I have been waiting for a year to write this blog. (Actually, I’ve been waiting for twenty years, ever since my research began taking me into the minds of men and how they think!) About a year ago, I had dinner with author Nancy Pearcey, who shared some advance findings from her upcoming book The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes – much-needed truths that push back on the popularized notion that the way men are wired is somehow faulty.
Toxic, even.
Well, that book is now out! And in this artful, well-researched work, Pearcey has given us reasons to applaud the good in men – especially evangelical men – by celebrating rather than denigrating the way they are wired. Most importantly, she shares outstanding data that thoroughly debunks the all-too-common myth of the overbearing, clueless, or coarse Christian male.
As some of you know, I’ve been deeply concerned about the cultural wave that has labeled male characteristics “toxic” just because they are male. I already investigated that trend, so I won’t revisit the details here. But suffice it to say, the media (and social media) all too often lump all men in with the toxic few, or claim they need to shape up because they are, well, men.
Pearcey was the victim of terrifying abuse in her growing-up years, but she resisted whatever urge she might have had to join that chorus. Instead, she got to work examining how culture lost its vision of healthy, biblical manhood – and, just as importantly, how we can find it again.
The lost being found is the story of the Bible, and it’s also the story of Pearcey’s important book. I hope you’ll get a copy not only for yourself but for the key leaders you know (pastors, counselors, etc.). We all need this knowledge in order to push back when we hear myths and replace them with truth.
To get you started, here are just a few encouraging findings everyone needs to know about the positive impact evangelical men have on their families. (I’ve included page numbers so you can flip through the book and find them easily.)
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In