This book shows how both sports and religions reflect realities far beyond the boundaries of stadiums and churches. Chapters explore how sports and religions are intertwined with American cultural elements including capitalism, race relations, gender norms, and nationalism. These explorations encourage readers to apply critical inquiry to deeply embedded facets of American culture.Each chapter contains:- A summary of existing scholarship- Case studie...

When sports ministry first emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, its founders imagined male celebrity athletes as powerful salespeople who could deliver a message of Christian strength: “If athletes can endorse shaving cream, razor blades, and cigarettes, surely they can endorse the Lord, too,” reasoned Fellowship of Christian Athletes founder Don McClanen. But combining evangelicalism and sport did much more than serve as an advertisement for religion: it gave athletes the opportunity to think ...

The sports world’s attention was focused on Japan for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The years-long buildup to and aftermath of the games occurred in the midst of the global pandemic, which delayed the event until 2021. Given all of this, there is perhaps no better time to delve into an often overlooked but critical facet of sport in Japan: religion.Religion has long been a part of the Japanese sport tradition—from Shugendō practitioners offering sumo bouts to the ...