DNF at 50%. This book is just incredibly repetitive 😬 I keep finishing book after book while this one just languishes. While I absolutely am the target audience for this book and definitely agree that there is a toxic war on men (I'm also a mom of 3 boys!) I just wonder how many of the sources were included in the spirit of confirmation bias. It just didn't feel strong to me? I've read other books on masculinity as well as on the feminist movement, and they all seem much more believable. I struggle to believe that a war on masculinity has followed such a distinct cultural timeline as laid out by the author. A lot of the issues brought up regarding male behavior are sin issues, not necessarily because of the industrial age or because of women being revered in the household. Idk. Lots of rave reviews for this book so I could be wrong or have read it incorrectly, but I'm just going to continue on in my search for another great book on the topic. Next is Strachan's War on Men. Esolen's writing on masculinity so far has been the most interesting to me 👏

In the last couple years, I have seen so many people in the conservative and Christian community that uphold the idea of masculinity as this pure and holy solution to a variety of social ills. I see this as an overexaggerated response to feminism and its devaluing of men. I think I was expecting this book to follow that narrative, but I am glad to say that did not. Instead of encouraging men to embrace the savage, tough persona that is often associated with masculinity, Nancy encourages us to hold men accountable for their actions and supports the return to biblical masculinity as personified by Jesus Christ.

Nancy does an amazing job of covering historic gender roles in the church and the public sphere helping is understand how gender roles evolved into what they are today. She also gives a fair representation of the issues that we see with abuse in Christian circles while sharing the real data that shows that abuse is not isolated to the church. We are so accustomed to seeing a very biased view coming from media outlets. It is helpful to see everything laid out objectively.

This book is incredible. My Kindle copy is riddled with highlights and bookmarks as I found so many things I wanted to share with my husband and friends. I know I will have to order a physical copy to loan out to friends. If there's one book I would say that everyone should read, it is this one.

The Toxic War On Masculinity is a balanced history of how our current view of masculinity developed, and an intriguing look at data and evidence of what makes a good man. Pearcey references history, cultural trends, psychology, theology, and media in a fascinating examination of how the idea of masculinity has changed. The notations add another layer of interesting facts & references. Nancy Pearcey has not written a polemic. She did not "choose a side" and seek to prove her point, but with an open mind, explores the data, research, and presents it to us in a helpful way. This truly is a thought-provoking read.

Another masterpiece by my favorite author of Christian worldview and cultural apologetics, Nancy Pearcey. I’ll pre-order and read any book she writes, but her latest is one of my very favorites. Pearcey’s personal testimony in her intro is moving and compelling. Part 1 explores the surprising sociology studies that refute negative stereotypes of Christian men. We’ve all heard the false narrative that Christian marriages end in divorce as often as Non-Christian marriages. However, compared to secular men, the data shows devout Christian family men, who attend church regularly (in contrast to Christian in name only men) are more loving fathers and husbands. They have the lowest rates of divorce. And they have the lowest rate of domestic violence of any major group in America. Part two takes the reader through history exploring how the biblical script of The Good Man gradually becomes confused by a competing secular script of The Real Man. This section of the book is extremely fascinating. Along the way Pearcey explores a variety of historical and philosophical topics like the impact of the Industrial Revolution, Social contract theory, Literary naturalism, and Social Darwinism. Part 3 discusses what happens when Christian men absorb the secular script. Anyone would benefit from reading this work. Pearcey is balanced, and she displays a scholarly, careful and thorough treatment of philosophy and history.

It is tough to be a man today and feel good about being male. The language and winds of culture all seem to point to the fact that to be a man is to be essentially a bad thing. To be strong, protective, and independent is labeled "Toxic". In this book, Nancy Pearcey takes a balanced look at the idea of what it means to be a man. She compares the true man as defined in the Biblical text with the real man either elevated by some or demonized by others.
Her teaching is right on the spot. There are moments when you will be mad at what you read, excited by the possibilities, and even moved to tears at how far we have missed the mark on what it really means to be a man. But there is hope for those who want to reclaim God's original design for those of us created as men in His image. We can with His help become the embodiment of His ideal man.
I highly recommend you read this for yourself and pass it along to all the men in your life that you care about.

