Sports

Feet pounding against the turf, sweat dripping down the brow, cheers echoing across the stadium, and the metallic racket of the overtime score buzzer are all a manifestation of the Sabbath—at their best, a way to foster community, challenge the physical body, and glorify God. In a sports culture dominated by multi-million dollar contracts and often plagued by steroid use, crass language, and a lack of integrity on and off the field, interpreting what we see and how we participate has become an important faith endeavor.

A collage photo of a baseball field, Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson, and a civil rights march

Excerpt

After Making Baseball History, Branch Rickey Faced a Spiritual Crisis

Paul Emory Putz

How the famed executive who signed Jackie Robinson found renewed hope in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Where Ya From?

Winning with Justice with Maya Moore Irons

Hear basketball legend Maya Moore Irons’s remarkable story of faith, love, and justice.

A baseball mitt holding a die on a neon green background.

Sports Betting Has Become Too Prevalent for Christians to Ignore

Kyle Worley

Online gambling isn’t necessarily sinful, but it’s certainly not a careful use of the wealth God has given us.

A stadium full of people at night with bright lights

Review

Take Me Out to Something Bigger Than a Ballgame

Paul Putz

American stadiums have always played host both to major sports and to larger social aspirations.

19 Christian Para Athletes to Root For at the Paris 2024 Paralympics

CT Editors

Meet Paralympians from around the world who are unashamed of the gospel.

Odette Giuffrida of Italy (in blue) congratulates Larissa Pimenta of Brazil for winning the bronze medal in the women’s 52-kg Judo event. (See their story below, after the more recent posts.)

The Top Christian Highlights of the Paris Olympics

Bruce Barron

How athletes are sharing their faith and pointing to God.

Brazil's Gabriel Medina reacts after getting a large wave in men's surfing during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Olympics’ Most Iconic Photo Has a Christian Message

Franco Iacomini

The raised index finger of levitating surfer Gabriel Medina is the latest sign that sports success has made Brazilian evangelicals less marginalized and more confident.

Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” and Jan van Bijlert’s “Feast of the Gods"

The Lessons of the Paris Olympics Tableau

Jared Boggess

As an art director, I think the Olympics failed to consider its audience. But as a Christian, I’m not surprised by disdain from those outside the church.