I came across a quote last week that posited the idea that the historical Jesus would not be considered a “real man” or a “Christian leader” in today’s society. Clearly, if Jesus walked into a room of MAGA supporters, he would be dismissed outright. To be fair, the left would probably do the same thing. While he beefed with the religious right of his time, he still reflected the standards of his Jewish faith and was not afraid to put the truth out into the public space. This week, I want to revisit the idea of masculinity and how we approach it.
Masculinity in America
“Masculinity is not toxic, the absence of it is. Weak men are abusive and spiteful. Strong men and protective and loving” unknown author
In 2020, a book by Kristin Kobes Due Mez entitled “Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation”. This book explores the intersection of evangelical Christianity and American culture, particularly how the image of masculinity as embodied by John Wayne, has influenced the practices of white evangelical communities.
Du Mez argues that the blending of rugged masculinity with evangelical faith has led to the distortion of Christian values as observed by the likes of the Liberty Foundation, MAGA and the Westboro Baptist Church. The book digs into the historical events, cultural shifts and the rise of the religious right, providing a sociological analysis of how these elements have shaped contemporary evangelicalism. She shows how us the origin story of our idolization of rugged masculinity, how faith and politics have intertwined so badly that we have ended up where we are today and how Christian Nationalism has risen and taken over American Society.
If we look past all the stereotypes and what popular media wants to us to think, and we turn to a safe statistical source like the Pew Research Center, we can find an eye-opening view of what people think about masculinity in America. In their opening comments from a post in 2024, they offer “The status of men in American society has been at the center of recent national political conversations. Some people have spoken out about what they perceive to be attacks on traditional manhood, while others have warned about what they see as “toxic masculinity.” More broadly, many have expressed concern about how men are doing socially and economically.”
This was a well written article. Two key things I walked away that I found encouraging is that relatively few Americans say people have negative views of masculine men. Also, the majority of Americans polled say most people in the U.S. don’t place enough value on men who are caring, open about their emotions, soft-spoken or affectionate.
Jesus’ Challenges our Notions of What is Masculine
Typically, in this type of post, I would reflect on Jesus’ first century experience as a Palestinian Jew to help us understand context, but in this case, we cannot for a variety of reasons. It’s crucial to avoid generalizations, as there would have been variations in how masculinity was expressed depending on social class, occupation, and other factors. The historical context is essential for understanding these concepts. Applying modern notions of masculinity to first-century Palestine can lead to misinterpretations. It is important to remember that much of our understanding of this time comes from texts that were written from a male perspective. This can lead to a bias in our understanding.
We can look at how Jesus challenges our ideas of masculinity and even our ideas of what it means to be a Christian or even a Christian leader in the current American context. The other night, our Republican Congress chanted America! as our “elected” head of state took the podium. There have been other pictures of the same group of folks claiming Christianity as we embark on this new Civil Religion. Objectively, I would draw our attention to how Jesus challenges these thoughts.
Challenges to “Real Man” Status
How does Jesus disrupt our current ideals of how to be a “real man”? Many contemporary societies, even those with evolving views, still hold traditional notions of masculinity that emphasize strength, dominance, and material success. Jesus’s emphasis on humility, gentleness, and service to others might be seen by some as contradicting these norms. Jesus renunciates wealth and power, and he focuses on compassion, and could be interpreted by some as weakness.
Jesus’s emphasis on emotional vulnerability was significant in his time. This aligns with Stoic philosophy, prevalent then with figures like Seneca. Additionally, some scholars note similarities between Jesus’s teachings and those of the Essenes, particularly regarding community, ethical behavior, and social justice.
Men struggle with their emotions; it is one of the top observations I make on a daily basis. We have been groomed in this country to not show emotions. Jesus displayed a range of emotions, including grief, anger, and compassion. In some societal contexts, particularly those that discourage men from expressing vulnerability, this might be seen as unconventional. Also hurting Jesus’ standings today were his lack of Traditional “Male” achievements – Jesus did not pursue traditional markers of male success, such as accumulating wealth, holding political office, or leading a large army. This could lead some to question his “manhood” based on those metrics.
Challenges to “Christian Leader” Status
If we are to reflect on the rise of the nones, it is felt that Jesus would be out of a church, unless the nones came back. Jesus’ teachings would surely turn some away today. He is most famous for his challenges of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus focused heavily on forgiveness and nonviolence; inclusion of marginalized groups and criticism of religious hypocrisy.
Jesus and his early followers lacked an institutional affiliation. While many were still Jewish, their practice often stood outside the establishment. Perhaps Jesus’ biggest roadblock to modern Christian leadership was his lack of support for political power. In Du Mez’s book noted earlier, she lays out how religious leaders positioned themselves with the highest levels of government to influence policy. This is something we observed with members of the Heritage Foundation. Finally, Jesus’ social interactions would put him at odds with most elite of Christian leader today. Jesus’s frequent interactions with people considered to be social outcasts, such as sex workers and tax collectors, would be considered extremely controversial by many people today.
In Closing
To close, we must offer vigilance to the way of love. Jesus’s radical message and unconventional lifestyle often clashes with certain contemporary expectations of masculinity and religious leadership. The definition of what constitutes a “real man” or a “Christian leader” is subjective and varies across cultures and individuals. It is however safe to assume that Jesus would have a hard time these days in America and would probably be sitting on the side of democratic socialism with a preferential option for the poor.
In this very conflicted and confusing time, we must side with love, lean into the presence of the Holy Spirit and let love guide us. We all are the seats of Christ and all we encounter are potential seats of Christ. We must bow to the presence of the divine in all of us.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In