ABSTRACT
In order to explore COS views on a wide range of issues from competitiveness to money, relationships, the family and much more, this chapter draws upon newspaper articles, minutes of meetings, church papers, the old and new statistical accounts of Scotland and two significant reports to the Church and Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland, the first of which was in 1964 and the second in 2014. The chapter, while not exhaustive, asks what is the relationship between the COS and sport and how does this contribute to what we know about religion and sport. In order to address this question the chapter is organized around the following themes: (i) an overview of the relationship between sport, religion and Scottish society; (ii) an overview of the historic relationship between sport and religion in Scotland; (iii) a substantive account of the views of the church, nation and society committees of the COS in 1964 and 2014 and (iv) a return to the relationship between sport and religion with a plea for better ethics, better faith and better sport.
