It's Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity
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- Author：Michael Foster
- ISBN：1954887396
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Summary
“Men were made to rule。 They always have and always will。 Nothing can change that。 Nothing will。 It is not a question of whether men will be ruling， but which ones and how。” ~From It's Good to Be a Man
Our modern society has called for us to “smash the patriarchy，” and the church has not done much better。
Instead of telling men how they can hone and refine their aggressive traits， the church has told men that they should aspire to be meek servant-leaders， and when a man shows any signs of independence， he is shown the door。
This leaves most young men lost。 They don’t know what to do or how to improve， so they watch Jordan Peterson videos on YouTube to learn how to grow in their masculinity and sense of mission。
In this book， Michael Foster and Bnonn Tennant remind men that their natural aggressive instincts are gifts from God that are meant to be used for the kingdom。 Men are supposed to found households， join brotherhoods， and work towards a mission。
It's Good to Be A Man offers men a quick guide to where they are and how they can improve。
God made men to be strong and aggressive risk-takers。 This is a feature， not a bug。 Foster and Tennant remind us that it’s good to be a man。
Our modern society has called for us to “smash the patriarchy，” and the church has not done much better。
Instead of telling men how they can hone and refine their aggressive traits， the church has told men that they should aspire to be meek servant-leaders， and when a man shows any signs of independence， he is shown the door。
This leaves most young men lost。 They don’t know what to do or how to improve， so they watch Jordan Peterson videos on YouTube to learn how to grow in their masculinity and sense of mission。
In this book， Michael Foster and Bnonn Tennant remind men that their natural aggressive instincts are gifts from God that are meant to be used for the kingdom。 Men are supposed to found households， join brotherhoods， and work towards a mission。
It's Good to Be A Man offers men a quick guide to where they are and how they can improve。
God made men to be strong and aggressive risk-takers。 This is a feature， not a bug。 Foster and Tennant remind us that it’s good to be a man。
Reviews
Josh Simons
，
This book filleted me。 It laid my frustrations and failures bare， reading my mind and exposing my motivations。 It didn’t make light of the caustic pot we men find ourselves in， but now that we find ourselves in the stew， what will we do？ Will we blame others for our lot， or will we take responsibility？ Regardless of how we got here， whether it be society， failures of men before us， or our own distracted wandering that turned us into the clueless bastards that we are， we have to decide this day w This book filleted me。 It laid my frustrations and failures bare， reading my mind and exposing my motivations。 It didn’t make light of the caustic pot we men find ourselves in， but now that we find ourselves in the stew， what will we do？ Will we blame others for our lot， or will we take responsibility？ Regardless of how we got here， whether it be society， failures of men before us， or our own distracted wandering that turned us into the clueless bastards that we are， we have to decide this day what we will do。 It’s Good To Be A Man will help you get on your feet if you are just learning to walk as a young man or if you have abdicated your masculinity a long time ago as an older man。 It’s time to take action instead of just talk about it。 Choose this day whom you will serve， men。 。。。more
Rusten
，
Helpful and refreshing。 The negative reviews accusing Foster & Tennant of misogyny in this volume are so wildly misrepresentative that it is difficult not to see the critics as discredited outright。 Is it a perfect book？ Nah， but it's one of the few books celebrating how God made men and recovering something incredibly important that the church effeminate has lost。 Helpful and refreshing。 The negative reviews accusing Foster & Tennant of misogyny in this volume are so wildly misrepresentative that it is difficult not to see the critics as discredited outright。 Is it a perfect book？ Nah， but it's one of the few books celebrating how God made men and recovering something incredibly important that the church effeminate has lost。 。。。more
Josh
，
