Shared some thoughts on this book project and what’s next here:
open.substack.com/pub/paulputz...
08.03.2026 15:13
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Truly incredible mail day.
If you’re the kind of person who gets excited about both of these books, we should be friends.
03.03.2026 23:50
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Full draft of “Jesus and James Naismith” is complete!
It tells the story of the deep relationship between basketball and Christianity, from Naismith and the origins of the game up to the present.
More work ahead, but I can’t wait to get this out in the world with @eerdmansbooks.bsky.social
01.03.2026 18:15
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Me: I study the history of sports and Christianity. I’ve seen it all. Nothing would surprise.
Mississippi Baptist Pastor: Hold my grape juice.
(Full story here: mississippitoday.org/2026/02/13/t...)
15.02.2026 01:02
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Me: I study the history of sports and Christianity. I’ve seen it all. Nothing would surprise.
Mississippi Baptist Pastor: Hold my grape juice.
(Full story here: mississippitoday.org/2026/02/13/t...)
15.02.2026 01:02
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The Witness of the Black Church Rings Through NBA History - Christianity Today
Over 75 years of the professional league—and for decades before—Black Christians brought a social conscience to basketball.
We know that James Naismith created basketball out of his desire to "win men for the master through the gym."
But did you also know that Black churches and Christian leaders shaped the early history of the game in key ways?
My @christianitytoday.com piece:
www.christianitytoday.com/2022/02/nba-...
02.02.2026 17:37
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How Football Shaped Christian Colleges - Christianity Today
Three history books to read this month.
Love seeing my friend Hunter Hampton's new book on football get some attention!
Check out @johnfea1.bsky.social's review. And check out the book if you're into the study of religion and sports.
www.christianitytoday.com/2026/01/book...
30.01.2026 18:11
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"Historiographically sophisticated, eminently readable, and narratively sound, The Spirit of the Game breaks new ground in the study of religion and sports in America."
Grateful to @readingreligion.bsky.social for this generous review of my book!
Read here: readingreligion.org/978019009106...
28.01.2026 16:43
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Coming this year, two new books that dive into the rise of sports gambling.
I’ll be reading these for sure. To fight back and resist the domination of sports gambling in our current moment, we need to understand how we got here.
17.01.2026 22:41
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Thanks so much for your generous words about my book! Was truly an honor.
11.01.2026 16:43
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Something I never would have expected: a conference panel devoted to my book.
Grateful for the careful engagement and thoughtful comments from these great scholars!
09.01.2026 17:03
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Thanks David!
10.01.2026 17:51
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Something I never would have expected: a conference panel devoted to my book.
Grateful for the careful engagement and thoughtful comments from these great scholars!
09.01.2026 17:03
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Ha! He should! Only a brief mention, but you will understand the history that made figures like him pop up all over the sports world in recent decades.
27.12.2025 00:47
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2025 was my first full year with a book out in the world.
My main takeaway: it is an incredibly rewarding thing to have careful readers who engage thoughtfully with your work.
Here’s a roundup of some of the reviews. Grateful for them all!
26.12.2025 22:16
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Happy release day to my friend Hunter Hampton!
After hearing him talk through the ideas behind this project for years, it’s so cool to see it out in the world. Lots of great material, with chapters on Notre Dame, BYU, Wheaton, Baylor, Wiley, and Liberty.
24.12.2025 00:47
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Weekend reading!
Religion, hoops, and history, there’s a very good chance I’m going to enjoy this.
13.12.2025 16:49
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Three of my favorite things combined in one interview: sports, Christianity, and the process of historical research.
Check it out here: fromthevault.wheaton.edu/2025/12/12/i...
12.12.2025 17:56
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Three of my favorite things combined in one interview: sports, Christianity, and the process of historical research.
Check it out here: fromthevault.wheaton.edu/2025/12/12/i...
12.12.2025 17:56
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I've got a book coming out in February on Dr. J, Moses Malone and the 1983 76ers. Preorder through the publisher and we'll send you free custom-made basketball cards of Dr. J and Moses. www.hachettebookgroup.com/grand-centra...
27.11.2025 01:06
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Who else is going to Boston this weekend for AAR/SBL?
Hit me up if you'll be around and want to connect. And if you're free Saturday, check out our "new books in sports and religion" panel.
19.11.2025 02:48
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Special moment for me this week. Got to celebrate receiving the Guittard Book Award at Baylor:
history.artsandsciences.baylor.edu/news/story/2...
When I started the book project, our two youngest weren’t even born yet.
Grateful for the incredible support my family has given me along the way!
13.11.2025 02:06
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A great mail day.
New book from two of my favorite sports historians. And Justin Giboney’s latest.
Can’t wait to dive in!
06.11.2025 00:22
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A great mail day.
New book from two of my favorite sports historians. And Justin Giboney’s latest.
Can’t wait to dive in!
06.11.2025 00:22
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Congrats!!! Well deserved—a great book.
04.11.2025 02:51
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Josh Levin has made some of my favorite narrative history podcasts (Slow Burn, One Year).
He has a new project that explores “history, sports, and the surprising threads that connect past and present.”
Give it a listen so @joshuablevin.bsky.social can make more!
open.substack.com/pub/replaybo...
03.11.2025 22:21
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