Fifty years ago, in his book Man as Male and Female, theologian Paul Jewett noted that “contemporary theologians are not so sure that they know what it means to be a man in distinction to a woman.” Sadly, Jewett admitted that he wasn’t sure either—despite claiming that sexuality “permeates one’s individual being to its very depth” and “conditions every facet of one’s life as a person.” One of his students, John Piper, later described this as an “absolutely stunning admission.”
Put yourself in a young man’s shoes (unless you are a young man). Then imagine how frustrating it must feel to be told that manhood conditions every facet of your life, and yet you’re offered no clear guidance on how it should shape your decisions, self-image, pursuits, or duties—at least, nothing that wouldn’t be equally good advice for a young woman.
Thankfully, we’re not as desperate for good books on this topic as we were 50 years ago. In my own reading over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed reading Brian Tome lay out the five marks of a man. I’ve appreciated Brant Hansen describing the kind of men our society needs. And I’ve been blessed by Joel Beeke’s concise counsel on how a man should lead his family.
Now we can add to that list Seth Troutt’s Authentic Masculinity: Leaving Behind the Counterfeits for God’s Design. Troutt is a pastor at Ironwood Church in Phoenix, and since I stumbled across his writings online a couple of years ago, he has increasingly become one of my favorite contemporary writers. Even his social media presence is edifying, which is saying something. As for his debut book, I recently gave away copies as graduation gifts to the young men in my church, and I hope your church buys a box (or two) and uses it for men’s discipleship.
Crucial Goal
Troutt’s goal is clear: to paint a picture of authentic masculinity in a world of counterfeits—so that men can pursue it, women can encourage it, and all of us can benefit from it. We live in a culture where many people hear “masculinity” and the first word they think of is “toxic.” And while we’d all agree there is such a thing, for some it seems as though masculinity itself were inherently toxic, and the only solution is for men to become more like women.
When maleness itself is thought of as malleable—something a woman can attain with hormones and surgery—it’s little wonder that masculinity is dismissed as an outdated list of oppressive stereotypes. For as Troutt makes clear, masculinity isn’t simply maleness. Having XY chromosomes is enough to make you male. Masculinity is about “what males [are] supposed to want, do, and be capable of” (12).
This matters for more than just men. For if there really is such a thing as authentic masculinity, then mothers need to recognize it so they can encourage it in their sons rather than squelch it, and daughters need to recognize it so they can marry the kind of man who has it (or at least aspires to it). Toxic masculinity is a curse to everyone; authentic masculinity is a tide that lifts all boats.
Clear Categories
Troutt builds the book around two categories: masculine virtues and masculine roles.
Toxic masculinity is a curse to everyone; authentic masculinity is a tide that lifts all boats.
The masculine virtues consist of humility, discipline, responsibility, and chivalry. The foundation is laid in humility, which leads us to ask how man is different from God. Next comes discipline, which differentiates man from animals. To this, Troutt adds responsibility, which explains how a man is different from a boy.
These first three virtues overlap with feminine virtues, but Troutt stacks chivalry on top, arguing that men have greater strength and should use that strength to honor and serve the women around them, rather than using it to take what they want. Each of these virtues is involved in activities that range from exercise to gaming to “rightly ordered aggression” to teaching children to do chores (96).
Troutt defines roles as “different modes of relating to our past, our present, our future, our friends, our family, our sexuality, our work, and our legacy” (110). The masculine roles are son, brother, maker, husband, and father. He argues that “to ignore our roles is to ignore the relational opportunities and responsibilities we’ve been given by God” (110). Not every man will experience every role at the same time or at any time, but intentionally fulfilling those roles with the masculine virtues in mind helps men find meaning and direction in society.
These categories are valuable for positively framing masculinity and allow readers to apply the paradigm to their specific situation. Thankfully, Troutt also offers intensely practical wisdom on topics like how to find a mentor, how to think about retirement, and whether “work-life balance” is a legitimate category (160). The book is reasonably comprehensive without being exhaustive.
Courageous Care
There’s a tendency toward tribalism in many books on hot-button cultural issues like masculinity. Troutt defies that trend. He argues that “male headship is a fact of nature like gravity” (189). But he also contends that “a man who lords his power over his wife is rightly understood as an abuser” (187). Furthermore, he notes that Paul had no problem “seeing females [like Phoebe and Junia] as partners and colleagues; the whole world [wasn’t] his fraternity” (90).
Men have greater strength and should use that strength to honor and serve the women around them, rather than using it to take what they want.
But he also claims that “the most stereotypical masculine jobs like being a fireman, soldier, or police officer are not merely stereotypes, but are in fact archetypes” (98). It’s not that men are “overrepresented” in those fields; it’s simply that “on the whole, male bodies are better equipped to do those more dangerous jobs than female ones” (164). There’s something here to trigger everyone.
But triggering doesn’t seem to be Troutt’s goal. Rather, it seems that he simply loves the truth, loves people, and loves Jesus. Much like Jordan Peterson, Troutt speaks like someone who genuinely cares about young men. And yet, unlike Peterson, he writes with full faith in the gospel of Christ. For example, while unpacking the virtue of responsibility, he observes,
Jesus does the exact opposite of Adam. Adam falls to temptation and blames his bride. Jesus overcomes temptation and takes responsibility for His bride. While Adam is avoiding responsibility, trying to make his sin someone else’s fault, Jesus is taking responsibility for what isn’t His fault. This is the essence of the death of Christ on our behalf. . . . He takes what wasn’t His fault and makes it His responsibility. (68–69)
Authentic masculinity is Christ-shaped masculinity. This is a book you can give to a non-Christian friend at the gym, knowing he’ll get the gospel along with straight talk about manliness.
In a culture that doesn’t seem to understand what makes masculinity different from femininity, Authentic Masculinity offers a clear and compelling explanation. This volume deserves to become a staple in men’s ministries.