I share the authors' concerns with the state of masculinity in our culture， and the urgent need for the church to have clear， biblical thinking on this topic。 Unfortunately， while I think their diagnosis is （at least partially） correct， the solution they offer is flawed。 Actual exegesis is nonexistent， proof-texts are selectively chosen， and the underlying biblical theology storyline is distorted。 The result is not a helpful， healthy application of Scripture to the issue of masculinity。 That boo I share the authors' concerns with the state of masculinity in our culture， and the urgent need for the church to have clear， biblical thinking on this topic。 Unfortunately， while I think their diagnosis is （at least partially） correct， the solution they offer is flawed。 Actual exegesis is nonexistent， proof-texts are selectively chosen， and the underlying biblical theology storyline is distorted。 The result is not a helpful， healthy application of Scripture to the issue of masculinity。 That book needs to be written， but this is not it。 。。。more
Zach McDonald
，
I started this book preparing to give it four stars。 I assumed it wouldn’t be all that insightful and that there wouldn’t be much here that isn’t already said in numerous books on masculinity， sexuality， marriage， family， child rearing， etc。 I was right but I was also wrong。 This book is packed full of both biblical and common sense wisdom; a lot of which is a helpful emphasis and reminder of what others have said in the past （there is nothing new under the sun）， and a lot of which is new - at l I started this book preparing to give it four stars。 I assumed it wouldn’t be all that insightful and that there wouldn’t be much here that isn’t already said in numerous books on masculinity， sexuality， marriage， family， child rearing， etc。 I was right but I was also wrong。 This book is packed full of both biblical and common sense wisdom; a lot of which is a helpful emphasis and reminder of what others have said in the past （there is nothing new under the sun）， and a lot of which is new - at least to me。 。。。more
John Damon Davis
，
A Hollow and Crude Failure at True Biblical Manhood。 Although Foster and Tennant may have been attempting something noble， the result of their work ends up undercutting true masculinity。 The “masculinity” displayed in "It’s Good to be a Man" looks more like the sinful， self-obsessed manhood of the world than the sacrificial manhood of Christ’s kingdom。 The humble， compassionate masculinity of Jesus is scarcely to be found， replaced instead by far too much of the brash， self-exalting masculinity A Hollow and Crude Failure at True Biblical Manhood。 Although Foster and Tennant may have been attempting something noble， the result of their work ends up undercutting true masculinity。 The “masculinity” displayed in "It’s Good to be a Man" looks more like the sinful， self-obsessed manhood of the world than the sacrificial manhood of Christ’s kingdom。 The humble， compassionate masculinity of Jesus is scarcely to be found， replaced instead by far too much of the brash， self-exalting masculinity of Barabbas。 Strong Biblical Manhood is wonderful， and I agree with Foster and Tennant that it is indeed nearly forgotten today， but I fear that there is little of it to be found in this book。 Perhaps I am being so hard on them because we share so much common ground; I also have high expectations for authentic Christian masculinity。 All in all， I probably agreed with 60-70% of the book。 As a reformed complementarian， I sympathize with the impetus behind this book。 I too am alarmed by the number of listless young men in my life who turn to secular life coaches like Jordan Peterson for purpose and guidance instead of Christianity。 But the answers we give cannot just be what they want to hear。 Instead， we are to give them the difficult， but Biblical truth。 Far too much of "It’s Good To Be a Man" was a display of self-pitying rhetoric about how terribly society has abused men and how if men were just allowed to act out their true selves， things would be better。 The authors frequently fling about Incel internet subculture slang （E。G。 Red， Blue and Black pills; Alphas and Betas… etc） and refer to their presumed readers as “Functional Bastards。” Even though these sections of nearly whiney behavior are sometimes followed up by a call to action， they fail to take into account that society is not singling them out。 In our modern era， every group is sabotaged by the fallen world。 Rather than resentfully wallowing in conspiracies and blame， we should man up and simply acknowledge the fallen nature of our society， move on and look to where we can help others。 "It’s Good To Be a Man" could have achieved far more if it spent more time pointing to the cross and less time belittling women。 For a book about the blessings of manhood， it spends an astonishingly high number of pages complaining about women。 Women “always descend in emotional， mystical chaos” （pg。 92） and strong women are “butch and unnatural”（148）。 Women are portrayed as crafty manipulators wanting to use men for their own success and are only put into check by man’s domination （See 145 and much of Church Effeminate）。 Foster and Tennant describe in far too much detail how women are immodest without even acknowledging the sin of those leering at them。 However， by far the greatest danger of this book is its faulty theology。 This is a real pity because I did especially enjoy their focus on the danger of androgenizing the soul。 