Al Stewart, The Manual – Getting Masculinity Right
Matthias Media
Masculinity seems to be on the nose in various places around the world. So much so, it has even been described as toxic. This can leave guys confused about who they are and who they are meant to be.
Enter this confusion a calm, sensible, and biblical book on masculinity. Admittedly, there are other books on being a Christian man. I’m not here to give you a review of them – just one, this one: The Manual – Getting Masculinity Right, published by Matthias Media and written by Australian Christian author, Al Stewart. When you think of an Aussie bloke, Al Stewart fits the characterisation to a ’T’. His style and humour make the book an enjoyable read while his wisdom injects it with seasoned thoughtfulness and biblical clarity.
A group of guys from my church have been meeting together to read through the book for mutual encouragement. When we began meeting, none the guys had heard of the book, or the author. That may have had something to do with the group’s varied background – South African, Russian, Filipino, Kenyan…and one Australian (yours truly). By our first meeting, some had already read the book cover to cover – they were hooked! Their comments ranged from, “I’ve never read anything like this before.” “Such a good book, so practical and biblical.”
The book is divided into two parts spanning twelve chapters. Six chapters for each part. Part One looks at masculinity in our world, the confusion surrounding it, the critics who devalue it, why healthy masculinity is still so necessary and so good, and what God says about it. Part Two gets into the relational aspect of masculinity and what it looks like to live as a man in six key relationships: as a son, a friend, a workmate, a single man, a husband, and a father. The books ends with Stewart showing what it means to follow the greatest man, Jesus Christ.
So, should you bother to buy this book and read it? Of course! But if my brief thoughts have not swayed you, you might be swayed by the endorsements. But if you ask me, the endorsing power of the group of guys at my church and what they think of it is the clincher.
Rev Graeme Hart
McKinnon RPCA
