Rethinking Masculinity and Feminism: Part Two!

So we’ve addressed the notion that man and woman are created equal, but we have yet to discuss what makes a man, a “man.”

In Malestrom, that authors talks about how a man’s identity as being made in God’s image is not something that can be taken away. She states, “In contrast to patriarchy’s fluctuating continuum of cultural definitions of manhood, the Bible’s definition of what is means to be a man is universal and unchanging. From Adam to the present, every boy-child born into the world is the imago dei…He is born to know and reflect his Creator and do God’s work in the world. No man or boy is excluded…The imago dei does not require rites of passage. It is a birthright. It cannot be earned…It is permanent and accompanies every male from his birth to his last. Nothing can erase it or take it from him. He can’t even shed it himself. He can ignore it, violate it, or believe he’s lost it. Others may try to demean or beat it out of him, but because it is grounded in God, it is impervious to destruction (p. 47).”

A man’s identity must first be grounded in who He is in relationship to God before we even begin to think about the unique characteristics that make him “a man.” Recently, I was having a discussion with some friends about what makes an adult an “adult” in society’s eyes. For example, many young adults feel as though they are in a season of “adulting” until they officially are married, have kids, have a full-time job, etc… I think we often have similar presuppositions about what makes a man, a “man.”

Malestorm’s author talks about how a patriarchal view of manhood sees men as being impregnators, protectors, and providers. If all of these categories were true of all men, then Jesus and the apostle Paul, would not have been considered to be “men.” These categories aren’t necessary bad, but the author argues they put every man’s identity on shaky ground.

When we allow society to tell us what characteristics make up a “man,” the man’s identity is largely controlled by factors outside of himself. The author states, “Patriarchy turns a man’s focus on himself; on his abilities and authority over others. His manhood is sustained by the submission and obedience of others. Patriarchy fails to reinforce God as the center or to call a man selflessly to invest his powers and privileges to promote the flourishing and fruitful living of others. It does not beckon him to subdue the darkness and take back territory the Enemy has seized. It does not transform him into a new kind of man. Patriarchy actually prevents men from thinking in more expansive ways of what God calls them to be, the profound significance he embeds in their lives, and the impact he means for them to have on others (p. 48).”

There are several examples of men in the Bible who went against the cultural traditions of their time in service to God and others. As we approach the Christmas season, I’d like to touch on two that Malestorm mentions and I believe we are all the most familiar with.

The first example is Joseph, the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus. Joseph was engaged to the virgin Mary when an angel appeared to Mary and told her about how she would become pregnant with the Messiah. According to the law of the time, when a woman of a pledged marriage committed adultery, the fiancé could have divorced her and had her publicly disgraced through stoning (Deut. 22:23,24). However, Matthew 1:19-21 describes Joseph’s countercultural response:

“Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Can you imagine the amount of flack Joseph would have received from his family and friends? It is likely that people would have accused Mary and Joseph of all kinds of things; yet, Joseph was obedient to what he felt God commanded him to do. Joseph chose to pursue a life with Mary, knowing many people probably wouldn’t believe them and knowing full well that he could be giving up his reputation as a ‘man’ in the process. The author of Malestorm states, “Joseph was a better man because he withstood the malestrom’s currents, acknowledged Mary’s special role, and got behind God’s purposes for his wife. Joseph’s very salvation depended on Mary fulfilling God’s call on her. Both of them were making huge sacrifices, but that is how the gospel takes shape in the lives of the followers of Jesus (p. 171).”

The second and most important example of a Biblical man is Jesus (surprise!). When we think of what a “man” should look like, we should look no further than the example of Christ. Because Jesus was born through the Holy Spirit, his human nature was without sin and not subject to curse of mankind. Therefore, Jesus’ example of what a “man” should look like reflects that of the original intent that Adam should have had before the Fall of humanity.

The author states, “Jesus is the ideal man. Any conclusions we draw about what it means to be a man must begin with Jesus. This does not minimize in any way the fact that he was also God. But his identity as a human male should never get lost in his divinity. Jesus’ maleness embodies God’s vision for how his sons are to live and hold the key for combatting the maelstrom. What is more, it is also profoundly important for women that Jesus was male. His maleness was integral to the completion of his redemptive task, for it facilitated his ability to expose ‘the radical difference between God’s ideal and the social structures of his day.’ Let us not forget that in the ancient patriarchal culture, only a male could have offered an authoritative critique of those power structures. And Jesus’ regard for women was truly earthshaking. His actions and relationships as a man vis-à-vis women carry more weight than we can possibly give them and prove even more culturally revolutionary than we generally acknowledge. Jesus’ association in public with women who were not his kin was a scandalous breech of decorum and a challenge to the gender boundaries of the first century (Malestrom, James, p. 177).”

Friends, our society (both men and women in our lives) frequently bombards us with messages about what makes a man, “a man.” I’ve found as I’ve interacted with different men in my life, though, that there’s no clear-cut example of what a “man” should look like. And when we try to force the identity of a “man” into a box created by society, it falls short of God’s original intent for a man’s identity and purpose.

This doesn't mean that every man must look like Christ, in order to be considered a "man." Because, Jesus was the perfect example and no human man is capable of being perfect. However, more so, we need to rethink our definitions of masculinity so as to encourage men to pursue God's original intent for their lives and to define themselves first by the imago dei. The ways that men become more like Christ are not through their own abilities, but through the Holy Spirit working in them to transform them into men who reflect the character of Christ. So with that, I leave your with this final quote from Malestrom:

“To bear God’s image inevitably means going against the cultural grain. But image bearing comes with kingdom responsibilities. Every man’s first and primary calling is to know the God whose image he bears, to see the world through God’s eyes, and to care for it on his behalf. It means the hard work of rebuilding that strategic Blessed Alliance between men and women falls on all of us. It is still ‘not good for man to be alone,’ It means what’s happening in God’s world-the suffering, poverty, injustice-is our business as bearers of God’s image. The task he entrusts to his sons (and daughters) is to join him in bringing God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (p. 204).”

Let us all live out our true identity as sons and daughters of the king, in a way that reflects God’s original intent and purpose for our lives. Thank you for reading, friends, and Merry Christmas!

Love always,

Danielle Marie

P.S. For those of you who are curious, here is a chart of the ways my thinking about what it means to be ‘a man’ has been changing:

Area of life	What I used to believe about men	What I now believe about men
Identity	Found in having a good job, the amount of women they picked up, being unemotional and brawny, being the breadwinner, having sons	Found in being created in God’s image, being an example of Jesus and caring for people the way He does, being a co-warrior with women in establishing heaven on earth
Work	Fighting to the top and taking power over those that are “inferior”; the type of work determines how “manly” someone is	Humble themselves to the point of servitude and lead out of love for God and his God’s people; take a ‘power with’ stance in work relationships; the type of work doesn’t determine one’s ‘manliness’
Family	Becomes a man when he finds a wife and has children he provides for; expects the wife to do most of the childrearing; remains aloof	Doesn’t need a family to be considered a ‘man’; if he has a family, he serves them sacrificially in multiple areas; cares deeply for his family and is willing to show it like Christ did
Emotions	Doesn’t show vulnerability; doesn’t cry or talk about feelings	Willing to be authentic and vulnerable; tender hearted and recognizes his humanity; willing to show unconditional love to others
Treatment of women	Sees them as people to be used sexually, worshiped for their beauty, or as a means of raising sons; women are not equal in status and are inferior/weak	Women are co-warriors in this life, and they provide unique strengths that can be used in healing our world along with men’s strengths; women are to be seen as equal in status