Abstract
The paper analyses the Pierre de Coubertin conception of religious dimension of the neoolympism. The chosen method of hermeneutical circle allows the interpretation of the sources by focusing consequently on their preliminary comprehension (both Czech and global), on the relevant texts and on the personality of Coubertin with emphasis on his spiritual development.
Finally it's focusing on key concepts in order to clarify correlation between religion and sports (transcendence, sacrum, rituals, spirituality). This kind of approach counts with the contexts as well, according to the hermeneutical assumption that a text without the relevant context is only pretext.
The achieved comprehension affirms the Coubertin's theory about religion as one of important pillars of the neoolympism because the set of ideas and concrete practical actions (gradually completed and provided during the whole Olympic movement) are analogous as in any religion. The typical Olympic attributes of sacrum, belief, transcendence and cult can create the core of any faith.
We are speaking about the new type of religion which had been promoting all over the 20th century in various segments of social life under different names (e.g. earthly, civic, or humanistic religion). "Olympic religion" created by Coubertin has syncretic spirit and utilises the number of positive values from multicultural and religiously heterogeneous "olympic fellowship". That's why this religion is connected with various names: religion of energy/power, sports religion, religio athletae, or muscular religion.