On Prophetic Resistance: An Introduction

Abstract

This chapter argues that most of the literature regarding religion and sport situate these phenomena as fulfilling human needs. These arguments focus primarily on the aspects of sport, like religion, that improve subjective and collective well-being for the majority. This work is different in that it focuses on the ways that religion provides a necessary discomfort in a society that strives toward comfort. An essential aspect of many religious traditions, especially the Abrahamic traditions, is countering voices and practices. These religious forces, typically referred to as prophetic, push the tradition and society to recognize its failures and shortcomings. Taking as a starting position that sport is a civil religious phenomenon in the United States, this chapter situates athletic activism as contemporary prophetic activity.