Tuesday, September 9, 2025

It is the 9th of September 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

If it’s Tuesday, I should be in Wittenberg… check out GTItours.org to follow along, to sign up for a future trip…

I figured it out… Cal Lutheran University gives out a “Landry” medal as an honorific, but Tom Landry was very much a Methodist. Alright…

One more mailbag devoted to the intersection of Christianity and Sports

Nathan in Jefferson City, MO- “Jeff City”, little known fact: it’s the capital of Missouri. Nathan wondered about Christian Athletes who thank God for winning games, catching touchdowns, etc. He wondered where this came from and if there was a historical precedent.

I was reminded of a Sports Illustrated cover from 2013 before the Super Bowl with Ray Lewis, a tough linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens who went from hard living to becoming a minister- he’s rising from the water as if being baptized, and the cover reads “Does God Care Who Wins the Super Bowl”?

Does he? Sure! He cares about all of his creation- does he root for a specific team or the one with the most Christians on it? I understand the impulse to anthropomorphize God, make him just like a bigger, more powerful version of ourselves- but, fun fact, God anthropomorphized himself! In Jesus! And I suppose if I asked Jesus about the upcoming Rams game, he might respond with something about where my treasure is laid. But you can tie this in to yesterday's show about the history of Sports and the church and the “sacred/secular” divide we find especially post-Reformation.

So we saw that sports could be a legitimate “secular” activity. Then add to the mix the evangelical, missionary impulse from the 19th century. Christians see themselves as missionaries in their legitimate but “secular” callings and thus when given the opportunity, say, on a microphone after a big win, you might want to give a shout out to the “big man upstairs”, “personal Lord and Savior” etc… But athletes tend not to be professional theologians, and so we might not expect perfect explanations or theologies- but we shouldn’t hold it against them

It’s also a very Christian impulse to want to thank God in all things and whenever, and so I think there is a very non-cynical way of looking at it. So I think we can take them on a case-by-case basis. I do wonder if Nomar Garciaparra was remembering his baptism by making the sign of the cross 8 times during his at-bat? I do think Tim Tebow was very sincere when he kneeled and prayed after a touchdown (they called it “Tebow-ing,” which was strange as it was “Pray-ing”). 

Let me transition to a question recently asked by Teddy in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (home of Bon Iver), who wondered about the most famous athletes to also be clergy.

Reggie White, Eagles and Packers Hall of Fame, was nicknamed “the Minister of Defense” as he was ordained as a Baptist minister at 17 before his football career.

Rosey Grier of the Rams' famed “Fearsome Foursome” was ordained after his playing career. Mike Singletary of the '86 Bears is ordained as well.

I’m reminded of characters like Daryl Strawberry, who famously struggled with addiction issues, and this was exacerbated by extreme wealth. He then finds himself without a job at midlife (as it is with most athletes), and so he converts, gets clean, and starts a ministry.

Many former athletes do this- as far as modern ones who seem to have taken the more theological route, I’m reminded of former defensive back Derwin Gray, who went on to get a doctorate under Scot McKnight and start a church in South Carolina. Frank Reich (which, yes, said quickly sounds like the German word for France- and Reich is “the 3rd” which is awkward)- he received an Mdiv from the Reformed Theological Seminary and served as the president of the same in the early 2000s, where he was also a pastor in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church before going back to coaching.  

I’ve been asked a few times about theologians who could have been athletes and while I don’t have an extensive list- I know that Gordon Fee the Pentecostal New Testament scholar was quite the long distance runner. Thomas Aquinas was called “the Dumb Ox” because he was considered slow and was on the bigger side… I’d like to think he could have been a good offensive lineman. I have a dedicated note in my notes app for this and will revisit at another time lest I alienate the non-sports people who I appreciate coming along for these two shows… back to the regular mailbag tomorrow on this week of mailbag shows.

 The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and by coincidence, is a juicy little bit that includes a word about physical training

8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 9th of September 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who knows that an athlete with a theology of the cross would be thankful for losses… he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who read that Charlemagne was almost 6’4 and stout- maybe a good small forward in his day… I’m the decidedly unathletic Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.