Christianity and social scientific perspectives on sport: introduction to the special issue

The aim of this introduction is to provide a context for the contributions that follow in this special issue. The origins and scope of, as well as the rationale for, this special issue are discussed before a summary of, and brief commentary on, the eight papers is provided. In our conclusion we provide suggestions for comparisons between some of the papers in order to help readers to consider the breadth of the topics covered and the potential for further research. We end by positing that if social scientific analyses of sport are to be taken seriously, then some of us are duty bound to engage with Christian perspectives.