To reiterate， on paper， Foster， Tennant and I are nearly identical theologically， which is why I was astonished to discover some of their wild leaps。 Most of the theology of the book is fairly solid， but in this case， a wee bit of poison ruins the whole meal。 They write: “male and female are an image of the creator and creation…the principle of male and female doesn’t originate in Adam and Eve， but in God and creation”（61）。 Such a position rings of the “Mother Earth/Father Sky” cosmology and not at all of biblical anthropology。 Male and female are biological concepts alien to God prior to the incarnation。 To hold what they propose would require one to suppose that God is to creation what Adam is to Eve。 There is an infinite divide between creator and creation。 If what they say is true， all women ought to worship all men for eternity。 The truth however is that maleness and femaleness are rooted in the physical reality of our bodies both of which are completely and equally Imago Dei （Gen 1:27）。 The other major flaw in their premise is the supposed existence of uniquely masculine sins and virtue and uniquely feminine sins and virtues （In fact they go so far as to claim that Christianity itself is fundamentally masculine）。 Sin is sin。 Holiness is Holiness。 They will manifest in different ways in different people。 They love to talk about a women’s duty to submit， but conveniently forget to emphasize that men are called to the same。 They focus in on women being immodest but forget that men often struggle with immodest attitudes。 Where is the masculinity of Jesus in all this？ They say that the church has overemphasized servant leadership， but if we look around us today， I would say we are in more need than ever of men willing to humble themselves and act like they are in the kingdom of God where the first shall be last and the last shall be first。 They are right to point out that Christ will also be a conquering king as well as a sacrificial lamb， but they forget when we live。 Until Christ comes again we are to imitate the example of Stephen， not the zealots of 70AD。 Their ideal Christian man would sneer at the martyrs of old。 They seemed to have missed the memo about the upside-down kingdom of God。 If the goal is to be self-controlled wise men， the book spends little of its time exemplifying that。 Crude language and uncharitable attitudes abound through the pages。 Their opponents are made into straw men and called names。 I trust that It’s Good To Be a Man is a bad example of the real-life manhood of its authors。 I am sure they respect their wives and cherish their children and encourage their congregations to live lives in imitation of Christ， but this book has far too little of that。The good motive which spurred Foster and Tennant to write this book cannot make up for its failure to exemplify the gospel。 I am sorely disappointed with this book。 I had high hope it would be a winsome theologically sound work I could recommend to some of my listless friends to point them to Christ-like masculinity， but unfortunately it is not。 I believe God has a high calling for the men of the church in all their occupations。 We are to be strongly courageous and kindly humble。 Men are to be heads of their households， but only insofar as they are willing to submit to serve them as Christ served the church。 It is not easy to be the type of man God calls us to be， but it is good！p。s。 There are many quotes I could take out of context but I stuck with those which I could justly use loyally to their context。 。。。more
Brandon H。
，
"This is not a book about getting a girl。 It is not a book about being a husband。 It is not a book about being a father。 It is a book about being a man。 All of those other things are important to manhood， but if you don’t understand what men are made for， and how God intends you to become great at being a man， none of them will matter。" - Michael FosterThis is the most profound book on the topic of manhood from a Biblical perspective I have ever read！ If you often find yourself wondering and ask "This is not a book about getting a girl。 It is not a book about being a husband。 It is not a book about being a father。 It is a book about being a man。 All of those other things are important to manhood， but if you don’t understand what men are made for， and how God intends you to become great at being a man， none of them will matter。" - Michael FosterThis is the most profound book on the topic of manhood from a Biblical perspective I have ever read！ If you often find yourself wondering and asking， 'What exactly does it mean to be a man？' as I have at times， then you NEED to read this book！It challenged me but it also stirred a deep desire within to grow in masculinity and fulfill my calling as a man。 The book is full of sage wisdom and it's incredibly insightful on the nature of men。 I found their exegesis of the scriptures to be sound。 It's well written and easy to understand because the authors speak in a straightforward manner。 It will ruffle some feathers but the truth usually does。If you're looking for a book to read in a church men's group or if you need a gift for any Christian man in your life， this would be a great book to give him。 。。。more
