Description
Book SynopsisThis book examines the relationship between sport and religion with regard to twenty-first century topics such as race, fandom, education, and culture. The contributors provide new insights into the people, movements, and events that define the complex relationship between sport and religion around the world. A wonderful addition to any academic course on religion, sports, ethics, or culture as a whole.
Trade ReviewHere is one more book among a host of others on sport and religion. Comprising 12 essays, the volume commits itself to this relationship from 'both macro and micro perspectives.' The backgrounds of the contributors range from sports management to journalism and communication arts.... The book's major contribution is bibliographical—the references run to almost 30 pages. And the book rightly encourages far more interdisciplinary scholarship on the myriad possible topics related to sport and religion.... Summing Up: Recommended ... Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * CHOICE *
Sport and Religion in the Twenty-First Century provides a thorough and nuanced examination of sport and civil religion. Another key strength is in the detailed analysis of the role of media in contemporary sports. . . .Sport and Religion in the Twenty-First Century would be a welcomed volume to its intended audience of academics interested in religion, sports, culture, and ethics. * Sport in American History *
In recent years, the connection between sport and religion has gained great interest among scholars of religion and also, to some extent, within the field of sport studies. It is therefore somewhat surprising to find an anthology with the title Sport and Religion in the Twenty-First Century where a majority of the contributors are scholars of communication and media. In itself, this volume indicates how important the discussion on sport and religion has become in the United States…. Not unexpectedly, it is the media perspectives in the book that are the most intriguing. One such example is Jeffrey B. Kurtz’s discussion of how increased media attention to sport has changed the social position of athletes, and how the general public perceives athletes…. Thus, Sport and Religion…is for people with a general interest in sport, religion, and journalism. * Reading Religion *
This edited compendium is a unique contribution as it examines both macro and micro elements related to the intersection of—and at times the symbiotic relationship between—sport and religion. Editors Schultz and Sheffer should be commended for the diversity of topics covered in their collection. -- Paul M. Pedersen, Indiana University–Bloomington
At last, a thorough and nuanced examination of the inextricable link between sport and religion. Schultz and Sheffer have assembled a terrific list of authors and topics that collectively show that while sport and religion are not twins, they could be interpreted as siblings, closely woven within the fabric of modern culture. -- Andrew Billings, University of Alabama
The strength of the book is the range of topics covered, which means that everyone should find something of interest. * Verite Sport *
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Who’s Got Game?: America’s New Religion Mary Lou Sheffer Chapter 2: From Sunday Sermon to Monday Night Football: The Rise of the Use of Prayer in North American Sports Alan Goldenbach Chapter 3: Elegy for the McPheean Moment: False Idols and the Tyrannical Faith of Celebrity-Sports Culture Jeffrey B. Kurtz Chapter 4: Biblical Tales in the Sports News: Narrative and the Redemption of Michael Vick Chris B. Geyerman Chapter 5: An Olympic Religion: Does the IOC Still Have Faith in the Olympic Games? Anthony J. Moretti Chapter 6: “Be Not Conformed”: The Relationship Between Modern Sport and Religion Brad Schultz Chapter 7: A Useable Soccer Martyr: The Egyptian Ultras and their Fight for Legitimacy Natalia Mielczarek Chapter 8: Celebrating in a Cemetery: Sport, the Sacred, and a Search for Significance in Fan Communities Bruce J. Evensen Chapter 9: Southern Reconstructing: Sport and the Future of Religion in the American South Eric Bain-Selbo and Terry Shoemaker Chapter 10: Exercising the Spiritual Muscle: Holistic Care Service Provision in Intercollegiate Athletics Landon T. Huffman, Robin Hardin, and Steven N. Waller Chapter 11: Are Sports Programs at Small Church-Affiliated Colleges and Universities Really Different? Patrick J. Sutherland Chapter 12: “Our Hope is Built on Nothing Less”: Why Religion/Spirituality Matters in the Lives of Black Male College Athletes Steven N. Waller
