The All Star Game of Faith – Greg Albrecht

Baseball season is in full swing, and, as always, this season includes controversy and arguments – not always about the game played on the field.  Once again this year politics are creeping into Mom, Apple Pie and Baseball.  Reacting to political decisions made by the state of Georgia, the hierarchy of MLB has decided to award the All Star Game, previously scheduled for Atlanta, to Denver, to be played on July 13.

While I have my opinions about this year’s MLB All Star Game, I will not here enter the swamp of political debate about this decision, but rather propose a far more interesting game in which two teams play an All Star Game of Faith.   My selections for these two teams will surely generate controversy and debate, as we all have our heroes and favorite “players.”

I propose an All Star Game between the Old Timers of Faith – generally those who lived before the 20^th century – and a team of more contemporary, Modern All Stars.  This is a friendly game – a game of equals – all of whom in my estimation are or were Christ-followers.   To further underline the unity of this universal group of the faithful, I see God the Father as the “owner” of both teams, God the Son as the General Manager for both, and God the Holy Spirit as the field manager/head coach for each squad.

Because my faith is more informed by Protestant perspectives, Catholic and Orthodox theologians, authors and thinkers are not featured as they might be by others.   I am limiting each team to 25 players, dominated by men, but a few women occupy places of importance on both teams.  In addition to scholars, my list includes preachers and teachers and servants-at-large.  You might find who I do not include on my list as interesting as those I do!  See what you think!

Here’s my suggested teams:

Eight Old Timers of Faith Occupy the Starting Line Up

(Three New Testament Apostles take the top three positions in the batting order)

Paul leads off, playing shortstop

Peter bats second, playing third base

John is in centerfield

Martin Luther bats clean up and plays first base

St. Augustine is in left field

Thomas Aquinas plays right field

Jerome is the second baseman

St. Ignatius of Antioch is the catcher

Twelve Pitchers for the Old Timers of Faith. one of whom will start the All Star Game:

Francis of Assisi

Athanasius of Alexandria

Iranaeus

Gregory of Nyssa

Teresa of Avila

John Wesley

Polycarp

John Hus

John Wycliffe

Origin

Ambrose

Charles Spurgeon

Five Old Timers of Faith Bench Players:

Ulrich Zwlingli

Erasmus

Michael Servetus

Menno Simons

William Booth

Eight Modern All Stars of Faith in the Starting Line Up:

Karl Barth leads off, at shortstop

Paul Tillich plays third base

Albert Schweitzer in center field

Henri Nouwen plays first base and bats clean up

Soren Kierkegaard in left field

Hans Kung in right field

N.T. Wright is the catcher

Mother Teresa is at second base

Twelve Pitchers for the Modern All Stars of Faith, one of whom will start the game:

Reinhold Niebuhr

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thomas Merton

Hans Urs von Balthasar

Frederick Buechner

C.S. Lewis          

Billy Graham

Jurgen Moltmann

John Yoder

Wolfhart Pannenberg

John Polkinghorne

Walter Bruggeman

Five Modern All Stars of Faith Bench Players:

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Eugene Peterson

Barbara Brown Taylor

Gregory Boyd

David Bentley Hart

This All-Star Game will be played on the Field of Dreams, celestial seating will not include social distancing or wearing masks and free hot dogs will be provided to all in attendance.  Take me out to the ball park!

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