ABSTRACT

The majority of sport psychology research to date has been underpinned and driven by a secular perspective. There is an urgent need for sport psychologists to better understand the relevance of Christian faith in athletes’ sporting experiences and day-to-day lives in order to improve their performance and well-being. Sport, Psychology and Christianity is the first book to consider the relationship between sport psychology provision and Christianity from a welfare and performance perspective.

Bringing together contributions from leading scholars in the field, the book includes chapters on:

  • The role of faith in sport injury rehabilitation
  • Christian belief and resilience during injury
  • The pitfalls of perfectionism in sport
  • Collaboration between sport psychologist and club chaplain
  • Ethical considerations when working with spiritual athletes
  • Reflective practice in sport psychology consultancy

Offering a holistic approach to improving athlete welfare and performance where faith and spirituality are core tenets of well-being, this volume is a critical and timely resource for students, researchers and practitioners working in sport psychology; sport and spirituality; or religion, sports chaplaincy and allied roles and professions.

chapter 1|17 pages

Identity in sport

Reflections on welfare, performance and consultancy practice within a Christian worldview

part II|55 pages

Performance

chapter 6|13 pages

Beyond pastoral care

Biblical applications for consulting and performance

chapter 7|14 pages

Mind, body, and soul

A foundational model of performance

part III|47 pages

Consultancy

chapter 10|13 pages

Integrating Christian faith into sport psychology consulting

A faith developmental theory perspective

chapter 11|13 pages

Working with religious and spiritual athletes

Ethical considerations for sport psychologists

chapter 12|19 pages

Sport, psychology and Christianity

The importance of reflective practice