Tuning Into the Gospel: How the Growth of Sports Television Popularized Public Prayer Among Athletes

Abstract

Whether the game is played among friends in a community park or in front of tens of thousands inside a packed stadium with millions more watching on television worldwide, prayer has become an omnipresent tool for athletes of all ages and skill levels. No longer do players invoke their spirituality in private or among themselves off the field; they do it in front of whoever is watching. While the ties between religion and sports date to ancient times, the public display of their union has become a phenomenon in the current generation. This book proposal will trace how public prayer among athletes has evolved. It will ultimately show that the boon of sports television programming over that span has given athletes a platform to use as a pulpit, while also exposing viewers to content they had not previously received through other mass media.