“Just How Much Is Sports Fandom Like Religion?”
Read a Jan. 29, 2013, article from The Atlantic that compares sports fans to members of a religious congregation.
Tag: entertainment
“A Saudi Athlete’s Conflict—Rules or Religion”
Read a July 31, 2012, article from The Wall Street Journal about the struggles Muslim women face while competing in the Olympics.
“Where Religion and Sports Collide (And Sports Win)”
Read a Feb. 6, 2013, story published by BigThink.com that compares religion and the spectacle of sports.
“A Quarter of Americans Say God Will Help Decide the Super Bowl”
Read a Jan. 13, 2013, story published by Slate about a survey released by the Public Religion Research Institute that found 27 percent of Americans think that a higher power plays some role in deciding who will win sporting events.
“The Religious Roots of the Olympics”
Read a Sept. 18, 2009, Zenit.org story posted by Beliefnet.com about the religious roots of the modern Olympic creed.
“Olympic Gifts of the Gods”
Read an Aug. 12, 2004, Beliefnet.com article on the religious origins of the Greek Olympics. It’s by Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Gods and Goddesses in Love: Make the Myth a Reality for You.
“Spirit of the games”
Read a Beliefnet column from 2000 on how multiple religions see sports.
“Playing in the Zone: Exploring the Spiritual Dimensions of Sports”
Read an excerpt from Andrew Cooper’s book Playing in the Zone: Exploring the Spiritual Dimensions of Sports. It’s posted by Beliefnet.com.
“Onward Christian Shortstops”
See a June 1, 2006, Christianity Today essay by Collin Hansen, “Onward Christian Shortstops,” about efforts by the Colorado Rockies baseball team to attract Christian players whose character and faith the Rockies believe can help them win. The essay was prompted by a May 31, 2006, front-page story in USA Today called “Baseball’s Rockies seek revival on two levels.”