'Sport' and 'religion' are cultural institutions with a global reach. Each is characterised by ritualised performance and by the ecstatic devotion of its followers, whether in the sports arena or the cathedral of worship. This fascinating collection is the first to examine, in detail, the relationship between these two cultural institutions from an international, religiously pluralistic perspective. It illuminates the role of sport and religion in the social formation of collective groups, and explores how sport might operate in the service of a religious community.
The book offers a...

This fascinating new collection is the first to examine the intersection of sport and religion from an international, religiously pluralistic perspective. In doing so, it taps into a wide range of issues within the history and sociology of sport, including ethnicity, identity, community and social anthropology. The book offers a series of cutting-edge contemporary historical case studies; including, sport and Catholicism in Northern Ireland, and Muhammad Ali and the Nation of Islam, sport and Christian fundamentalism in the US.

An accessible and fully cross-referenced A-Z guide, this book has been written specifically for students of sport studies and physical education, introducing basic terms and concepts. Entries cover such diverse subjects as coaching, drug testing, hooliganism, cultural imperialism, economics, gay games, amateurism, extreme sports, exercise physiology and Olympism.

This revised second edition, including fully updated further reading and web references, places a greater emphasis on sports science, with new entries on subjects such as:

• aerobic and anaerobic...