Baseball as Religion

Explore the spiritual power of America’s pastime in this lively book club led by Dean Eric Bain-Selbo, culminating in two live baseball experiences.

For many fans, baseball is more than a sport — it’s ritual, memory, community, and meaning. This engaging reading and discussion series invites participants to explore the deeper cultural and spiritual dimensions of the game through John Sexton’s bestselling book Baseball as a Road to God.

The series is led by Dean Eric Bain-Selbo, an internationally recognized scholar of sport and religion, author of Gameday and God: Football, Faith, and Politics in the American South, and co-author of Understanding Sport as a Religious Phenomenon: An Introduction. Dean Bain-Selbo has spent decades examining the intersection of sport, identity, ritual, and belief, and his work has helped shape the academic conversation around why sports like baseball matter beyond the box score.

Blending scholarship with accessibility, he brings deep expertise and a genuine love of the game to this four-part discussion group.

Meetings will be held at local microbreweries and at a Cape Catfish game, offering a unique blend of scholarship, fellowship, and fandom in relaxed, social settings.

The experience culminates in a trip to see the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7, bringing the themes of the book to life in one of baseball’s most iconic environments.

This is lifelong learning at its best: reflective, communal, intellectually rich — and just plain fun.

This is lifelong learning at its best: reflective, communal, and just plain fun.

Schedule & Reading Assignments:

• June 9 – Local pub (90 minutes)
  Reading: pp. 1–52

• June 16 – Local pub (90 minutes)
  Reading: pp. 53–125

• June 23 – Cape Catfish Game
  Reading: pp. 126–174

• June 30 – Local pub (90 minutes)
  Reading: pp. 175–220

• July 7 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers (MLB Game Experience)

Location: Various local microbreweries, Cape Catfish game, and St. Louis Cardinals game

Format: In-Person / Experiential

Audience: Baseball fans, lifelong learners, readers interested in sport, culture, and religion

Duration: Four 90-minute discussion sessions + two live game experiences

Fee: $175pp (includes book, game tickets and transportation to Cardinal's game in St. Louis)

What’s Included in Registration:

• A copy of Baseball as a Road to God

• Admission to the Cape Catfish game

• Transportation and admission to the St. Louis Cardinals game

Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze baseball as a cultural and spiritual phenomenon

• Engage critically with themes of ritual, tradition, and meaning in sport

• Connect scholarly insight with lived fan experience

• Participate in thoughtful group discussion around sport and society

• Reflect on the role of community and narrative in shaping identity