II was drawn to this title because I've long disliked the battle between the sexes but have seen it only grow worse in recent years. While some tension is inevitable, I desire greater understanding, compassion, and appreciation from men to women and vice versa. But I didn't know what angle author Nancy R. Pearcey would come from or what conclusions she might draw.

I was happily surprised! The Toxic War on Masculinity addresses the history of masculinity and how our expectations of men have changed from the Industrial Revolution on, shares research on what makes for a "good man" (versus a "real man"), and challenges presumptions about how complementarianism and egalitarianism impact women and marriage. Not only is the book well-researched, Pearcey weaves Scripture throughout—providing a biblical basis for defining what men can and should be.

I could find some small points to argue with the author, but overall, it was an excellent read, and I came away with the two best praises I can give such a book:

1. It made me think more deeply about my views on the topic.
2. It will positively impact what I say and do going forward.

I heartily recommend The Toxic War on Masculinity to both men and women, and especially to those in marriage ministry.

Masculinity and fatherhood has long since been a good thing to society. With feminism now being the main thing in society, masculinity is no longer a good thing to some. It is now toxic. Hence, the title. We now live in a time where if a man wants to have traditional values, get married to one women, have children with that woman, be the breadwinner in the family, do the hard, manual labor; we automatically call that toxic.
What if it’s not though?
In this book, Nancy shares why masculinity, as well as fatherhood, is and what it looks like, and why it’s so important.
Honestly, one of the best books I have read this year and my first Nancy Pearcey book. With feminism being a huge thing now, it’s important to have books and other resources for masculinity here. It is something we need to bring back.

I graciously received an advance e-copy from netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

As a wife and mother of two sons, I was eager to read this book that challenges the negative stereotypes and vitriol surrounding masculinity, and demonstrates how we can reclaim a biblical understanding of manhood. It provides a thorough history of how the Industrial Revolution dramatically changed home and family life. When men began to work outside the home, it decreased the influence and authority from fathers and resulted in more wild, rebellious sons. Our expectations of men shifted away from God’s design for manhood, and devolved into a secular view of what it means to be a “Real” man. Nancy Pearcey addresses the problems that stemmed from this harmful, counterfeit masculinity, and she does not gloss over how these views have infiltrated and negatively impacted the Church. She also provides a solution.

“Christianity gives an answer to toxic behavior in men—and women—that is not merely intellectual but redemptive for the whole person.”

“Jesus was the ultimate man made in the image of God, the imago dei. Men can be confident that his version of manhood will align with their true nature.”

I encourage you to read this book if you are hoping to see an end to the denigration of men, and a high regard for traditional masculinity laid out in Scripture and perfectly exemplified for us in Jesus Christ.

Another great book by Nancy Pearcey! The Toxic War on Masculinity is a great read on how much things have changed over the years for what people believe men should be. This book compares the secular and Christian views on masculinity dives deep into various aspects of both views. I especially enjoyed the chapters on men and marriage. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

#ToxicWarOnMasculinity helped me see the long-term impact of the industrial revolution on the destruction of the family as God designed it.

I have known instinctively that fatherless boys are at the root of many societal ills. Now I understand the ways we have undermined fatherhood and have a sense of the things that we need to fix.

Chapter 12, Bringing Fathers Back – Fix the Workplace, Fix Your Family, provides a hopeful roadmap for us.

This book will appeal to anyone who has ever asked: How did get so far off the rails, and how do we get back on?

