Muscular Christianity

Journal Article Review Assignment
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Journal Article Review Assignment
Article: Erdozain, D. (2012). Does sport build character? A progress report on a Victorian idea. Studies in Christian Ethics, 25(1), 35–48.
The Erdozain’s article discusses the tension between the desire to believe in the moral benefits of sport and the reality of its highest expressions, which often confuses this idea (Erdozain, 2012). The author notes that modern sports are products of the early nineteenth-century movement called "muscular Christianity" and that despite deviating from the earliest Victorian culture, the perception of righteousness persists. The article also mentions various examples of government policies that differ from the muscular Christians' dignity and the belief in sporting activities as a power for restoration and conciliation. However, the author concludes that the theory that sport builds character is often a myth that acts as truth in sports.
There is the idea that these sports alone are not the only contribution to individual or combined ethical development, despite being often portrayed as moral teachers. The above statement means that the play element of sports has been lost in the attempt to make it a moral teacher (Erdozain, 2012). In the article, the author traces the origins of the belief that sport is comparable to the German tradition of moralizing aesthetics, where play was seen as a power of reunion amidst the aggressive spirits of passion and ethical reasoning. In the same breath, the author touches on Samuel Coleridge's efforts to re-Christianize the idea of sport as a moral guide but notes that this is yet to be successful.
Most importantly, the article evaluates the rise of "muscular Christianity" in the 19th century and its impact on sports culture. It traces the movement's roots to the ideas of writers such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Friedrich Schiller, who saw the church's role as "sowing beside all waters." The 1860s and '70s saw the spread of muscular Christianity, with even skeptics such as F. W. Farrar becoming advocates for the value of sports (Erdozain, 2012). The muscular Christians saw team sports as a way to combat selfish individualism and reclaim masculinity for Christianity. Kingsley, in particular, saw sports as a measure for redeeming people believed to be rough and also that they provided boys with virtues that no books could give them.
In addition, the article explores the concept of "muscular Christianity," in terms coined in the 19th century, about a movement that combined physical strength and athletic pursuits with Christian values (Erdozain, 2012). The movement emphasized the importance of physical exercise and healthy recreation, with some even viewing neglect of the body as a sin. Anglican clergy of the time actively embraced the principles of muscular Christianity, viewing it as a way to connect with the general public and bring them closer to religion. Using sport as a m...