From Commodification to Communion: A Theological Anthropology of Black Embodiment in Sports and Society

This paper examines how Christian theology responds to the commodification of Black bodies in sports and society by integrating Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theological anthropology, James Cone’s Black liberation theology, and Gary Green II’s ethics of Black athleticism. Bonhoeffer’s concept of the human as “being-for-others” affirms relational dignity, while Cone’s critique of white supremacy exposes the systemic objectification and control of Black athletes. Green’s Playing the Game (2025) introduces “embodied brilliance” as a form of athletic resistance, offering a vision of Black personhood beyond commodification. Together, these perspectives critique American sports culture’s distorted views of embodiment, labor, and personhood, while reimagining athletics as a space of communion rather than exploitation. This paper argues for a theological vision where grace, play, and relationality define human engagement in sport, challenging structures that reduce Black bodies to mere instruments of entertainment and profit.