The Toxic War on Masculinity (Part Two)
Christianity is uniquely positioned to offer a vision for manhood that is inspiring, constructive, and beneficial--not just for men--but for women, children, and society.
Within a culture that is hostile to men and masculinity, I want to declare some good news.
It’s good to be a man.
Men are necessary and invaluable.
Masculinity is a gift to the world.
And, perhaps most importantly, Christianity is uniquely positioned to offer a vision for manhood that is inspiring, constructive, and beneficial--not just for men--but for women, children, and society.
THE BIBLICAL STORY ( and 4 CORE TRUTHS OF MASCULINITY)
The Bible’s storyline can be summarized in four movements: creation fall, redemption, and new creation.
Creation: God created everything, and it was very good (Genesis 1-2). God created humanity—male and female—in His image. God gave humanity a purpose: “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” This is called the creation mandate. Humans are gifted and called to make something of the world; to develop the potential and possibilities within creation and serve as a blessing to creation and each other.
Fall: Humanity rebels against the Creator by rejecting God’s good command in exchange for their own self-rule and separation from God (Genesis 3). This rejection of God is sin, infecting every person and part of God’s good creation. The consequences of sin are death (spiritually, relationally, and physically), suffering, disease, conflict, injustice, pain, toil, and separation between God and humanity. It’s now natural for humans to do what seems right in their own eyes, even while it damages the ecosystem of reality.
Redemption: God doesn’t leave us in the disaster we’ve created (Genesis 3-ff) He begins to graciously and patiently work to redeem and restore humanity back to their intended right relationship with him, each other, themselves, and their calling—to undo the curse of sin. That redemptive plan culminates in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which opens up the possibility for sinners like you and me to find peace with God and freedom from sin’s power and penalty. Those who turn to Jesus are born again into a new hope, purpose, identity, and mission.
New Creation: Jesus Christ who first came in humility, will return in full power and glory to restore all of creation to God’s original intention ushering in a new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21-22). Sin, death, disease, and tears will be no more as all things are made perfect and joy will be fully realized as God and His people again, and forever, dwell in perfect communion.
This is one of the most basic ways of understanding the bible’s overall message. Or, to use words that are a little less Christian-y, the Bible is a story of how God made the world, we broke it, God is fixing it, and God will eventually upgrade it.
So how does this framework help men?
Creation: Men are valuable. Being a man is “very good.” There’s a divine purpose for our manhood.
Fall: Something’s gone wrong within us as men. Left to our own devices we can easily adopt thoroughly self-centred, truly toxic, and deeply harmful attitudes, intentions, and behaviours. We need help and rescue from the power of sin that at work in us.
Redemption: God wants to help us as men. God wants to heal and renovate our hearts and lives. God wants to restore us to right relationship with Him, right identities as men, and right ways of expressing our masculinity within our marriages, families, and communities.
New Creation: Manhood will continue in the New Creation to come. Manhood and masculinity are a feature, not a bug of God’s creation, and therefore our masculinity is not something we should be ashamed of. God values men and masculinity and has an eternal purpose for them.
This way of thinking about manhood and masculinity keeps you FROM both secular errors:
a. Masculinity understood as inherently dangerous and damaging, and something that should be a source of suspicion, shame, or even self-loathing.
b. The “barbarian” path of becoming a “real man” characterized by a glorification of control and dominance, alpha male overcompensation, and a childish, self-centred fixation on the accumulation of money, sex, and power.
But there’s even better news! Not only does the Bible’s four key theological pillars keep men FROM the limiting and harmful secular scripts being offered today, it compels men TOWARDS an inspiring, life-giving vision.
More to come with my next post.