Rex Blackburn
，
*Audiobook*Very helpful material throughout。 Needs a second， more careful reading to determine which aspects of biblical masculinity are tied to Scripture， and which are just cultural expectations that don’t necessarily follow from Scripture。
Steve
，
Here is another book on biblical masculinity， that underlines many of the issues men face， the crisis of gender and sexuality etc 。 That authors state the issues and outline of biblical material clearly and boldly。 Another strength is the forthright and practical nature of the book。The authors handle the dynamics of make and female， and we particularly strong on male comradely。 The missional nature of being a man needs to be stressed today， and how the male/female dynamics feed that。So there’s l Here is another book on biblical masculinity， that underlines many of the issues men face， the crisis of gender and sexuality etc 。 That authors state the issues and outline of biblical material clearly and boldly。 Another strength is the forthright and practical nature of the book。The authors handle the dynamics of make and female， and we particularly strong on male comradely。 The missional nature of being a man needs to be stressed today， and how the male/female dynamics feed that。So there’s lots to like。But there are several downsides， unnecessary unhelpful fault lines that tarnish the message。1。 There is such a stress on the good of masculinity that when it comes to a discussion of the church ， the fact she is a Bride is all but obscured。 “The church is masculine” we are told。 We understand and accept the underlying criticism : churches alienate men through their insipidness etc。 But nonetheless in Scripture the Church is always feminine as Zion， Jerusalem， and the bride of Christ。 I don’t suggest for a moment that the authors dispute this， but in their justified desire to promote healthy masculinity the message distorts at this point。 2。 Referring to fatherless men as “bastards” really doesn’t help。 It creates an unnecessary barrier for some who might otherwise benefit from this book。3。 There are some stereotypical moments- e。g。， all men must be big and strong。 Getting the best girl。。。， Maybe all men must be Americans？ Big and strong homesteader types。 It’s all a bit much。 。。。more
Victor Chininin
，
A book full of straw men and sweeping generalizations that don’t hold up。 It is easy to insult straw men and do so repeatedly。 If you read the higher rating reviews they all say this。 They just overlook， dismiss， and justify it。 I can’t imagine how someone who does not yet know Christ could see Jesus in these pages。 Yet， their argument is precisely that such is the way of men。 This book devalues women， and I’m sure just for writing that I will be placed in their stereotype of the effeminate man A book full of straw men and sweeping generalizations that don’t hold up。 It is easy to insult straw men and do so repeatedly。 If you read the higher rating reviews they all say this。 They just overlook， dismiss， and justify it。 I can’t imagine how someone who does not yet know Christ could see Jesus in these pages。 Yet， their argument is precisely that such is the way of men。 This book devalues women， and I’m sure just for writing that I will be placed in their stereotype of the effeminate man in the effeminate church。 However， it needs to be said。 I wish the authors would explicitly say what their statements and questions imply with statements like “you need a wife to complete your mission”: that women are nothing but tools to be used to further the man’s mission。 。。。more
David
，
I'm honestly still processing significant pieces of this book。 On the whole， I think it would be valuable for most men to read， though I would say to read it alongside other wise men who could help sort out several of the thoughts in it。The book is definitely written with an audience in mind， and in several ways I'm probably not in it， so more of it probably would have felt more "personal" to me if I were reading this a few years prior to now。 On the whole， I think it's useful and helpful。 There I'm honestly still processing significant pieces of this book。 On the whole， I think it would be valuable for most men to read， though I would say to read it alongside other wise men who could help sort out several of the thoughts in it。The book is definitely written with an audience in mind， and in several ways I'm probably not in it， so more of it probably would have felt more "personal" to me if I were reading this a few years prior to now。 On the whole， I think it's useful and helpful。 There is meat and bones， but more meat than bones。 。。。more
Richard
，
It’s good。
Whelkee
，
Truly awful book。 Full of logical fallacies， misrepresentations of sources， and unsupported leaps of reasoning。 An embarrassment to its authors， editors， and publisher。 Did anyone actually read this out loud？
