Jackie Robinson: A Spiritual Biography: The Faith of a Boundary-Breaking Hero - Softcover

Michael G. Long is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies at Elizabethtown College and is the author or editor of several books on civil rights, religion and politics, and peacemaking in mid-century America, including Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Faith of Mister Rogers, Beyond Home Plate: Jackie Robinson on Life after Baseball, and First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson, which was named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly.

Chris Lamb is Professor of Journalism at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and is the author and editor of several books on sports, race, and the media, including Blackout: The Untold Story of Jackie Robinsons First Spring Training and Conspiracy of Silence: Sportswriters and the Long Campaign to Desegregate Baseball, which was called one of the best nonfiction baseball books of all time by The Huffington Post and was named the Best Book on Journalism and Mass Communication History by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2013 . His articles on sports have appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Wall Street Journal, ESPN.com, and New Republic.com.

"As much a look back at Robinsons skill on the field, this also focuses on his life off the field, long after his career in baseball was finished. Long and Lamb are well-qualified authors who have written before about Robinson, as well as civil rights and spirituality. This is a good pick for baseball fans; homeschooled students seeking well-researched, faith-based materials; and those interested in civil rights and the role of Christianity in sports."Booklist

"In this fast-paced read, Long and Lamb paint a portrait of groundbreaking baseball player Jackie Robinson that is both refreshing and exciting." Publishers Weekly

"Mining a wide variety of sources, Jackie Robinson: A Spiritual Biography provides a captivating portrayal of the way in which the Christian faithrooted in Robinsons mothers Methodist tradition, nurtured by a young Methodist pastor named Karl Downs (who appears frequently in this book) and refined by his partnership with his wife Rachelimpacted his breaking of the color barrier. Later, the authors portray how Robinsons post-baseball civil rights work and engagement in business and politics was influenced by his beliefs. In addition to telling Robinsons own story through the lens of the Christian faith, the book is also an exceptional overview of issues of race and justice in America from the inception of the Civil Rights era through Robinsons death in 1972. Long and Lamb show a significant depth of understanding not only Robinson and his faith, but also broader concerns of race, class, privilege and American religious and political history."Englewood Review of Books