Radical Orthodoxy and Lance Armstrong: Shedding Light on Sport as Religious Experience

Abstract

The theological framework of radical orthodoxy has yet to be realized as useful in examining the religious significance of sport and athlete hero-icons in contemporary American popular culture. This paper addresses four assumptions of radical orthodoxy scholarship to demonstrate why many claim to have religious and spiritual experiences through sport today. This paper argues the radical orthodoxy framework is useful for examining sport in popular culture as it may reflect elements of postmodern theology. Using these four assumptions this case study explores the religious and spiritual impact American cyclist Lance Armstrong's image and philanthropic activities, between 1999 and 2010, had in contemporary American popular culture.