Nathan
，
This book is a concise and timely book on manhood。 It is built to be a starting point for a man to consume and then jump off from， and I believe the authors accomplish that。 There are some items that may not fit exactly with ones specific views on a topic， but every man， in every station of life， can get something from this book and start doing that thing for the glory of God。
Lucas Dorminy
，
This book is a very helpful resource for young men especially。 I personally found their work on gravitas to be helpful for my own life and ministry。 I’d recommend it to most young men in our church。I think there are certain points that are a bit overstated （ex。， finding “the one” being purely pagan）， but these statements do not overshadow the wisdom of the rest of the book。IGTBAM is a timely work that helps men reevaluate their priorities， skills， and mission as Christians in the world。
Rich
，
It is good to be a manThe book builds from referencing Genesis and looks at a Gods eye view of manhood and contemporary difficulties men have。 I enjoyed their analysis and their recommended route out of the male morass。 Theologically it broke new ground for me， talking of dominion。 It was a breath of fresh air。 It's time to get wise， get useful and get strong！ It is good to be a manThe book builds from referencing Genesis and looks at a Gods eye view of manhood and contemporary difficulties men have。 I enjoyed their analysis and their recommended route out of the male morass。 Theologically it broke new ground for me， talking of dominion。 It was a breath of fresh air。 It's time to get wise， get useful and get strong！ 。。。more
Natalie
，
I changed my review from ** to *。 I see the authors saying， “this isn’t a book about women” to their critics。 And while it’s not about women， their own words speak about women extensively。 Here are real quotes from the book: “Women will always be tempted to remove discomfort。 This happens even with the best women…。either way， biblical Christianity requires discomfort because it requires discipline…” p89“For churches， feminine social instincts are inversely proportional to ensuring orthodoxy。” p9 I changed my review from ** to *。 I see the authors saying， “this isn’t a book about women” to their critics。 And while it’s not about women， their own words speak about women extensively。 Here are real quotes from the book: “Women will always be tempted to remove discomfort。 This happens even with the best women…。either way， biblical Christianity requires discomfort because it requires discipline…” p89“For churches， feminine social instincts are inversely proportional to ensuring orthodoxy。” p91“A church in which the influence of women is not checked by masculine rule-where， indeed， it is instead elevated and amplified-will always descend in mystical emotional chaos。 We exist to please God。 It is impossible to build true religion on the false assumption of the opposite。 Unfortunately， even pious women tend to lead us in that opposite direction if unchecked。”p92“Again， women can be known for workmanship， and they should seek to develop it。 They worship through service also。 But workmanship is about more than simply doing; it is about becoming useful。 This is a uniquely masculine quality。” p146-147“God has made us to live in relationships。 A man should be able to rely on himself-but “it is not good that the man should be alone。” He needs both the right woman and the right men in his life。 Together they are the two rails that keep his train on track。 A tribe and a helpmeet will stabilize， direct， and magnify his mission。” ch13“It is a key milestone for a man， and a massive step forward， when he finds a wife。 She is the second rail， running parallel to fraternity， that supports him， carries him forward， and keeps his mission on track。” ch13“There is a way of women， and a way of men; and while they have much in common， there are major differences。 There are things about women that men will only understand in a theoretical sense， and the reverse is also true。 Hence women need a sisterhood; they need a close group united around shared emotion。” ch 13The following is part of a story from a soldier that the authors use to “capture the male need for brothers on a mission。” “In war， he had a clear mission-and a fraternity that kept him company， kept him focused。 He had a band of brothers， and in truth that mission and those brothers were more precious to him that his own wife。 He writes， ‘Despite my resolve never to return to a combat environment， I’d signed up once more amid the height of insurgent violence。 That deployment would cost me my marriage。 I’d didn’t even have to go。 I volunteered。’” NO clarity from the authors that this is bad， in fact， seems to be a positive example of male fraternity。 “Women are designed for different work: to fill the inward world， building a community。 Thus， connecting with each other to establish social harmony is critical。 Every woman must ensure her place by fitting into and conforming within the group。 Because of this， meritocracies like true aristocracies， classical democracies， or biblical monarchies are masculine ideals。 Feminine forms of government include flat democracies （everyone is equally competent）， oligarchies （cliques）， and committees （no one is responsible）。”FYI I’m an OPC attending， patriarchy affirming mother and wife， wondering how in the world this book is getting such rave reviews。 🙃 。。。more
