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Make the church more masculine? It has been suggested that the church is too feminine and we should make it more masculine, especially if we want to reach young men. For instance, one author wrote:
“…a Christ who is all grace cannot stir the masculine soul. Deep down, men long for a harsh affection—the love of a coach who yells at his players to get every ounce of effort; the love of a drill sergeant who pushes his recruits to the limits of human endurance; the love of a teacher who demands the impossible from his students. As Western society feminizes, it’s getting harder for men to find this kind of love. The Lion of Judah offers harsh father-love in abundance—yet he’s becoming an endangered species in the modern church.”
– David Murrow, Why Men Hate Going to Church
Wes McAdams visits with Chase Turner and Marcus Stenson about this idea. What does it mean for the church to be “too feminine” and what would a more “masculine” church look like? Who gets to define masculinity and are the world’s definitions of masculinity very helpful?
Jordan Peterson recently recorded a, “Message to Christian Churches” and said:
“The Christian Church is there to remind people — young men included and perhaps even first and foremost — that they have a woman to find, a garden to walk in, a family to nurture, an ark to build, a land to conquer, a ladder to heaven to build, and the utter, terrible catastrophe of life to face stalwartly in truth, devoted to love and without fear.”
– Jordan Peterson
Is that summary of the church’s message an accurate one? That message may resonate with men, but does it align with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Some churches have gone so far as to incorporate videos of tanks, trucks, dirt bikes, and helicopters into their worship services, designed to reach men. Is this effective? Is this promoting the right sort of masculinity?
Wes, Chase, and Marcus discuss all of these questions and more. We hope you enjoy this conversation.
Links and Resources:
- Video: Watch This Episode on YouTube
- Read: Full Transcript of This Episode (Thanks to Beth Tabor)
- Marcus Stenson is the Preaching Minister for the Leander Church of Christ
- Chase Turner is the Director of Digital Missions at Herald of Truth
