With the Chicago Cubs nearing the World Series, fans are holding their breath to see if the team's so-called curse is about to be lifted.
For the Cubs' faithful, there's an overlap between one's devotion to the team and religious devotion—a connection that the Chicago Tribune recently highlighted. The newspaper spoke with Whittier College's Joseph Price, the Genevieve Shaul Connick Professor of Religious Studies, about how both experiences can be life-shaping.
Loyalty to the Cubs, who haven't won the World Series since 1908, both prepares fans for life's ultimate defeat—death—and offers immersion in the "deep possibility of hope," Price told the Tribune. You can read more of Price's insight in the article here.
Price has published numerous essays and books on sports and religion, including From Season to Season: Sports as American Religion and Rounding the Bases: Baseball and Religion in America. Combining his interests in sports, ritual studies, and music, he has sung the national anthem for more than 125 professional baseball games in 20 Major League ballparks and 100 minor league stadiums in 42 states.
