RELIGION OF SPORTS

A celebration of sports as a vehicle for enlightenment, moral education, and spiritual satisfaction.

The son of New Age pioneer Deepak Chopra, Gotham Chopra, an Emmy-winning filmmaker, admits to not having much in the way of connection with “classical religion.” The author shares that mentality with most Americans, fewer than half of whom are church members, the number of believers growing even smaller among younger people. For Chopra, Sunday football on a soft couch beats sermons on a hard bench. “Sports inspire, taking on meanings far beyond the scoreboard,” he writes, assisted by Levin. “Sports give us a place where we can see dreams come true. They help us heal. They show us how to get the absolute most out of our talents.” It’s a reasonable point, but the author belabors it in these pages. Commendably, the range of athlete profiles extends well beyond the usual male football, baseball, and basketball stalwarts. One of the most affecting stories concerns Paralympic track star Scout Bassett, who had a leg amputated as a child; after receiving an artificial limb, she found remarkable success—but not without considerable pain and difficulty, so much so that one of her transcendental moments was struggling to place third in an event. “Everybody always thinks about the record-breaking moments or the gold medal moments, but for me, winning that bronze medal is one of the things that I’m the most proud of,” she recalls. A better-known subject is Kobe Bryant, whom Chopra portrays as a seeker who was always trying to extend his understanding; another is Steph Curry, a traditional Christian who balked, initially, when Chopra told him, “Steph, when you take a three-pointer, you’re praying.” The author closes with a series of exercises to prompt reflection on what sports mean, what sorts of community they build, and the like.

A thought-provoking pleasure for spiritually minded sports fans.