Christianity, Identity, and Professional Football
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3409438 |
|---|---|
| Authors | G W Daniels (0009-0003-0070-7831), Graham Daniels (Ridley Hall, Cambridge CB3 9HG, UK), Andrew Parker (0000-0001-6842-3067, Ridley Hall, Cambridge CB3 9HG, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 1280 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel14101280 |
| OpenAlex | W4387538848 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
Empirical research on the lives of Christian elite athletes has focused primarily on their appropriation of faith-based behaviours and practices, and the ways in which their value and belief systems impact their performance. While these accounts provide useful insight into personal experience and practical application, they are largely devoid of theological underpinnings. Drawing on the findings of a small-scale qualitative study of the faith journeys of 15 ex-professional footballers, this paper seeks to present a theologically informed understanding of identity formation within elite sport. We begin by problematising the disjuncture between theocentric and anthropocentric approaches to the ways in which the specific identities of Christian elite athletes are often formed. We then explore the key issues that shaped the contours of the respondents' experiences as they sought to negotiate their faith amidst the harsh realities of professional footballing life. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of appropriate support networks to identity formation in Christian elite athletes
Aesthetics · Appropriation · Christianity · Elite · Epistemology · Faith · Negotiation · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Doping in Sports · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Religious studies · Sports, Gender, and Society
Designing Qualitative Research
Researching Religion, Disability, and Sport
The Games People Play
From identification to dis-identification
Possible selves
Disciplinary mechanisms and the discourse of identity
You’ve not made the grade, son’
The Presentation of Possible Selves in Everyday Life
The Work of Professional Football
Sports Chaplaincy, Theology and Social Theory Disrupting Performance-Based Identity in Elite Sporting Contexts
Playing Hurt
The whole week comes down to the team sheet
A very precarious profession
An Unpaid Labor of Love
Adding insult to injury
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |