What is biblical manhood? And, “The Toxic War on Masculinity”: A conversation with Nancy Pearcey

Nancy Pearcey joins Dr. Mark Turman to discuss the rise of secular masculinity, what makes a “good” man versus a “real” man, how Christianity makes men less misogynistic, not more, why young men are struggling, and how Christians can reclaim manhood. 

 

Show notes: 

Nancy Pearcey discusses why she wanted to write on masculinity, sharing her story of meeting Francis and Edith Schaeffer, converting from agnosticism, and her experience with an abusive father (3:01). She reflects on the history of masculinity, the growth of toxic masculinity during the Industrial Revolution, and why modern women seem to hate men (11:26). Pearcey talks about why she wrote the Toxic War on Masculinity, which delves into the ideas of Christ-like and secular masculinity (19:61). They reflect on the dangers of nominal Christianity, why dedicated evangelical men have the best marriages, but Christian-in-name-only men create the worst marriages (36:44). She says, “nominal Christian men can take the secular script and then sort of baptize it, and the end of actually living worse than secular men.” She provides a multitude of research demonstrating that men becoming evangelical Christians makes them less misogynistic (52:31). She closes by reflecting on the current landscape, how men are falling behind women in all areas, and how true Christians can reclaim masculinity in a healthy way (56:09). 

 

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Resources and further reading:

 

• The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, Nancy Pearcey

• “What is the “death movement”? Nancy R. Pearcey defends a biblical view of the body in Love Thy Body” Mark Legg

• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn 

• Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands, Brad Wilcox

 

About the host 

 

Mark Turman, DMin, is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church. 

 

About the guest 

 

Nancy R. Pearcey is a bestselling author and speaker. A former agnostic, she was hailed in The Economist as “America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.” Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Washington Times, First Things, Human Events, American Thinker, Daily Caller, The Federalist, CNS News, and Fox News. She has appeared on NPR, C-SPAN, and Fox & Friends. 

She is currently a professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. Pearcey's books have been translated into 18 languages and include Total Truth, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Love Thy Body.