Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Why study religion and sports, anyway? -- Part 1. Why do people think sports are a religion? Friday night lights : high school football as religion in Odessa, Texas ; Oscar Pistorius and what it means to be human -- Part 2. Does religion have a place in sports, or sports in religion? Zen and archery in Japan ; O God of players : prayer and women's basketball at a Catholic college ; Juju : witchcraft and African football ; Jewish umpires and baseball chapel -- Part 3. What happens when religion and sports come into conflict? American Jews and the boycott of the 1936 Berlin Olympics ; The Belleville Grays and playing sports on the Sabbath ; Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and the national anthem ritual in the NBA ; Judo and hijab at the Olympics -- Part 4. Religion and ethical dilemmas in sports. Caroline Pla and CYO football : should girls be allowed to compete with boys? ; Should the Roman Catholic Church condemn bullfighting in Spain? ; The Florida State University Seminole's Osceola and Renegade : mascots or symbols? ; Jack Taylor's 138 points : is "running up the score" Christian? -- Conclusion: What would Phil Jackson do?

1 2