Rueben Rosalez
，
Very plain in what it seeks to accomplish， Bnonn Tennant and Rev。 Michael Foster concisely pinpoint the trouble of modern masculinity， or lack thereof， within the Christian church。 Going all the way back to Genesis and to the Author of masculine and all virtue， this book seeks to dive into what man was created for and to show how this conflicts and even aggravates the modern worldly definition of all that is masculine。 Quite simply， this book aims to describe and flesh out from Scripture （aided Very plain in what it seeks to accomplish， Bnonn Tennant and Rev。 Michael Foster concisely pinpoint the trouble of modern masculinity， or lack thereof， within the Christian church。 Going all the way back to Genesis and to the Author of masculine and all virtue， this book seeks to dive into what man was created for and to show how this conflicts and even aggravates the modern worldly definition of all that is masculine。 Quite simply， this book aims to describe and flesh out from Scripture （aided much by the Westminster Divines）， the God-given purpose of man。 In this， it succeeds， and as expected， it upsets those whom it is intended to offend-the church effeminate and all who rage against God's inherent design for both men and women。 I have a different view of eschatology （Amil） and of the covenant of grace（1689 Federalism）， from which you can also see some of their beliefs seep through into the book。 I have and will recommend this book to others though I would encourage， as I am sure the authors would agree， every man must be sure to submit themselves to the teaching of their elders， and understand the point of view from which the authors are writing。 For that reason mostly （I also aim to be very stingy with the 5 star rating）， I do not give it 5 stars， though for succeeding in accomplishing its stated goal， it is worthy of a 5 star rating。 。。。more
Benjamin
，
Simply phenomenal。 Pick this up men and women and READ IT。 For many it will be a paradigm shift in their singleness， marriage，， etc。“Men were made to rule。 They always have and always will。 Nothing can change that。 Nothing will。 It is not a question of whether men will be ruling， but which ones and how。”Men take godly dominion！ I love how the book critiques some of the pagan ideologies in the world right now （feminism， egalitarianism， etc。） but it mostly focuses on the man， and him being molded Simply phenomenal。 Pick this up men and women and READ IT。 For many it will be a paradigm shift in their singleness， marriage，， etc。“Men were made to rule。 They always have and always will。 Nothing can change that。 Nothing will。 It is not a question of whether men will be ruling， but which ones and how。”Men take godly dominion！ I love how the book critiques some of the pagan ideologies in the world right now （feminism， egalitarianism， etc。） but it mostly focuses on the man， and him being molded and shaped after the pattern Scripture lays out for godly manhood！ I commend it。 Will be revisiting。 。。。more
John Rimmer
，
I was honestly surprised by how good this was。 I have gotten a little burnt out on "men's books" lately and wasn't expecting this one to say anything that I hadn't already heard somewhere else。 And in many ways it doesn't。 But what it did do was put the most important parts of male identity and purpose and problems together in a way that seemed addressed to the "clueless bastard" that I am。 Most men's books do a great job showing you what manhood is supposed to look like， but they also do a grea I was honestly surprised by how good this was。 I have gotten a little burnt out on "men's books" lately and wasn't expecting this one to say anything that I hadn't already heard somewhere else。 And in many ways it doesn't。 But what it did do was put the most important parts of male identity and purpose and problems together in a way that seemed addressed to the "clueless bastard" that I am。 Most men's books do a great job showing you what manhood is supposed to look like， but they also do a great job of leaving you frustrated in one of two ditches: 1） here's the recipe for being a man， that all you need to add to is your own personal discipline， character， and effort to accomplish， or 2） here's the recipe for being a man， that you'll never be because you're broken， but that's okay because fluffy bunnies and crying shoulders， and all is gravy grace baby。 This one speaks to you like a man would， firmly but expectantly。 