Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, always envisioned the Games as much more than the sum of their parts. “Olympism,” as he coined it, was a new type of religion — one shorn of gods, yet transcendent all the same. To Coubertin, honing an athlete’s body and mind for peak performance in a competition was a way of “realizing perfection.” He called this a new “religio athletae,” or “religion of athletics.”
Read MoreFallout from the “Last Supper” scene during the Opening Ceremony at the Paris Olympics spilled over into a second week after bishops from around the world — and even the Vatican — issued statements calling out the display as offensive to Christians everywhere. The Holy See said ir was “saddened” by the display, while others called on the IOC to “repudiate this blasphemous action.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) The shot shared ‘round the world following the Olympics Opening Ceremonies was actually a brief matter of seconds in a four-hour live presentation. Whether it was — in fact — a shot at Christ and his followers using Leonardo da Vinci's iconography or just a misunderstood tableau for the feast of Dionysus, as the show producers claim, the moment is better understood in motion, as video shows better than stills.
Read MoreAt the Summer Games, lots of skin is on display and many athletes use it as a testament to faith. There’s Anthony Davis — usually playing for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers — with a cross and praying hands across his forearm. Fellow basketball pro Jayson Tatum, of the Boston Celtics, has a collection of religious tattoos, including “God’s will” and “Proverbs 3:5-6” across his back.
Read MoreDisappointed in her performance at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Alison Gibson said goodbye to diving for good. At least, that was her intention. She officially retired and began what she considered to be a “normal” life — working, making money, having free time. “I felt like I let my country down, let my friends down,” Gibson said. “It was just like a really gut-wrenching feeling.”
Read MoreThousands of people from across the globe will descend on the city that’s home to the Eiffel Tower for the Olympics. The IMB has ministered at many Olympics, and volunteers who’ve traveled to the global cities have long been crucial to its ministry strategy. While ministry has been successful, interactions are often fleeting as visitors scatter. That’s where digital engagement strategies come in.
Read MoreOlympians like Dominique Dawes and Rochelle Stevens talked to ReligionUnplugged about their faith, wrestling with mental challenges in the Games and supporting U.S. gymnast Simone Biles who withdrew from competition this week over mental health concerns and vertigo-like symptoms. Biles and Dawes have both shared leaning on their Catholic faith in their gymnastics careers.
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