The protestant ethic and the formation of a sporting ethos

Abstract

The present review depicts Steven Overman's book “Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Sport: How Calvinism and Capitalism Shaped America’s Games.” Under Weberian theoretical lineage and with direct influence of Allen Guttmann, the author sees puritan doctrines of the reformist period as both consequence and cause of the American spirit of capitalism. By proposing seven Calvinistic virtues as essential features of Protestant ethic, Overman demonstrates how they culminated in the establishment of American institutions, including those related to the sphere of sport. By relating virtues and doctrines coming from the reform in the American ethos, the author identifies his correspondences in the spirit of sport, demonstrating how school and college competitions, the Olympic movement and the professionalization of clubs and athletes commune with the USA’s capitalism and Protestantism.