Nancy R. Pearcey’s splendid The Toxic War on Masculinity deftly traverses a terrain divided into armed camps and pocked with land mines. She resists pigeon-holing and sloganeering as she sorts through distortions and clarifies the meaning of manhood.

Pearcey’s controlling framework is a contrast between two ideals of masculinity, the “Good Man” versus the “Real Man.” Good Men are characterized by honor, duty, integrity, and a willingness to sacrifice. They’re responsible and generous, and they provide and protect, especially the weak. Real Men are tough, strong, aggressive, highly competitive, unwilling to show weakness, unemotional, imposing, isolated, and self-made. They grab all the guns, gold, and girls they can get, and don’t care much who gets hurt in the process.

The Real Man model has dominated many societies, ancient and modern. In the West, it was decisively challenged by the Christian ideal of the Good Man. Christianity elevated formerly feminine traits like compassion, kindness, and gentleness as virtues suitable to a genuine vir. …

Continue reading >>>