European Studies in Sports History, vol. 18

The eighteenth issue of European Studies in Sport History joins a long-standing and dynamic academic conversation on the intersection of sport and religion, offering a historical perspective that spans from the nineteenth century to the present day. Over this period, shifts in cultural and social practices have redefined how societies experience ritual, belief, and the body. Sport has become a key arena where these transformations are expressed, contested, and ritualized in new ways, often reflecting larger societal changes. A well-known example of this tension is the case of Eric Liddell, who refused to compete on a Sunday during the 1924 Olympic Games due to his Christian convictions. Immortalized in the film Chariots of Fire, his stance reflected a time when religious obligation could outweigh athletic ambition. Today, however, such decisions are rare. Churches stand increasingly empty while stadiums fill with people. Sundays once centered on spiritual practice now often revolve around televised sport. Chants, rituals, and symbolic attire—once part of religious liturgies—now appear in sporting contexts, suggesting that religious expression has not disappeared but changed form, finding new spaces and audiences. This volume explores how religion and sport have intersected, coexisted, and at times clashed across various historical and cultural settings. The articles offer diverse perspectives on how these two domains have shaped each other. From organized religions like Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism to more diffuse notions of spirituality and ritual, contributors examine how sport has mirrored, displaced, or blended with religious experience. Rather than being treated as separate, these spheres are shown to be historically entangled and mutually influential. Several studies investigate ritual and gesture in contemporary sport. The use of prayer, signs of the cross, or other expressions of faith by athletes reveals the persistence of religion in public spaces. Rather than being confined to private practice, belief remains visible on the field—personal, performative, and amplified by media. These moments demonstrate the enduring power of spiritual identity even within secular institutions. Other contributions examine the historical resistance of religious authorities to sport. In various times and places, clergy viewed sport with suspicion—criticizing its perceived frivolity, moral risk, or threat to discipline. Yet religious institutions also embraced physical activity, recognizing its value in moral and communal education. Movements like Muscular Christianity promoted physical strength as a virtue aligned with religious values, a theme that re-emerged in modern evangelical fitness cultures and youth outreach programs. Faith-based organizations have also shaped the ethical goals of sport. They emphasized fairness, modesty, and discipline, but sometimes reinforced gender norms or excluded certain identities. The volume pays close attention to women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and minority faith groups, highlighting how religion and sport can both empower and marginalize. This dual capacity underscores the need for critical and inclusive historical analysis. A further theme is the impact of religious calendars and obligations on global sporting events. The overlap between Ramadan and the Olympic Games raises questions about inclusion and cultural negotiation in international sport. These tensions reveal the limits of secularism and the need for flexible approaches that acknowledge religious diversity while preserving fairness and accessibility in global competitions. Several studies explore the spatial and symbolic overlap between religious and sporting venues. Modern stadiums—with their monumental design and emotionally charged atmosphere—are often likened to cathedrals. This comparison reflects a reconfiguration of collective gathering and spiritual experience in secular societies. "Sports cathedrals" symbolize how deeply sport has come to occupy a role once held by religion, offering similar forms of belonging, transcendence, and ritual structure. Methodologically, the volume brings together historians, sociologists, scholars of religion, anthropologists, and philosophers. The authors use sources ranging from archives and oral testimonies to media and visual culture. Their approaches include ethnography, discourse analysis, and historical interpretation. This methodological diversity allows for nuanced analyses of how body, belief, and performance intersect across time and space. Geographically, the volume includes case studies from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These examples show that the sport-religion relationship is not culturally specific but a global phenomenon shaped by local traditions, colonial legacies, and transnational flows. Both religion and sport emerge as dynamic arenas of negotiation over identity, modernity, and authority, constantly e