Reviving Muscular Christianity

Still thinking about the Prism of Manhood and the “Sound of Freedom“, if Indiana Jones is the manhood of Hollywood, fictional adventure, leather jacket, good-guy wins, and you were to contrast that with “Sound of Freedom“ with its godly manhood of true heroes rescuing actual children, it’s clear which of these show authentic acts of bravery and accountability before God.

Disney can cry all they want over their woke failure movies of late, reduce the price of Indiana Jones tickets, and have their media surrogates trash true heroism, finding fault with Go Fund Me donors of “Sound of Freedom“, all in a vain attempt to rescue a Disney movie.  But it doesn’t make fictional Indiana Jones a man whom any real man should want to emulate.  Seriously, what noble humanity does Indiana Jones represent as the finest, or even an archetype?

The concept of the “muscular Christian” was popular at the turn of the Twentieth Century and depicted nowhere more powerfully than in the 1981 movie “Chariots of Fire” when trainer Sandy McGrath is pressing for Eric Liddell’s participation in the 1924 Olympic Games.  Eric’s brother Robert agrees saying, “What we need now is a muscular Christian to make folks sit up and notice.” This idea, having been co-produced into the movie by Egyptian Muslim Dodi Fayed, is notable. 

In 1982, Christianity Today (before the magazine capitulated to culture) reviewed the film:

“The British Chariots of Fire is a work of restraint and intensity that offers the Christian moviegoer a variety of admirable cinematic and real-life achievements. The main characters were plucked out of history, not the imagination of a screenwriter, …[and] it is rare that a feature film accurately portrays one of its main characters as a committed Christian.

Eric Liddell … runs to bring glory to God, but in his time and family, the dichotomy between world and soul is more finely drawn than it is today. It is not always an easy task for Liddell—balancing his faith’s service with his body’s speed. He is a man who serves God first.”

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved– and that by God.” Philippians 1:27-28

Questions for further thought:

How many “muscular Christians” can you name?

Do “muscular Christians” have to be muscular? In what way is it a good metaphor?

Why might “muscular Christians” gain the attention of men, young and old?  What other types of Christian men appeal to young men?

Why are young men imperative to the spread of Christianity?

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The “Prism of Manhood” series includes:

http://seminarygal.com/a-prism-of-manhood/
http://seminarygal.com/andrew-tate-dangerous-masquerade/
http://seminarygal.com/andrew-tate-positive-instruction-silent-conquest/
http://seminarygal.com/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom/
http://seminarygal.com/misguided-manhood-and-the-church/