Sports and Play in Christian Theology

In Sports and Play in Christian Theology, ten Christian scholars and practitioners explore sport and play from theological, biblical, historical, and pastoral perspectives.

Sport is a major preoccupation of the modern world. It consumes the time and energies of millions of people around the globe. In fact, for many participants, it operates much like a functional equivalent of religion, giving them a way to interpret and understand the world. Sports stadiums are the cathedrals of our time. Sports stars are the saints or demi-gods through whom we access the transcendent. Members of the sports media serve as religious scribes, and sports fans are the worshiping faithful. What is true of sport is also true, more generally, of play. Nevertheless, and quite remarkably, Christian theologians and religious historians have been surprisingly slow to recognize the spiritual and cultural significance of sport and play, or to engage in the study of these concepts. This book attempts to redress that neglect by integrating sport and play with Christian faith and practice. In Sports and Play in Christian Theology, ten Christian scholars and practitioners explore sport and play from theological, biblical, historical, and pastoral perspectives. This rich collection of wide-ranging reflections and focused case studies will help readers locate sport and play within Christian faith and practice.

1. “We Played the Flute for You and You did not Dance”: A Theology of Play Myk Habets

2. Sporting Identities: What We Play, and Who We Think We Are Robert Ellis

3. Child’s Play in the New Testament Sarah Harris

4. Identity Formation as an Antecedent to the Practice of Sports Chaplaincy Steven N. Waller

5. Sacred Pilgrimage in Playful, Digital Spaces Stephen Garner

6. An Enemy to be Fought or a Tool to be Used? Baptists and Sport in New Zealand John Tucker

7. Sport and the Bible Class Movement Peter Lineham

8. The Role of Sports Chaplains in Australia B. Grant Stewart

9. The Winter Game in the Autumn Season: An Exploration of Motivations, Masculinity, and Faith among Older Christian Male Rugby Players in Aotearoa-New Zealand Simon Moetara

10. Helping Churchgoers to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Sport: Pastoral Stories from the Hospital Wards, the Slow Lane, and the Mountain Tops Philip Halstead