ECCLESIOLOGY AND BASEBALL:

Exploring the Church Through America’s Pastime

Call For Papers

Editors: Daniel J. Cameron, Ph.D. & Johanna DeHaven, M.A.

“Baseball is just a game. But like religion, it has rituals. I need rituals. I need traditions. I need something to believe in, whether I worship in a church or a stadium. I believe in the Yankees and then divorced them and came all the way back to believing in them again, and what I have learned, if anything, is this: My belief, my faith, transcends individual players and is deeper than the outcome of any game, any season. It is unshakable.” ~Jane Heller

Baseball and the church may seem, at first glance, like unlikely conversation partners. One is a beloved American pastime, rich with tradition, statistics, and stadiums; the other is the Body of Christ, sent into the world with a message of grace, mission, and community. And yet, when viewed through a theological lens, these two worlds share surprising connections.

This book—Ecclesiology and Baseball: Exploring the Church Through America’s Pastime—will bring together a diverse, ecumenical group of scholars, pastors, and theologians who reflect deeply on the parallels between the life of the church and the life of the game.

Both baseball and ecclesiology involve more than just systems and structures; they involve formation, imagination, memory, and longing. The baseball diamond and the worshiping congregation are both spaces of community, repetition, and hope. There are stadiums and sanctuaries, lineups and liturgies, innings and seasons, players and pastors—all bound together by a sense of time that is both sacred and slow.

This volume explores a variety of theological and pastoral themes through the lens of baseball, seeking to discover what the church can learn from the game, and what the game might teach us about the church.

• Rhythm and Liturgy: Baseball unfolds by a rhythm—an organic and unfolding structure that mirrors the church’s own sacred liturgies. Like the Sunday service or the liturgical calendar, baseball follows a set of rituals that form the hearts and imaginations of those who participate. Each season, like the Christian year, begins with anticipation, includes moments of lament, joy, discipline, and ends in a kind of eschatological hope.
• Community and Vocation: In baseball, no one wins alone. Every player has a role, from the bench to the bullpen. Likewise, the church functions as the Body of Christ, with many members and many gifts. We invite proposals to reflect on vocation, teamwork, and the communal nature of both the church and the game, inviting readers to see themselves as part of a larger story.
• Formation and Discipleship: Just as players are trained through practice, repetition, and coaching, so too are disciples formed through worship, sacraments, and spiritual disciplines. Baseball’s love of fundamentals offers a helpful analogy for the church’s ongoing task of catechesis and spiritual formation. We invite proposals exploring this connection, asking what pastors and church leaders can learn from coaching, development, and long-term investment.
• Hope and Failure: Baseball is a game of failure. The best hitters fail seven out of ten times. Errors are expected. Losses are part of the journey. In a culture obsessed with success, baseball offers a more gracious rhythm of perseverance and learning. The church, too, is full of imperfect people learning to live in grace and truth. This volume will explore how ecclesiology can be shaped by a theology of failure and redemption.
• The Search for Home: The deepest theological symbol in baseball may be the idea of “home.” The entire game is structured around a journey—leaving home, making your way forward, facing obstacles, and, hopefully, returning home. The Christian life, too, is a pilgrimage toward home—toward union with God and communion with others.
• Witness and Mission: Baseball games take place in public, before a watching world. Teams are sent out onto the field, not to play for themselves, but for the fans, for the city, for something larger than themselves. The church, likewise, is sent into the world—not to retreat into its own dugout, but to engage, serve, witness, and bless. We invite proposals to reflect on the missional posture of the Church, inspired by baseball’s public and participatory ethos.

Ecumenical in Spirit

This volume is deliberately ecumenical in nature. We hope to draw voices from across the spectrum of the Christian tradition—Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical, Mainline, Pentecostal, and Anabaptist. Each contributor brings a unique theological perspective, rooted in their own ecclesial context, yet united by a shared love of the church and the game.

Rather than flattening doctrinal differences, this book seeks to honor them—inviting conversation across traditions while exploring the unifying themes that connect us. Just as baseball unites people across cultures and generations, so too can this dialogue about ecclesiology bring renewed appreciation for the diverse ways the church manifests itself in the world.

We welcome proposals that engage questions such as:

• How does the liturgy of the Church mirror the rhythms and rituals of baseball?
• In what ways does the communal nature of a baseball team reflect ecclesial life?
• How might the concept of vocation be seen in the lives of players, coaches, or fans?
• Can a theology of sabbath be found in the slowness and attentiveness of the game?
• How might themes like waiting, failure, forgiveness, hope, and home inform both baseball and ecclesial identity?
• What can local churches learn from the formation and mission of a baseball club?
• How has baseball historically intersected with religious institutions, revivals, or reformations?
• What ecumenical insights emerge when comparing denominational life with the diversity of teams and leagues?

Submission Guidelines:

• Abstract Deadline: May 15, 2025
• Notification of Acceptance: June 1, 2025
• Details: Submit a 300-500 word abstract with stated thesis and proposed outline.
• Format: Chicago Style
• Submit to: danieljordancameron@gmail.com

Editor’s Note:
We especially encourage voices from across Christian traditions—Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical—as well as ecumenical scholars and baseball enthusiasts who seek to draw fresh connections between the sacred and the secular. Contributions may be academic, pastoral, or narrative in nature, but all should seek to deepen our understanding of the church through the metaphor and lived experience of baseball.