"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
Muscular Christianity
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Muscular Christianity: the study of the development of a Victorian idea, HR Harrington, PhD University of Stanford. 1971
The thesis consists of 249 pages including 10 pages of bibliography. It is in 6 chapters:
Origins
Tom Brown's School days
Beyond Rugby
Christ and the muscular hero
The use and abuse of history
The decline of Muscular Christianity
This thesis will be of interest only to those who have a fascination with Muscular Christianity and how it has influenced modern attitudes to sport and Christianity. I admit to being one such person!
The subject is defined in the introduction: "This dissertation does not come under the headings of the study of the novel, or of social history, or of the history of religion - the idea of Muscular Christianity as a link between all these areas of inquiry". Page iv
The thesis gives a good overview of the subject. There are many quotable quotes from a range of sources.
His conclusion that Muscular Christianity has survived in two organizations is interesting:
"Had it not been for the parallel development of two social institutions, the YMCA and the Boy Scouts, Muscular Christianity might have remained an isolated literary phenomenon of Victorian England. But in theses two institutions the teachings of Kingsley and Hughes remain alive today". Page 230
I prefer to go with James Mathisen who sees the YMCA as one of four versions of Muscular Christianity which have developed.