Muscular Christianity: Evangelical Protestants and the Development of American Sport

In recent years, a number of sports figures--ranging from baseball player Dave Dravecky and football stars Deion Sanders and Reggie White to former college football coach and founder of the Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney--have spoken publicly about the depth of their Christian faith. More important, many sports organizations have witnessed an increase in the number of Christian groups--like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes--that athletes have become involved in. Ladd and Mathisen, who teach at Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Ill., contend that since the late 19th century, evangelical Christianity and sports have been socially intertwined. The authors assert that ""muscular Christianity"" can be characterized by its emphasis on manliness, morality, health and patriotism. They discuss the ways that Christian evangelists like D.L. Moody and Billy Sunday ""emphasized involvement in sports as a common ground for evangelism, as a means to manliness, and as a method for character development."" Ladd and Mathisen also argue that the Depression era disengaged the link between Christianity and sports--which, they note, was repaired after WWII. The bond between Christianity and sports, the authors say, became institutionalized in the latter half of the 20th century in organizations like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action, as well as by the presence of sports chaplains. While the authors neglect to comment on how such muscular Christianity responds to the excesses of today's sports players, they nevertheless offer a readable account of a small chapter in the history of Christianity. (July)