christians in general and religious youth in particular. As contributors to the original design of the retreat, we unpack some of the relevant working cultural and religious presuppositions that have the potential to dominate how Christians think about and practice the integration of faith and sports. In turn, we explain key aspects of the baseline narrative for the design and development of the retreat and tease out how these presuppositions are antithetical to orthodox Christianity. In conclusion, we suggest a number of immediate implications that frame how the FSI retreat has moved forward in relation to the integration of Christian faith and sports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
16 pages, 1169 KiB  
Article
The Victory of the Slaughtered Lamb: A Theology of Winning (and Losing) for Christian Athletes
by Brian K. Gamel
Religions 2023, 14(9), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091148 - 07 Sep 2023
Viewed by 836
Abstract
This paper explores what a notion of victory rooted in Revelation’s theological grammar might look like. Although this essay might hold interest for a variety of individuals, it is written with Christian participation in sports in mind. What might a theology of victory [...] Read more.
This paper explores what a notion of victory rooted in Revelation’s theological grammar might look like. Although this essay might hold interest for a variety of individuals, it is written with Christian participation in sports in mind. What might a theology of victory look like that is specifically Christological? That is the question this essay attempts to address. Before offering a theology of victory, though, we will first explore why Revelation is a place to examine this question and how others have attempted to frame their own answers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
14 pages, 295 KiB  
Article
The Holy See and Disability Sport: From Attention to Commitment
by Dries Vanysacker
Religions 2023, 14(9), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091116 - 29 Aug 2023
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Research overviews of and historiography on the attitude of the Catholic Church and theologians towards athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities assume that the Church and theologians have only very recently begun to interest themselves in this subject. Starting from John Paul II’s [...] Read more.
Research overviews of and historiography on the attitude of the Catholic Church and theologians towards athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities assume that the Church and theologians have only very recently begun to interest themselves in this subject. Starting from John Paul II’s contribution to this field, and above all from his integral anthropological vision, this article assesses his position by comparing it with that of his two successors Benedict XVI and Francis. Especially the latter’s addresses and interviews and the official documents on sport issued by the Holy See during his pontificate are testimony to his special commitment to athletes with disabilities. The article also examines the history of the Holy See and studies its attention to athletes with a disability. The results of this inquiry are that papal interest in this field is not limited to, nor did it start with the pontificate of John Paul II. Instead, it dates from the very beginning of the modern phenomenon of sport, with Pope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century, continued by Pius XII and John XXIII. The latter’s speech to the participants of the first Paralympic Games in 1960 is the strongest indication of a pre-John Paul II affirmation of disabled sport. This points to the importance of taking a more nuanced position in the current debate, although it is clear that Pope Francis must be considered the champion of the Holy See’s commitment to the inclusion of athletes with a disability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
12 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Hierophany and Sport
by Ivo Jirásek
Religions 2023, 14(9), 1102; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091102 - 25 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 959
Abstract
A deeper understanding of sport cannot remain only in rational discourse that transforms reality into quantified data but must descend into philosophical areas that also accept the multiple figurativeness of symbols. By means of not literal but metaphorical truthfulness, sport can then be [...] Read more.
A deeper understanding of sport cannot remain only in rational discourse that transforms reality into quantified data but must descend into philosophical areas that also accept the multiple figurativeness of symbols. By means of not literal but metaphorical truthfulness, sport can then be examined as a potential space of hierophany, that is, the manifestation of the sacred in the sphere of the profane. The paper argues in favor of the thesis that a more precise description of hierophany can highlight the difference between the presentation and representation of the sacred. While the physical activities that were part of the religious cult of archaic societies can be considered hierophanies in the mode of presentation (making present) of the sacred, no such direct parallel can be drawn for modern sport. Sport can be seen through the lens of implicit religion as a representation (an agency), not a presentation of the sacred. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
17 pages, 469 KiB  
Article
Gender Policing in Girls’ and Women’s Sports
by Annie Blazer
Religions 2023, 14(8), 1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081054 - 17 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1728
Abstract
This paper will show that sporting institutions that police the boundaries of women’s sports do so to keep sportswomen constrained in ways that men’s sports and male athletes are not. This paper explores three methods that sporting establishments have used to police and [...] Read more.
This paper will show that sporting institutions that police the boundaries of women’s sports do so to keep sportswomen constrained in ways that men’s sports and male athletes are not. This paper explores three methods that sporting establishments have used to police and constrain women’s sports and sportswomen: the exclusion of women and the creation of different rules for men’s and women’s sports, the policing of international sporting administrations of which women can compete in women’s sports by invoking the specter of “gender fraud”, and the exclusion of trans women from sports by relying on conservative Christian notions of a gender binary motivated by a similar strain of homophobia that animated previous efforts to prevent the legalization of same-sex marriage. Taken together, these three threads reveal that gender policing in women’s sports is not and has never been about “fairness” but about preserving heteropatriarchal systems of power that position women as weak and inherently less athletic than men. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
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