Vol. 1 No. 1, February 2022

Sport, Christianity and Policy Making

Andrew Parker

Abstract

Over the last 30-40 years there has been a significant increase in academic literature and wider debate surrounding sport and Christianity (see, for example, Adogame et al., 2017; Hemmings et al., 2019; Hoven et al., 2019; Parker et al., 2016; Watson and Parker, 2013, 2014, 2015; Watson et al., 2020).1 In part, this is a reflection of the way in which practitioner work in this area has developed not least amongst para-church organisations. That said, the extent to which the sports ministry sector has had an influence on secular sport policy and practice during this period remains questionable and little, if any, impact seems to be evident at the national or international level.2 This short paper aims to explore some of the reasons why a vibrant sports ministry sector appears to lack impact in relation to broader sports policy and proposes a number of ways in which the sector might seek to establish great er engagement and influence within the context of mainstream sporting debate.

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References

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