Courageous Christianity

How a 19th century revival sparked the Muscular Christianity movement, Y.M.C.A. athletics, and a youth-led race to save the world

By William J. Federer

Did you know modern Olympics were inspired by the Muscular Christianity movement, as was the game of rugby?

Were you aware basketball, volleyball, racquetball, softball, body-building, sportsmanship, and swimming lessons, were pioneered by Y.M.C.A. trainers and used as evangelism outreach tools to bring youth to Christ around the globe? 

The Young Men's Christian Association grew to be the largest youth charity in the world, with 10,000 chapters in 124 countries with 64 million members. It was founded in 1844 by George Williams in London, who was inspired by the Second Great Awakening preacher Charles Finney.

The Y.M.C.A. had a role in racial reconciliation, Black History Month, the start of The Gideons International, Father’s Day, U.S.O. for military personnel, summer camps, Boy Scouts, and Toastmasters.

Fun Fact: The Y.M.C.A. director Henri Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland, started the International Red Cross, which grew to provide aid to 160 million people annually in 192 countries. Dunant was the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

How the "Spirit-Mind-Body" triangle become the Y.M.C.A. logo? 

Finney’s preaching influenced William and Catherine Booth to found The Salvation Army in 1865, which grew to 1.7 million members in 134 countries ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of an estimated 30 million a year through shelters, charity shops, disaster relief and humanitarian aid. 

Finney’s preaching influenced Jeremiah Lamphier to begin the 1857 Layman’s Prayer Revival, credited with converting over a million to faith in Christ and fueling the abolitionist movement to free the slaves.

The Layman’s Prayer Revival inspired a 21-year-old shoe salesman in Chicago named Dwight L. Moody to become a volunteer Y.M.C.A. "city missionary." He went on to be an international evangelist, reaching an estimated 100 million through his speaking, literature, and schools.

When Chicago White Stockings baseball player Billy Sunday came to faith in Christ, he became a Y.M.C.A volunteer. From there he became an evangelist, pioneering large-scale revival meetings and radio preaching, reaching an estimated 100 million with the Gospel.

Billy Graham attended a Billy Sunday revival as a child and later adopted some of Sunday’s crusade methods. Graham’s ministry expanded globally, preaching to an estimated 215 million in 185 countries.  

Be challenged by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, General Douglas MacArthur, Tuskegee President Booker T. Washington, Boy Scout Founder Lord Baden Powell, and President Theodore Roosevelt.

Discover daring writings of Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous, and Horatio Alger's Rags-to-Riches stories.

Learn about the Student Volunteer Missionary Movement, whose motto was "winning the world to Christ in this generation," Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, and more.

You will be strengthened and your heart emboldened to change the world after reading Courageous Christianity!

Table of Contents

Introduction

It Takes Strength to be Good

Rudyard Kipling's Poem "If"

Charles G. Finney & The Benevolent Empire

Strength to Help Others

Sir George Williams founded the Y.M.C.A.

Rugby School & Muscular Christianity

St. Paul's Athletic Metaphors

Olympic Games Revived

Y.M.C.A. sent Athletes to Olympics

Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire

Some History of Athletics

Oberlin College & the Abolition Movement

Layman's Prayer Revival

Y.M.C.A. Week of Prayer

Rescue Those in Need

Y.M.C.A.'s Henri Dunant founded Red Cross

Clara Barton founded American Red Cross

Y.M.C.A. during Civil War

Dwight L. Moody & the Chicago Y.M.C.A.

Y.M.C.A. during the Spanish–American War

Red Cross during the Spanish-American War

Theodore Roosevelt & Moral Strength

Rudyard Kipling's Captain Courageous

Horatio Alger & Rags to Riches Novels

Billy Sunday, Baseball Player turned Preacher

Harvest is Plentiful, Laborers are Few

William Booth founded the Salvation Army

The Gideons Began in a Y.M.C.A.

Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee

Frederick Douglass and Self-Made Men

Mary Kinnaird: Young Women's Christian Association

Dr. Luther H. Gulick, Jr. & Y.M.C.A. Triangle

Luther & Lottie Gulick founded Camp Fire Girls

Y.M.C.A.'s James Naismith invented Basketball

Y.M.C.A.'s William Morgan invented Volleyball

Y.M.C.A. Chapters around the World

Jack Boyd, Y.M.C.A. Director

Y.M.C.A. led in Racial Reconciliation

First Father's Day

Y.M.C.A. during World War I

Young Men's Hebrew Association

Red Cross during World War I

Evangeline Booth and the Salvation Army

Rev. Edgar Helms founded Goodwill Industries

A.T. Pierson: Evangelize the World in this Generation

John R. Mott, Y.M.C.A. World Committee

Lord Baden Powell founded the Boy Scouts

Boy Scouts of America

Juliette Low founded the Girl Scouts

Toastmasters

Dale Carnegie, Win Friends & Influence People

Y.M.C.A. during Depression and World War II

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Strength to Do Your Duty

Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall, Need For Heroes

General MacArthur "A Father's Prayer"