Tuning Into the Gospel: How the Growth of Sports Television Popularized Public Prayer Among Athletes
Tuning Into the Gospel: How the Growth of Sports Television Popularized Public Prayer Among Athletes
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Publication or External Link
Date
2012
Authors
Goldenbach, Alan M.
Advisor
Hanson, Christopher
Citation
DRUM DOI
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.