From athletes praising God to pastors using sport metaphors in the pulpit the association between sport and religion in North America is often considered incidental. Yet religion and sport have been tightly intertwined for millennia and continue to inform shape and critique one another. Moreover sport rather than being a solely secular activity is one of the most important sites for debates over gender race capitalism the media and civil religion. Traditionally scholarly writings on religion and sport have focused on the question of whether sport is a religion using historical philosophical theological and sociological insights to argue this matter. While these efforts sought to answer an important question contemporary issues related to sports were neglected such as globalization commercialization feminism masculinity critical race theory and the ethics of doping. This volume contains lively up-to-date essays from leading figures in the field to fill this scholarly gap. It treats religion as an indispensable prism through which to view sports and vice versa. This book is ideal for students approaching the topic of religion and sport. It will also be of interest to scholars studying sociology of religion sociology of sport religion and race religion and gender religion and politics and sport in general. | Religion and Sport in North America Critical Essays for the Twenty-First Century