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Religion of Sports

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Religion of Sports

Navigating the Trials of Life Through the Games We Love

Atria Books,

15 Minuten Lesezeit
5 Take-aways
Text verfügbar

Was ist drin?

Sports can generate religious devotion and teach life lessons.


Editorial Rating

9

getAbstract Rating

  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Spiritualist and author Deepak Chopra never understood why adults in Boston liked to walk around in Larry Bird jerseys. But from a young age, Deepak’s son Gotham Chopra joined millions of fans who embrace all of Boston’s professional sports teams – particularly the Celtics. Gotham’s entertaining and insightful look at the power of sports will resonate with anyone who has silently prayed for a last-second field goal or a ninth-inning home run. He and writer Joe Levin examine the essence of sports, what fans learn from them, why they matter so much, and how the best athletes manage to achieve greatness.

Summary

Many Americans channel their religious fervor toward sports.

A record number of Americans are turning away from religion. For the first time, according to a Gallup poll, less than half the population has joined a house of worship. The number of agnostics has grown from 17% of the population in 2009 to 26% in 2019. Since 1995, the number of Americans not affiliated with a conventional religion has tripled.

But people haven’t abandoned belief. Scientists maintain that almost everyone has a genetic program that causes them “to believe in something larger” than themselves. Human beings naturally seek a sense of belonging and gravitate toward customs, traditions, and ideology.

In the absence of adopting a formal spiritual doctrine (or, sometimes, along with religious adherence), millions of people have developed a religious fervor for sports. This reflects the way athletic competition reveals human triumphs and shortcomings. For sports fans, hope springs eternal, and miracles occur. Salvation is often right around the corner.

Growing up in Boston as a child of immigrants from India, Gotham Chopra realized that sports...

About the Authors

Documentary filmmaker Gotham Chopra co-founded the media company Religion of Sports with former NFL greats Tom Brady and Michael Strahan. He also founded Liquid Comics, Chopra Media, and The Chopra Well on YouTube. His books include ​​​​​Walking Wisdom: Three Generations, Two Dogs, and the Search for a Happy Life and Familiar Strangers: Finding Wisdom in the Real World. His films include Kobe Bryant's Muse, Tom vs. Time, Man in the Arena: Tom Brady, and Decoding Deepak. Joe Levin writes for Religion of Sports. His work has also appeared in Texas Monthly, ESPN, and other forums.


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