The wonders of modern technology mean many men now spend most of their working lives sat at desks or screens, exerting very little physical energy. We now pay money to do the kind of labour for which our forebears were themselves paid. What are the hidden costs of this today? Have we become less active, less fulfilled, and less purposeful in the world as a result?

The "Muscular Christianity" movement in the 19th century saw these problems well in advance. At a time where Christianity, for many men, was becoming overly intellectual and impractical, the Muscular Christians exhorted men to rediscover the positive use of their bodies as a spiritual and theological imperative. Although this led some towards a more "social gospel", the movement grasped key aspects of the Christian faith which have again been neglected today, such as the cultivation of character through brotherhood and sport, the significance of distinctly male and female bodies, and the need for virtuous men who can use their strength to protect (rather than abuse) those weaker than men. What might a revival of a more "muscular" Christianity look like in our own time?

** Please help Pod of the Gaps by ...

- Liking us and/or leaving a review on your podcast provider

- Sharing an episode with a friend (or two or three)

- Supporting us (https://www.patreon.com/wkop)

RESOURCES:

- https://twitter.com/MrT — for our cover image this episode

- Greg Morse, 'The Search for Manly Men of God: A History of Muscular Christianity' (2022) https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-search-for-manly-men-of-god

- Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays (1857)

- W. M. Eager, Making Men: The History of Boys' Clubs and Related Movements in Great Britain (1953)

- Norman Vance, The Sinews of the Spirit: The Ideal of Christian Manliness in Victorian Literature and Religious Thought (1985)

- Anthony Esolen, No Apologies: Why Civilisation Depends Upon the Strength of Men (2022)