ABSTRACT
While it is evident that sports are an emotional experience for participants (Jones, 2003), how much more so must it potentially be for those who are Christian and who, in accord with their beliefs, recognize the existence of sin. Christians believe that sin, a transgression against God’s moral law, has a direct effect on their personal relationship with God incarnate in Jesus Christ. The work of psychologists of religion suggests that sin is conceived of in two different ways across Christian religious denominations: both as state and act (McMinn, Ruiz, Marx, Wright and Gilbert, 2006). The research of McMinn et al. also suggests a correlation between negative psychological states (e.g., anxiety, sadness, anger) and the awareness of having sinned. In this chapter, I examine ways in which guilt and shame derived from sin impact the performance of Christian sportspersons; that is, if a sportsperson is consumed by the guilt or shame of their sin, then performance may suffer because they could be overcome by negative psychological states. Further, I suggest by means of both pastoral and Christian psychological interventions, sporting performance (alongside holistic well-being) can be enhanced, utilizing individual religious and spiritual practices.