It brings up your objections and excuses before you can voice them， running them out into the light for you to see just how ridiculous they are before you can open yourself up to ridicule for hiding behind them。 It also doesn't ask you to dig down and deliver on the manhood recipe。 It pushes you to understand all that God has expected of you and accomplished for you by being both your Father and your Brother， and how those two roles are what free bastards like me from that identity and condition。 Men need fathers and they need brothers， and if they don't have them they'll never become men， no matter how many examples， heroes， or men's books you put in front of them。 The gospel of God's grace frees you from shame and failure， but also reconciles you to your Father and adopts you into the family of God。 Trust in him and submission to his wisdom is the way， no matter where you're starting from or what handicaps you bring to the endeavor。 。。。more
Jeremy
，
Email exchange here。 Email exchange here。 。。。more
Clay Graham
，
I’ll give this a moderate recommendation。 I don’t know that I agree with every point。 There are a few molehills made into mountains and， in those areas， it could have used more biblical support。 I’m thinking especially of the lengthy discussion of “gravitas” in chapter 9 and the first half of chapter 10。 But generally， the book is good。 There’s a lot of good wisdom here。 It’s a very timely word on what it means to be a man - and why it is good to be a man - in a culture where manhood is hated。
Shane Anderson
，
Wholesome and clear， this book is a thorough and reliable guide for men wanting to know the basics of Christian masculinity。 It’s deeply informed by historic Christian thinking and piety， biblically sound， and relevant to our current context。 Buy a copy for guys who need some help and guys willing to help others。 The book was a huge shot in the arm。
Joshua Hunt
，
What an intense read。If you are a man， I think you should read this book。 You may not like it or agree with all of it。But I believe grappling with this book will make you better。If the title alone makes you uncomfortable， you are a top candidate to contend with its content。This is not a cozy one。 Admittedly， the authors' brazen statements had me squirming at a few points。 But it spoke to me on a level that I hadn't heard in a while。Chapters 6–13 are superb。 Underlines and highlights abound。Four What an intense read。If you are a man， I think you should read this book。 You may not like it or agree with all of it。But I believe grappling with this book will make you better。If the title alone makes you uncomfortable， you are a top candidate to contend with its content。This is not a cozy one。 Admittedly， the authors' brazen statements had me squirming at a few points。 But it spoke to me on a level that I hadn't heard in a while。Chapters 6–13 are superb。 Underlines and highlights abound。Four stars。 。。。more
Troy Anderson
，
Wonderful book on what it means to be a godly man！ We need this teaching especially during this time。
David Steele
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Books about masculinity are a dime a dozen。 A few books that address the topic of masculinity break this pitiful mold。 These books direct men to the Bible as our highest authority。 These books challenge men to be men of the Book。 They challenge men to see their unique role in the framework of the Christian worldview; one that follows the trajectory of redemptive history。 The most recent book that breaks the mold and stands out in a decisive way is It’s Good To Be a Man by Michael Foster and Domi Books about masculinity are a dime a dozen。 A few books that address the topic of masculinity break this pitiful mold。 These books direct men to the Bible as our highest authority。 These books challenge men to be men of the Book。 They challenge men to see their unique role in the framework of the Christian worldview; one that follows the trajectory of redemptive history。 The most recent book that breaks the mold and stands out in a decisive way is It’s Good To Be a Man by Michael Foster and Dominic Bnonn Tennant。The goal of the authors is “to help modern Christian men understand what God made them for， and how to start doing it intentionally。” Foster and Tennant state their goal upfront and don’t waste any time in achieving it。 The book begins on what some would consider being controversial as the topic of patriarchy is discussed。 Readers committed to the authority of God’s Word know better， though。“Patriarchy is inevitable，” writes Foster and Tennant。 “God has built it into the fabric of the cosmos。 It is part of the divine created order … Redemptive history is therefore patriarchal history。” Critics who charge the authors with male chauvinism should tread carefully since the case for biblical patriarchy is carefully developed:Men were made to rule。 They always have and always will。 Nothing can change that。 Nothing will。 It is not a question of whether men will be pulling， but which ones and how。 The reason patriarchy is so controversial is that sin has distorted it and twisted it。 