ABSTRACT
This chapter is divided into three sections. In the first, the paradox regarding the growth of Christianity (especially over the last century) and the claims made by advocates of the secularisation thesis are briefly discussed. In the second, further evidence is provided from Shilling and Mellor (2014) concerning the secular bias in the sociology of sport. The cause of this is attributed to the fact that the sociology of sport mirrors its parent discipline (sociology). In the third section of the essay, the historical work of Brewer (2007) regarding the distinction between ‘religious sociology’ and ‘the sociology of religion’ is drawn upon and three main areas of what might be considered ‘Christian approaches to sociology’ are outlined with a view to encouraging sociologists of sport to explore these resources for themselves. The intention here is not to make definitive links between Christian approaches to sociology and the sociological study of sport but to open the door to a set of perspectives that so far remain largely unexplored by those undertaking sociological analyses of sport.
