The Hidden Religious Significance of American Baseball Baseball is one of the oldest sports that was originated in the United States of America dating back to the 19th century. The first official game with the set of rules that we still use today was played in 1846, by the New York Knickerbockers. Since then baseball has grown to become what we call the “national pastime” of America (History). However, through this sport people have not only found a source of entertainment, but a source of identity in which they can express oneness. Over the years, baseball has come to bring people together through its own hidden religion such as it’s symbols, rituals and even virtues that it teaches. Baseball has it’s ritual that people wouldn’t at first …show more content…
It’s a place where fans can freely express their passion of the sport with it’s customs. It has even allowed other religions to be expressed in the stadium. In general, baseball has a much deeper religious significance than what is shown, with its symbols, rituals, and virtues, that are portrayed in every game. Works Cited Evans, Christopher Hodge. The Faith of Fifty Million: Baseball, Religion, and American Culture. Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. Butterworth, Michael L. “Saved at Home: Christian Branding and Faith Nights in The.” Center for Civic Innovation, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Tel: 212-599-7000; Fax: 212-599-3494; Web Site: Http://Www.manhattan-Institute.org, 30 Nov. 2010, eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ932516. Butterworth, Michael L. “Ritual in the ‘Church of Baseball’: Suppressing the Discourse of Democracy after 9/11.” Taylor & Francis, June 2005, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14791420500082635?scroll=top&needAccess=true. Staff, History. “Who Invented Baseball?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Mar. 2013,