The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling To Men (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
The author takes a good and biblical approach towards the topic of manhood and masculinity. In the past I have read and heard teachings on manhood that seems more of a knee-jerk reaction against radical feminism. Some of these end up sneaking in more cultural mores than Biblical principles. The best commendation I would give for this work is that the author does a good working through the Biblical principles. There are in some Christian circles today who are influenced by the book Wild at Heart which advocates a concept of manhood that is about how men are design for adventure and being out in the wild; the author here critiques this model and note how it fail to account for the biblical data in the beginning of Genesis of man being created for a Garden and situated in a “covenantal” context; but the Bible’s view of man is more of a cultivator than an adventurer per se. That is, man was design to be responsible with their commitment. Genesis 2:15 is the controlling verse for much of the content of the book, in which the author argues that what defines manhood is cultivating and keeping. He applies this concept of manhood in various spheres such as marriage, leadership, marriage and the church. Personally I thought the best part of the book was on being a father. Good book, definitely recommend it. I liked what the author has to say and desire to read his other work on relationship sometime in the near future. This book is a solid treatment of God's expectations and designs for men in the world. Phillips' develops the idea of the "masculine mandate" relying on Genesis 2:15 and Adam's call to "work" and "keep" the Garden of Eden. Work and Keep, as Phillips' argues, refer to building up and protect. So, in essence, the calling of men is to build up and protect in each sphere of life: work, marriage, family, and the church. Phillips explains these ideas helpfully over the course of 13 chapters. He writes clearly and, in general, convincingly.My two soft complaints about this book are: 1) In this day and age, it would be good to address the problem of pornography among men. Statistics suggest that this is an issue even in the church, and it certainly does undermine men fulfilling their masculine mandate. There are scattered references to it in the book, but I think something more direct would have been wise. 2) Phillips takes a strong view of men working and holding down a job (which is good). However, there are plenty of stories of Christian men who cannot find good work due to the turmoil in the job market. It would have been good to address the question: what if a man cannot obtain work despite his best efforts? Is he guilty of not fulfilling the masculine mandate? One would hope not.These 'soft' critiques aside, this is a very helpful book, and I recommend it to men who are wondering what God wants them to do with their lives.
What do You think about The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling To Men (2010)?
I may have written this before, but best book on masculinity I have come across to date.
—Reston98
Thanks Kurt! A good book on what it means to be a man in the world.
—poppy012
