In a rather secular Europe in the 1850s, muscular Christianity and Sports were used as a tool to reinspire a new kind of faith in the youth of Europe. The movement, gaining a great deal of momentum, was quickly spread to the rest of the western world. However, afterwards, in America, there was a revitalization in this concept as a response to a loss of faith, a revival which lives on to this day, however different from its original inspirations. In James A. Mathisen’s article, :"Reviving 'Muscular Christianity ': Gil Dodds and the Institutionalization of Sport Evangelism", he not only covers the evolution and origin of the original muscular Christianity movement, but it 's modern applications and revival within America.
Mathisen lays out his …show more content…
He describes the three characteristics of a muscular Christian similar to Tom Brown as thus; his views on religion show his goal to be achieving moral perfection, sport as being a major part of the developing of morals and the learning of disciplines, and because of a neutral to disapproving view on society, he may seek to use sports to improve society over time through example. In stark contrast, Studd 's view of the muscular Christian could be conceived as the literal opposite. Studd 's muscular Christians goal in life is not achieving moral perfection, but glorifying God and spreading the gospel. Sports are not seen as a thing with inherit value, but merely a tool to distract the populace to convert them, shown when Billy Graham said on Youth for Christ, "We used every modern means to catch the attention of the unconverted, and then we punched them right between the eyes with the Gospel"(Mathisen, 242). Lastly, Studd 's muscular Christian is patriotic themed, with a true muscular Christian being the best and brightest of a country, and seeking to spread the glory of their home …show more content…
This is also exemplified in Tom Brown 's Schooldays, when in the second half of the book, after facing the fight and the trials of Rugby, the narrator remarks that Tom Brown has the "glimmering of another lesson in his heart—the lesson that he who has conquered his own coward spirit has conquered the whole outward world" (Hughes, ). In Chariots of Fire Eric Lidell, a muscular Christian of Hughes 's description, says that "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." This concept of literally being a good Christian because you run, because you take part in sports, is pivotal to the Hughe 's model of muscular Christianity. When Gil Dodds began his evangelical work, he was quoted as saying "Track is, has been, and always will be secondary with me. My religious work comes first". This quotes is entirely antithetical to the essential concept of muscular Christianity, that being that there is value in sport and that through sport you can move closer to God. Gil Dodds and the entire modern muscular Christianity movement see 's sports as a tool to distract the populace, merely a spectacle made to catch the eye of the everyday man. If anything, Gil Dodds and this modern institutionalization of the muscular Christianity movement has hurt the public perception of sports and athletics, reducing them to a tool
Mathisen lays out his …show more content…
He describes the three characteristics of a muscular Christian similar to Tom Brown as thus; his views on religion show his goal to be achieving moral perfection, sport as being a major part of the developing of morals and the learning of disciplines, and because of a neutral to disapproving view on society, he may seek to use sports to improve society over time through example. In stark contrast, Studd 's view of the muscular Christian could be conceived as the literal opposite. Studd 's muscular Christians goal in life is not achieving moral perfection, but glorifying God and spreading the gospel. Sports are not seen as a thing with inherit value, but merely a tool to distract the populace to convert them, shown when Billy Graham said on Youth for Christ, "We used every modern means to catch the attention of the unconverted, and then we punched them right between the eyes with the Gospel"(Mathisen, 242). Lastly, Studd 's muscular Christian is patriotic themed, with a true muscular Christian being the best and brightest of a country, and seeking to spread the glory of their home …show more content…
This is also exemplified in Tom Brown 's Schooldays, when in the second half of the book, after facing the fight and the trials of Rugby, the narrator remarks that Tom Brown has the "glimmering of another lesson in his heart—the lesson that he who has conquered his own coward spirit has conquered the whole outward world" (Hughes, ). In Chariots of Fire Eric Lidell, a muscular Christian of Hughes 's description, says that "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." This concept of literally being a good Christian because you run, because you take part in sports, is pivotal to the Hughe 's model of muscular Christianity. When Gil Dodds began his evangelical work, he was quoted as saying "Track is, has been, and always will be secondary with me. My religious work comes first". This quotes is entirely antithetical to the essential concept of muscular Christianity, that being that there is value in sport and that through sport you can move closer to God. Gil Dodds and the entire modern muscular Christianity movement see 's sports as a tool to distract the populace, merely a spectacle made to catch the eye of the everyday man. If anything, Gil Dodds and this modern institutionalization of the muscular Christianity movement has hurt the public perception of sports and athletics, reducing them to a tool