About the Faith & Sports Institute
Housed at a seminary and embedded within a Christian research university with major college athletics, the Faith & Sports Institute (FSI) is a place where scholars, sports practitioners, and Christian ministry leaders can learn and grow together. Our mission is to foster the thoughtful integration of faith and sports through theological education, compelling research, and formative practices for the flourishing of Christian leaders and their communities. We do this through four main initiatives, which you can read about on our home page or by clicking the links below:
Core Values
Infusing all of our initiatives are five core values that shape how and why we do the work we do.
Excellence
We engage in research and programs that follow best practices and meet the highest standards of scholarship and teaching.
Faithfulness
We are unambiguously Christian, rooted in the doctrine, traditions, and practices of the faith.
Authenticity
We invite courageous conversations and seek to cultivate compassionate communities.
Collaboration
We strive to connect diverse voices and disciplines for creative exploration of complex issues.
Transformation
We aim for renewal and virtue in ourselves and in the people and institutions of sports.
History
While the Faith & Sports Institute name and organizational structure was launched for the public in 2021, pieces of the FSI program have been developing for over 15 years. FSI’s co-founders, John and Cindy White, spent a couple decades in sports ministry leadership, where they helped to galvanize a network of scholars and leaders who wanted to think more deeply about the intersection of sports and Christianity. In 2011, John and Cindy came to Truett Seminary so that John could lead the newly-created Sports Ministry Program. In 2016, they wrote and received a grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Youth Theology Network to create a retreat for high school athletes aimed at helping them integrate their faith and sports.
The graduate program and the high school retreat formed the foundation for what is now the Faith & Sports Institute, with an online certificate program and a research/resources initiative added in 2020.
Links & Resources
FSI’s home at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary is integral to its work as well. Find out more about Truett Seminary or schedule a visit by clicking here.
You can also read more about Baylor’s academic strategic plan Illuminate, which shapes the work we do at FSI with its focus on four main pillars: Arts and Athletics, Research and Scholarship, Transformational Education, and Christian Environment.
To learn more about the FSI staff and advisory council, check out our team page.
Have questions or want updates on FSI offerings? Let us know and we’ll keep you in the loop!