SOAS researcher secures €2.3m funding to explore connections between sport and religion

SOAS anthropologist Professor Marloes Janson has secured a European Research Council advanced grant to explore the connections between sport and religion in Africa. 

The 5-year project has secured approximately €2.3 million, and will explore the intersectionality between religion and sport through an ethnographic approach. 

While sport and religion have been studied mostly separately, the practices have many similarities: both are embodied, and both use rituals and evoke emotions to induce high levels of group identity and cohesiveness.

The project will see Professor Janson explore boxing, football, long-distance running and karate with partners from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and Helwan University in Egypt.

Speaking on the grant, Professor Janson said:

“The project presents a wonderful opportunity to look at Africa through the lens as both a religious and sporting continent, with a unique setting to investigate the interplay between sports and religion. While sport and religion have been studied mostly separately, the practices have many similarities: both are embodied, and both use rituals and evoke emotions to induce high levels of group identity and cohesiveness.

I look forward to examining our chosen professional sports, and how they appropriate elements from Islam, Christianity, and African religious traditions in four countries: boxing in Nigeria, football in South Africa, long-distance running in Kenya, and karate in Egypt.”

The project ‘Muscular Faith: The Interplay Between Sport and Religion in Africa’ will begin this November.

The ERC Advanced Grant is a competitive funding schemes that gives senior researchers the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs.