It used to be that valor was prized among men. It was one of the central virtues of our world. Boys were trained to be men, grew up, and then demonstrated their masculinity by acts of bravery and virtue. Exploration, war, and politics each afforded men the opportunity to prove their true masculinity and to show courage. Nowadays, however, few venues exist for men to show valor. What’s more, no one much seems to care about courage. In an age... Read more

Okay, so the title’s a bit dramatic. But it’s true. Not for kids. Kids’ fiction is going strong, as it has been for a very long time. Centuries, even. Harry Potter dominates the fictional scene. The Lord of the Rings series has sold many hundreds of thousands of copies lately. His Dark Materials woos many young readers with its grimly atheistic world. The list goes on. But what about adult fiction? Sure, there’s the usual range of murder mysteries and... Read more

I recently began a new column at 9marks.com that is called “Shaping Timothy.” The column calls for pastors to begin discipleship of young men in their churches. I make the argument that pastoral discipleship is as much a pastoral responsibility as preaching, teaching, and evangelism. This claim is based in the example afforded us by both Christ and Paul, who made it their business to train men for ministry. I am excited about the column and grateful to 9Marks for... Read more

There are two other models of manhood that come to my mind. The first is the playboy. This type of man could really care less about scholarship, or financial success, or family. He’s concerned about three things: himself, the opposite sex, and the intersection therein. That’s it. He holds down a job, of course, but he doesn’t find his identity in it. He has friends, but he doesn’t define himself by them. No, the playboy defines himself by how much... Read more

The third model of manhood that sticks out to me is the scholar. The scholar defines himself by at least one of the following: his SAT scores, his GPA, his college alma mater, and the last twenty, nay, thirty books he’s read. He sniffs at the boyish conquests of the animal kingdom that characterize the sportsman. He has forgotten entirely how many points he scored in high school, unlike the jock, who can tell you by the game how many... Read more

In doing some research on manhood, it has occurred to me that there are a number of different types of men, and that there is no monolithic ideal of masculinity. Here are a few that I thought of. Each group expresses one unique trait of masculinity, the desire to prove their masculinity, in different ways. It’s interesting to think the different types through. The first model is the sportsman. The sportsman roots his manhood in outdoor activities. He views himself... Read more

College brought major changes to my relationship with Mom. It must, of course, and it did. Yet I remained very close to Mom and continued to experience her unconditional kindness. In a busy first year, care packages stuffed with my favorite granola bars, nonpareils, and a nice note brought a smile to my face and memories of yesterday to my mind. The college years were great. My family took ski trips to Sugarloaf in Maine and Mt. St. Anne in... Read more

Mother’s Day has come and gone with its typical stealth. I am not deterred, however, by Hallmark and its scheduling. I want to take a day and celebrate my Mom, post-holiday. The Lord did me a great kindness in selecting my mother, Donna Dustin Strachan, to care for me in my youth. It is an awesome thing to look back through time and realize that before this earth was, God had paired my mother with me. He did this in... Read more

Today’s postmodern climate has brought the erosion of many traditional philosophical values. We’re going to look at a number in the coming days and examine how their loss has affected the current-day culture. First up is the idea of beauty. The mere word is vague and undefined in today’s sphere. We look at why and what we’re missing out on in today’s blog. What is the state of beauty today? Well, for most people, beauty is a synonym for “pretty.”... Read more

Many would respond to yesterday’s post that the world has grossly skewed the importance of bodily health and appearance, a rejoinder I wholeheartedly accept. It is true that the world has gone body-crazy. One would not be crazy to say that far from a spiritual or philosophical standard, many of the current age define themselves most fundamentally by the way their body looks. Anyone with a conscience and an ability to make rational conclusions can see that this is quite... Read more