The question is of course anachronistic since the International Olympic Committee did not start until 1894, a good quarter of a century after the papacy lost its temporal powers. Even so, if ever Christians had wanted to root for a Christian team in the Olympics, the Papal States would have come the closest to integrating faith, politics, and sport since in that context the church was running things.
The reason for this little venture in wonderment was a recent story at Christianity Today about God and country at the Olympics in Sochi (in contrast, this one avoids nationalism):
It’s nice to find fellow Christians among the 230 men and women who make up the 2014 Team USA delegation to Sochi, Russia. We don’t root for them because they’re on “Team Jesus,” but all the same it’s nice to see people at the peak of their field, on the world’s biggest athletic stage, turn the credit back to the One who gave us bodies to run and jump and spin on ice and imaginations to push the limits of those bodies to run faster, jump higher, and spin faster than we ever thought possible.
Here are a few Christians to watch as they compete for Team USA in Sochi. Many of them are medal contenders; all of them know that no matter what happens over the next two weeks, God will still be good.
The question this article raises is the one that 2kers constantly ponder: to whom do I have a higher allegiance, the temporal city (Team U.S.A.) or the eternal city — no, not the Vatican — the church? It may be a two-fer to have an American and a Christian on one of the Olympic teams. But why would American Christians be more interested in U.S. Christian athletes than believers on Team France, Team China, or Team Brazil? And how about Reformed Protestants pulling especially hard for the nations that gave us the Reformed churches — Team Switzerland, Team Netherlands, and Team United Kingdom?
At the same time, since God has little to do with the Olympics, since the teams arise from temporal polities not from spiritual ones, why should U.S. Christians root any harder for believers on Team U.S.A. than for the non-believing team members? The answer is, there is no reason, unless you think — like the transformers, theonomists, and neo-Calvinists — that “neutral” realms may not exist and religion needs to be part of everything. Oh, the inhumanity of the IOC and Russian officials not acknowledging God (and for shame on the BBs and Rabbi Bret for not raising a ruckus about the secular Olympics)! If realms like the Olympics need religion, then Christianity Today’s article makes perfect sense. But then so does reducing the kingdom of God to the earthly, fleeting, and spurious politics of the IOC and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Old Life 
Sadly, even “Christianity Today” both the magazine as just Evangelicalism Lite therein.. needs both “spirit and truth”! Btw, as “Rome burns”, and the theologians fiddle (today) , i.e. Christendom, eschatology looms! And most surely this is National Israel! The Mideast Beast just might be a Muslim? Or so Muslim friendly that Israel will be pressed into so-called, “Peace, Peace”! But, Zech. 13: 6-9 with chapter 14 will be literally historical! Now we are seeing the great Gentile Apostasy! (2 Thess. 2: 3, etc.) Indeed the Church as Israel will see the Antichrist!
LikeLike
I miss the days when Tonya Harding was proudly representing low-class, trailer park dwellers of all nations.
LikeLike
This post sounds like it could inspire a good entry into Better Olympic Narratives. (And that link and this post comprise the whole of my engagement with this olympics…)
LikeLike
No value add here from me, just to say, long live 2k.
LikeLike
I’m reformed, but as a graduate of Johns Hopkins, I am aware (and DGH should be as well) that the Syracuse Orangemen are a tool of the devil.
LikeLike
Fr. Robert (Anglican
Posted February 14, 2014 at 1:54 pm | Permalink
Sadly, even “Christianity Today” both the magazine as just Evangelicalism Lite therein.. needs both “spirit and truth”! Btw, as “Rome burns”, and the theologians fiddle (today) , i.e. Christendom, eschatology looms! And most surely this is National Israel! The Mideast Beast just might be a Muslim? Or so Muslim friendly that Israel will be pressed into so-called, “Peace, Peace”! But, Zech. 13: 6-9 with chapter 14 will be literally historical! Now we are seeing the great Gentile Apostasy! (2 Thess. 2: 3, etc.) Indeed the Church as Israel will see the Antichrist!
Exactly.
At last, somebody who makes some sense around here!
LikeLike
This conversation brought this hymn to mind:
LikeLike
Tom,
And yet, you are
2k approving:
Stick around, son. You’re getting it, I can feel it. Yo
LikeLike
Rube, right. The Leiden Orangemen would be fine.
LikeLike
tvd, people who want to be umpires are like people who want to be academic administrators.
LikeLike
stirring olympic narratives:
• the athlete trained very hard
• his/her country wants him/her to win
• his/her family is very supportive
Good link Ruby 6:18pm
LikeLike
Rube’s link really does deserve another of my mentions, accordingly, here.
See ya’ll later.
LikeLike