We even find patriarchy distorted in the church， a sin that will pay a high price in the final analysis。 Foster and Tennant explain， “Although our culture treats all patriarchy as evil， God’s father-rule is good。 Evil patriarchy is that which does not reflect God’s loving authority。” The heartbeat of the authors， then， is to expose evil patriarchy and extinguish it wherever they can。 But positively， they aim to explore the beauty and richness of patriarchy and how it fits into God’s redemptive program。 The remainder of the book reveals the purpose of God in creating men and practical steps to fall in step with his revealed will。God’s purpose in creating man is “for productive， representative rulership。 This is what it means to exercise dominion: to fruitfully order the world in God’s stead。” This purpose sounds strange and even offensive to the unregenerate mind， yet God’s purpose stands。 Tragically， God’s purpose is being modified and marginalized by people who are professing Christians。After carefully dismantling the arguments of anyone who militates against God’s purpose in creating men， the authors provide practical steps for fulfilling God’s revealed will。 The argument is as follows:A mission is your best effort at wisely integrating your interests， skills， and circumstances into a personal vision for exercising dominion over what God has given you。 Practical help is offered so men can move forward in achieving their mission， which propels them forward in carrying out God’s purpose in creation。 It’s Good To Be a Man is not for the faint at heart。 It will provoke。 It may even offend at times。 But in the end， it will lead men on a path that glorifies the Creator of the cosmos。I’ll never forget when my Uncle Dwight challenged me to read The Christian Mind by Harry Blamires。 He said， “If you’re a real man， you’ll read this book。” I offer the same challenge to readers of my blog: “If you are a real man， you’ll devour It’s Good To Be a Man！”Now is the time for Christian men to step up and obey God （1 Cor。 16:13-14） Now is the time for mature manhood （Eph。 4:13）。 It's time to love our wives as Christ loved the church （Eph。 5:25-33） and bring our children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord （Eph。 6:4）。 Kill sin by the power of the Spirit （Rom。 8:13）。 Walk according to the Spirit （Gal。 5:16）。 Pursue holiness （Heb。 12:14）。 Work with our hearts as unto the Lord （Col。 3:23-24; 1 Cor。 10:31）。 It's good to be a man！ 。。。more
Samuel Holt
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A fantastic book that gives a biblically practical and applicable guide to manliness that I wish I had access to years ago。
Joel Carlson
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I listened to this book on a drive recently。 I thought it was excellent。 It seeks to recover the foundational call of men to be godly rulers。 If this call is missed， little else that is beneficial will fall into place。
Jason Carter
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Perhaps I come to a book like this with unrealistic expectations。 If it's good to be a man， then a man should put down a book like this after finishing with a burst of testosterone and a burning desire to go be masculine， eh？There was nothing in this book with which I disagreed。 It was helpful and had the ring of truth。 Good to read as a somewhat academic description of authentic manhood。 And yet， as such， still falling short of the promise to be a "handbook" for godly masculinity。Recommended。 Perhaps I come to a book like this with unrealistic expectations。 If it's good to be a man， then a man should put down a book like this after finishing with a burst of testosterone and a burning desire to go be masculine， eh？There was nothing in this book with which I disagreed。 It was helpful and had the ring of truth。 Good to read as a somewhat academic description of authentic manhood。 And yet， as such， still falling short of the promise to be a "handbook" for godly masculinity。Recommended。 。。。more
ValeReads Kyriosity
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Excellent。 I was thirty years old before I received any faithful teaching on masculinity and femininity （thanks， Mark！）。 I've gotten lots since then （thanks， Doug and Nancy！）， but there's always more to learn （thanks， Michael and Bnonn！）。 Wade Stott is such a great addition to the Canon team — probably the best narration I've heard on a Canon audio。 Just， please， bro。。。there is no ch in coveTousness！ Excellent。 I was thirty years old before I received any faithful teaching on masculinity and femininity （thanks， Mark！）。 I've gotten lots since then （thanks， Doug and Nancy！）， but there's always more to learn （thanks， Michael and Bnonn！）。 Wade Stott is such a great addition to the Canon team — probably the best narration I've heard on a Canon audio。 Just， please， bro。。。there is no ch in coveTousness！ 。。。more
Stephanie Cunningham
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