Nancy Pearcey's characteristically distinguished research integrity doesn't fail to deliver. She demonstrates through our Western literary history of changing public attitudes that led us to the current culture war between the sexes. Tracing the evidence from a dramatic shift brought on by the Industrial Revolution to the damaging ideas of Darwinism, a clear pathway is revealed to have had detrimental impact on our relationships today. Pearcey illustrates that the goal doesn't have to be in focusing on the balancing power to address the conflict and inequality but by acknowledging God's original design for equity and partnership between men and women. The idea that both are made in the image of God pushes back against the current constructed narrative to reconcile us for the common good. I was surprised to realize this went beyond simply joining a complimentarian or egalitarian camp in the old theological debates within Christianity. As a mother of two young boys, Pearcey's book offers a clear and positive approach to address toxic masculinity in our society. She is presenting a book as resolute and affirmative fuel for mothers and fathers to unite in rejecting the dominate culture's toxic message to our sons (and daughters) that they are doomed to be toxic themselves. I couldn't put it down.
#ToxicWarOnMasculinity

BOOK REVIEW

'The Toxic War on Masculinity' by Nancy R. Pearcey

"Biblical Christianity gives men a powerful incentive to reject toxic behaviour and to connect with their families."

Triggers: Violence against women (emotional and physical abuse towards young girls)

This is another fantastic book from Nancy and a must-read for Christians who have sons, who care about what the Bible says about gender and who desire a clearer picture of how true Christianity counter-culturally elevates both men and women to live out the most faithful version of headship and servanthood; empowering both genders to live freely and in harmony.

"We should not make the mistake of equating masculinity with men's bad behaviour. A biblical worldview tells us that men were originally created to live by the ideal of the Good Man, exercising traits such as honor, courage, fidelity and self-control. A healthy society is one that teaches and encourages a God-centred view of masculinity…When masculinity itself is portrayed as a problem, the implication is that the solution is emasculation."

Nancy faithfully unpacks the theology of gender roles. She complements good theology with up-to-date statistics to support the fact that when men live according to the Bible, it makes for the healthiest, happiest and most loving families.

"Western culture says 'Real' men must never be weak or vulnerable. But the Bible models a version of masculinity that delights in weakness- at least, the kind that drives us to God."

Each chapter opens with research to address common misconceptions and is preceded with some cultural background and context (even from Bible days) and then wraps up with the affirmation of how this fits with the Christian ideal of a "good man" and the tension between a "real [worldy] man's" expectations.

"The most violent husbands in America are nominal evangelical Protestants who attend church infrequently or not at all (Brad Wilcox). It seems that many nominal men hang around the fringes of the Christian world just enough to hear the language of headship and submission but not enough to learn the biblical meaning of those terms."

The excellent news for faithful Christians is that statistics refute the negative belief that conservative Christian men are patriarchal and oppressive. Unlike secular men, devout Christian family men who attend church regularly are more loving husbands and engaged fathers. They have the lowest divorce rates and the lowest rate of domestic violence of any major group in America.

"In a culture that increasingly blames men, it's time to find ways to help them instead. Because of testosterone, men are typically larger, stronger and faster than women. In general, they are also more physical, more competitive, and more risk-taking. We need to affirm these God-given traits as good when used to honor and serve others."

Nancy's goal is to craft fresh strategies for addressing the gender controversies of our day, open our eyes to how manhood has become secularised and when men fail to live by scriptural principles; essentially when men absorb the secular script for the "Real" Man defined by dominance and entitlement as opposed to a biblical perspective.

In a nutshell, Nancy's findings support that evangelicalism can be seen as a strategic women's movement because it serves to reform gender roles in a way that enhances the female status by motivating males to embrace godly masculinity and seeing women as equal before God.

This is the book that is needed in our current culture which is doing all it can to tear down men and eliminate the beauty and value of Biblical Masculinity.

“What is the God-given pattern for manhood? How did Western culture lose it? And how can we recover it? That’s what this book is about.” Pearcey takes a ”show, don’t tell” approach as she writes, blending “historical and sociological facts with personal stories and anecdotes”.
She has carefully crafted this book to be full of data & research & quotes from a wide array of sources. But instead of stopping with just stating them, she expertly connects them to real life experiences so the reader can relate and understand the point she is trying to convey.

She uses a biblical foundation as the strength behind her position, consistently pointing to Jesus as the chief example of manhood. Her thesis and supporting arguments are well organized, easy to follow, and richly educational as she analyzes the trend manhood has followed over the course of history.

“Christianity does not strip away the virtues of boyhood—the natural drive many boys have to fight, to compete, to build forts, to win. Instead, it calls men to direct those masculine traits to fight evil, overcome sin, protect those they love, and strategize how to advance biblical truth in the world. Christianity does not suppress men’s thirst for risk and adventure but redirects it to eternal goals.”

“In today’s climate, where fathers are so often mocked and ridiculed, we need to fight to assert the dignity of fatherhood. Honoring fathers will do more than any other single strategy to prevent toxic behavior in the next generation of men.”

I enjoyed reading Toxic War on Masculinity very much. Pearcy traces through history the ideas of Masculinity and how different ideas affected our current interpretations. This helped make a lot of sense as to why we are at where we are at today. I especially enjoyed the last few paragraphs of each chapter where she looks at Bible and examines how that aspect of Masculinity with it.

This is an interesting book, informative, and relevant to our times. I would definitely recommend reading this.

In an age when we are hearing so much about "toxic masculinity," it's refreshing to see a book that traces its history and tells us how we got where we are. It's interesting to think about how the definitions of manhood have changed over time as culture itself has changed. Pearcey has presented a really interesting and engaging history.

There are a few glaring flaws in this book, which merit noting. First, while she talks about a time relatively not long ago when Christian manhood was the ideal and men were expected to be humble, kind, supportive, etc., she does not address the fact that David was an adulterer and Solomon had 700 wives. It seems that any even casual reader of the Bible might be tempted to think the "hound dog" is the historical essence of man, even in biblical times, so it would have been valuable to see Pearcy address how we got from biblical times to Victorian ethics, which is right about where she seems to start.

Second, as a reader, I have the sense that this is really two books. Or one book and the start of another. She spends the first 12 chapters in a really engaging history, with great evidence and anecdotes and a real human skin on the thing. The last two chapters are all about addressing relational abuse, of which men are overwhelmingly more often guilty than women, but there's not a lot of the same redemptive tone in these chapters. She does not use research, as she has in other places in the book, to back it up. I would be interested to see how rates of domestic violence have changed as the definition of manhood has changed, but this is absent. Without tracing that path, it feels like she's just jumping on the anti-man bandwagon in the last two chapters; the whole tone of the book changed in this discussion.

Third, at the very end, after presenting a message throughout the bulk of the book that the family and the home have historically been the primary responsibility of human beings and their greatest opportunity to live out the Christian cultural mandate, she concludes by saying specifically to women, "Clearly, your marriage and family are your primary mission. But every person has also been gifted for a larger task - ministering in church, teaching school, constructing homes, practicing medicine, playing music, or working in the government." This statement, just a couple of paragraphs from the end of the book, seems to reject the entire premise she's built up to this point and affirm contemporary culture's message that your most important work is OUTSIDE the home.

The only other point I will make is that this is a weighty book that is often repetitive. In an attempt to try to emphasize her message, which is countercultural by today's standards, Pearcey repeats herself frequently, as though you might have forgotten. In some places, this is very important, as it's easy to start to slip into the cultural mindset that most of us have been raised with; in other places, it's extremely distracting. But...better to say it too frequently than not enough, I suppose.

Overall, I recommend this book. It helps to add an important depth to the conversation we're having in our culture right now, and I think it gives a better foundation for the changes we're trying to make in manhood than just coming out against what we're doing and proposing a different way. We are creatures who require understanding, not just encouragement, and this book is the understanding part of the conversation.