Masculine Spirituality » Archive
What makes the man? Three steps toward a theology of gender
It was inevitable: with a name like “Manly Theology,” we had to start having this conversation at some point. No adequate discussion about spirituality and manhood/manliness can take place without attempting to answer the question of gender. So… what is gender, and how does our understanding of gender inform our understanding of what it means to be a spiritual man? I first want to admit that I am not qualified to give a comprehensive answer to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
How to Live the Good Life: the Seven Virtues
Everything written so far on this site has been focused on one thing: developing a theologically appropriate and properly manly character. Writing about theology explores the theoretical and scriptural basis of good character; writing about the virtues and manliness seek to lay out what exactly a good manly character is, and articles on spiritual practices and disciplines demonstrate the means by which we seek to build such character. So far, we have seen that true manliness … Read entire article »
Filed under: Character
The Music Became Flesh: sermon at KRMC from July 31, 2011
This doesn’t necessarily have anything specific to do with gender or men’s spirituality, but since some people have asked for it I’m posting audio here of the sermon I gave as guest preacher at Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend on Sunday, July 31. This was the last in a worship series at KRMC connecting God’s work in the world with the arts and other human actions, discussing how we see God moving in the midst of various life practices and experiences. Since I’m a musician, or at least I pretend to be one now and again, I was asked to speak on music. In this sermon I draw threads connecting the nature of music as not only something that is created, but an act that itself creates. With reference to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
5 Questions for… Roger Wolsey
Ed. note: this is the first in an occasional series of short interviews I plan with a number of pastors, authors, bloggers, and other people I find interesting or compelling. They may write about spirituality for men, or they may not–but you can trust that around here the topic will come back around to that in some way. I’m glad to have had the pleasure of interviewing pastor and author Roger Wolsey for this first … Read entire article »
Filed under: Character
The ultimate introduction to practicing centering prayer
Centering prayer is a great way to find a deeper level of communion with God, and allow God to speak truthfully and lovingly to us in the deepest places of our hearts. It enables us to be re-created at the core of our being as men who will live in ways that are more consistent with the liberating kingdom of God as it is becoming visible on earth. What’s that, you say? What is centering prayer … Read entire article »
Filed under: Spirituality
The great cloud of unlearning: spiritual disciplines and shaping identity
The great medieval devotional classic, The Cloud of Unknowing, begins thusly: GHOSTLY friend in God, thou shalt well understand that I find, in my boisterous beholding, four degrees and forms of Christian men’s living: and they be these, Common, Special, Singular, and Perfect. The anonymous author assigns the first three to the possibilities of life in this world, but reserves perfection for the world that is to come. The common life is that lived by the vast majority of Christian believers: a life in which the Holy Spirit and knowledge of God may have some place, but are ultimately only one part of life set along the others. The special involves a greater degree of devotion, and may include priests and ministers who devote their lives to service. The singular (also translated “solitary”) life is … Read entire article »
Filed under: Spirituality
How to be a happy man: an introduction to the virtues
What would make you happy? More money? Certainly most of use could use some of that. How about losing weight, or gaining weight, or achieving a more muscular physique? Would earning an advanced college degree make you happier? What about your work life? Would it make you happy to quit your current job and start your own business, or at least get a different job? Some might reply that the path to happiness is in altruism: performing … Read entire article »
Filed under: Character
Change your life in minutes a day: seven reasons to practice silence
If there’s one thing I’m sure we can all agree on about contemporary life, it’s that it’s busy. It’s easy to get so caught up in the hustle of everyday life that we lose track of our selves, our sense of relationship with God, and the big picture of life itself. When that busy-ness takes over our lives, we lose the perspective of eternity that is so important to a vibrant Christian spirituality. has become … Read entire article »
Filed under: Spirituality
Sponsors wanted!
As you may have noticed, I have placed a few Google ads blocks around the site in what I hope is a restrained and tasteful manner. When I realized the level of interest for this site was considerably higher than for my blogs in the past, I made the decision to upgrade my web host account to handle the anticipated rise in traffic. It looks like that was a good decision, as the traffic level since … Read entire article »
Filed under: Site Info
Theology of the body: three reasons why it matters for men
When I was in college we would occasionally get street preachers who would find a place on or near campus, usually on public property so the university could not make them leave. The messages varied wildly, from the ultra-fundamentalist who called young women “whores” for the terrible crime of wearing pants to the older hippie-looking guy who took a much milder tone and ended nearly every spoken phrase with “cuz God is love, man.” The messages … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
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