Of Gods and Games

Religious Faith and Modern Sports

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Marriage & Family, Sports, History
Cover of the book Of Gods and Games by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish, University of Georgia Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish ISBN: 9780820349862
Publisher: University of Georgia Press Publication: November 1, 2016
Imprint: University of Georgia Press Language: English
Author: William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
ISBN: 9780820349862
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Publication: November 1, 2016
Imprint: University of Georgia Press
Language: English

That Americans take to sports with a spiritual fervor is no secret. Athletics has even been called a civil religion for how it permeates our daily lives as we chase our own dreams of glory or watch others compete. Few would deny our national devotion to sports; however, many would gloss over it as all of a piece. To do that, as William J. Baker shows us, is to miss the fascinating variety of experiences at the intersection of sports and religion—and the ramifications of such on a national citizenry defined, as Baker writes, “by the team they cheer on Saturday and the church they attend on Sunday.” With nods to modern and ancient history, Baker looks at the ever-changing relationship between faith and sports through vignettes about devout athletes, coaches, and journalists.

Of Gods and Games offers an accessible entrée into some of the larger issues embedded in American culture’s sports–religion connection. Baker first considers two Christian athletes who have engaged sports and religion on fundamentally different terms: Shelly Pennefather, one of the dominant women’s basketball players of the late 1980s, who left the sport for life as a cloistered nun; and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who has used his college and pro football careers as a platform for evangelizing. In discussing basketball coach Dean Smith (University of North Carolina) and football coaches Steve Spurrier (University of South Carolina) and Bill McCartney (University of Colorado) Baker looks at how each strove to honor faith amid sometimes complicated personal lives and ever-crushing professional demands. Finally, Baker looks at how faith inspired such sportswriters as Grantland Rice, who sprinkled his stories with religious allusions, and Watson Spoelstra, who struck a deal with God at his daughter’s deathbed (she recovered) and subsequently devoted his off-hours and retirement years to charity work.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

That Americans take to sports with a spiritual fervor is no secret. Athletics has even been called a civil religion for how it permeates our daily lives as we chase our own dreams of glory or watch others compete. Few would deny our national devotion to sports; however, many would gloss over it as all of a piece. To do that, as William J. Baker shows us, is to miss the fascinating variety of experiences at the intersection of sports and religion—and the ramifications of such on a national citizenry defined, as Baker writes, “by the team they cheer on Saturday and the church they attend on Sunday.” With nods to modern and ancient history, Baker looks at the ever-changing relationship between faith and sports through vignettes about devout athletes, coaches, and journalists.

Of Gods and Games offers an accessible entrée into some of the larger issues embedded in American culture’s sports–religion connection. Baker first considers two Christian athletes who have engaged sports and religion on fundamentally different terms: Shelly Pennefather, one of the dominant women’s basketball players of the late 1980s, who left the sport for life as a cloistered nun; and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who has used his college and pro football careers as a platform for evangelizing. In discussing basketball coach Dean Smith (University of North Carolina) and football coaches Steve Spurrier (University of South Carolina) and Bill McCartney (University of Colorado) Baker looks at how each strove to honor faith amid sometimes complicated personal lives and ever-crushing professional demands. Finally, Baker looks at how faith inspired such sportswriters as Grantland Rice, who sprinkled his stories with religious allusions, and Watson Spoelstra, who struck a deal with God at his daughter’s deathbed (she recovered) and subsequently devoted his off-hours and retirement years to charity work.

More books from University of Georgia Press

Cover of the book Jim Crow Terminals by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Fallen Forests by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Properties of Violence by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Listening to the Savage by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Creole Italian by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book The Piano Tuner by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Fearless Confessions by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book What We Do with the Wreckage by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Black Woman Reformer by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Singing to the Dead by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Cornbread Nation 7 by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Creolization and Contraband by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Riding the Demon by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book Stories from the Flannery O'Connor Award by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
Cover of the book The Civil War in Georgia by William J. Baker, Mitchell Reddish
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy