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Real manhood
Amid continuing revelations of sexual harassment and assault, there has been much discussion in the media and agitation of thought about masculinity. An article in The Christian Science Monitor a few months ago reported that Professor Michael Kimmel, founder of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook University in New York, finds that men are grappling with conflicting concepts of what it means to be a man (“In the #MeToo era, what does it mean to be a ‘real man’?” December 26, 2017).
When he asked male cadets at West Point to define a “good man,” they listed such virtues as honor, integrity, duty, sacrifice, and willingness to stand up for the weak. Then he asked them to describe a “real man,” and the answers were quite different. To be a “real man,” they said, is to be tough and powerful; to win at all costs, play through pain, and focus on getting rich and pursuing pleasure.
Professor Kimmel helps men sort out the differences between these two versions of manhood and put their focus on being the good man. This gave me a clue as to what needs to change in human consciousness. We not only need to expand our sense of what it means to be a good man, but also to totally redefine what a real man is. Pondering the professor’s questions myself, I saw that the way to resolve conflicting human concepts of manhood is to reach higher—to gain a spiritual understanding of man as created in the image and likeness of God.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
September 3, 2018 issue
View Issue-
From the readers
Robin Engel, Lark Garges Smith
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Why should someone concerned about the opioid epidemic read a Christian Science magazine?
Nancy Mullen
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Real manhood
Leslie J. Revilock
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Integrity—we all have it!
Martha Lemasters
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What dissolves the hardness of self-justification?
Kurt Lancaster
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Passion or God-centered purpose?
Richard Gates
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Conquering my fear of variable immigration laws
Anitha Kulandai Raj
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No need for a filling
Tyler Roberts
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Healed of injuries from rickshaw accident
Mrinalini Dayal
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Severe reaction to poison ivy healed
Laura Bonnecarrere
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Pain-free running
Claire McArthur
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'Follow with reverent steps the great example ...'
Text and Photograph by Doramay Keasbey
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The divine healing impetus
Janet Hegarty