Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 11:2 (Spring 1997)
Article: Masculinity In Crisis: Remaining Biblical In A Changing World
Author: Howard E. Frost

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PP 11:2 (Spring 1997) p. 41

Masculinity In Crisis:
Remaining Biblical In A Changing World

Howard E. Frost

Kaye V. Cook

Howard Frost, Ph.D., is an analyst for the US Department of Defense on arms control issues. Kaye Cook, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist and is Professor of Psychology at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts.

Andy looks up at the billboard as he drives along the interstate—and there the guy is. In his white Stetson, cowhide vest blowing in the breeze, he gallops along a ridge in the clear, crisp Western springtime. His powerful horse strains at the chase, his lasso whirls as he goes after a calf for the roundup. The deep blue sky creates a brilliant backdrop for the intense browns and greens of the countryside.1

The sign above the highway reads:

“Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.”

“Y’know,” Andy thinks, “I don’t smoke, but there’s something really appealing about that guy—the Marlboro Man. There he is, off with his buddies enjoying the great outdoors. He’s out doing his job, working with his hands, and nobody’s really around telling him what to do. He’s quite a guy—a rugged, strong individual—no doubt as much in control of his life as he is of his horse. Wouldn’t it be great to be in his shoes—even if only for a few minutes?”

This image of masculinity strongly appeals to many men—even Christian men. The notion of being your own person, of having friends but no burdensome commitments, of running your life autonomously, with vigor and gusto, appeals strongly to many males. What is the problem with such a seemingly wholesome image of manhood?

John, a successful and respected neurosurgeon, asks to have lunch with a Christian counselor and friend. After some preliminary conversation, the surgeon takes a deep breath— “like a man about to plunge into the swimming pool,” thinks the counselor—then begins:

I guess I’m here because I’m messing up my relationships. All these years I’ve fought to get to the top of my profession, thinking that when I got there people would respect me and like me. But it just hasn’t worked. Oh, I suppose I command some respect in the hospital, but I’m not close to anybody, really. I have no one to lean on. I’m not sure you can help me either.2

Ronald Blake was a thirty-nine-year-old radio talk show host, known throughout the South as the “Tennessee Iron Man” because of the all-night call-in shows he did with listeners as his only guests. Blake was in the hospital for a corneal transplant; his young, a...

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