I think Coughlin has a sincere concern about how ill-defined manhood is in our culture, and in the culture of the Christian church. His emphasis on 'courage' as an antidote to our situation is not unhelpful. It does feel, however, more like a conclusion he's come to, and then found in the bible as an alternative reading of thumos, rather than having discovered something in the scripture which could shed light on our crisis. An earlier reviewer is right that this kind of book is akin to the Wild at Heart material, though perhaps not as powerful: the focus on one core word/concept weakens the force of the book overall.

It's worth saying that our Christian struggle to define manhood seems to rely heavily on avoiding some features of what Jesus seemed to be like. In reaction against Jesus' gentleness, kindness and softness, I don't see biblical examples held up as counters, rather I sense that popular and admirable features of the all American boy-become-man are being sanctified and painted over the Christ who actually was. I have trouble buying it.

Jesus came in weakness. On purpose. He sends the Spirit from the right hand of the Father, a Spirit who will produce every fruit the Christian man will need as he follows Christ. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the qualities of the Christian man. I feel like 21st century Christian men want a better list, because they want to avoid the real implications these qualities demand.

God's men in this world are not to be shaped after what the world thinks makes a real man. We're usually not going to get to be powerful strapping fearless hunters that take on the world and dazzle everyone into recognizing God was right after all. We meet the world with human weakness - not strength. We're salt - we're going to get ground and crushed into the world for our God-empowered effects to take place. I fear sometimes that these books do less to make men rise up as God's servants, and more to cause them to secretly cower with the fear that they can't live up to God's real intent for them as a man after all. Our future lies in our absolute dependence on God, not in discovering some better version of ourselves. God chooses what seems foolish in eyes of the world, just, it seems, to show the world that it can't tell up from down after all. Our weakness, gentleness, and meekness are to the point. I'm not sure I need more courage, though that would feel good. I think I need more confidence in God - trust, faith - that He can use this man as he is - and that He, by the fruit of his Spirit can develop me into the Christ-like man He wants me to become. ( )

NCLA Review - As a pastor raised in a mainline Protestant denomination, I am probably predisposed to be skeptical of a book like this, primarily because of the anthropological assumptions that are made about the difference between men and women. That being said, I learned a good deal reading this book. The central thesis is that all people have thumos, a Greek term that Coughlin translates to mean a "fight drive," a courageous and animating spirit. He believes men typically have more of it than women, but that the church and our culture often squelch it in boys and men because it is considered disruptive and unmannerly. Coughlin wants us, especially men, to embrace our thumos rather than crucify it, all in the service of God's coming kingdom. Clearly, it is the case in many of our churches that the church reaches women more effectively than men, and so attending to a book like this can be an important spiritual practice. Especially useful as an acquisition for churches that are trying to build a set of resources for men's ministries. Rating: 3 —CS ( )

A challenge to Christian men to resist the pressure to conform to a church culture that often suppresses masculinity. While many valid points are made, the author loses some of his punch by being a bit overly critical. I did enjoy reading the book. ( )

The problem is not that Christian men are not being men, it's that we are not being men of God. We listen to the vain ramblings of pop psychology when we should be listening to the word of God. ( )

A quick check of Amazon.com reveals numerous current titles that address how males relate to Christianity. Most of these books start with the premise that masculinity is being emasculated in western culture in general and in western churches in particular.
Paul T. Coughlin has already written "No More Christian Nice Guy" as an attempt to clarify the difference between being "nice" and being "good." By nice, Coughlin understands mild, quiet, passive, peaceful and accommodating. It is expressed in a Christianity of pastels, flowers, candles, and a gentle Jesus, meek and mild. No wonder many men don't like church. They have tired of the "Official Script." On the other hand, Coughlin presents a Jesus who, whip in hand, cleared the temple of those polluting it; a Jesus who was indignant at evil; a Jesus who faced toward the cross.
In this present book, Coughlin uses the Greek word thumos (which he translates as "courage" although it usually means "anger" in the Greek of the New Testament ) to show what is missing in the current (mis)conception of Christianity and what is needed to challenge evil, do justice and protect the vulnerable in families and society. He wants to balance the "believe" message of Paul with the "works" emphasis of James. He wants to balance "trusting God" with the courage to accept individual responsibility. He appeals for this internal moral strength that underpins all other virtues, including love. He wants courage to be actively, boldly, confrontively good. This courageous faith is the hidden power of a man's soul. It must be named, honored, nurtured, challenged and put to work. While recognizing differences between men and women, Coughlin does not generalize about weaknesses of women nor minimize feminine virtues but he clearly affirms the right for Christian men to be men. To his credit, he is aware of the dangers of misdirected thumos--what he calls "shadow thumos" --that can err into spiritual abuse, materialism and cynicism. (The chapter of cynicism is worth the price of the book!)
To make his point, Coughlin often contrasts his appeal with the message of "the churches." If "the churches" using the Official Script were really as feminized as Coughlin claims there would be no market for his ministry nor so many other books addressing the same issue. Regardless of how he might feel, he is not the only voice crying in the wilderness. ( )
DrSmeeton | Dec 23, 2008 | edit | | ( )