Magnum Mars

From American converts to the Russian government, a patriarchal distortion of Christian masculinity has gained ground across the Orthodox Church. A positive presentation of authentic Christian masculinity is necessary in response. Christianity does not command male dominance. The command that Christianity gives to men is this: Conquer yourself, support others. Conquer your passions so that you can develop the virtues needed to be a support to anyone around you who needs it. Do this your whole life and seek no power over anyone; only seek to be their strength.

Dorroll goes on to reference the wisdom of a historical faith leader who is clearly referencing the Gifts of the Spirit to which St. Paul guides us.

The spiritual state of mind that Christianity calls men to cultivate instead is aptly summarized by Rev. Phillips Brooks, the eminent rector of Holy Trinity Church in Boston from 1869–1891. According to Rev. Brooks, “the completing qualities of manhood, the very stuff and fiber of a man” are “self-knowledge, humility, patience, sympathy, and a constant consciousness of God.”

The new brand of man-o-sphere influencers may or may not claim the Christian mantle, but they typically do not resemble the characteristics that were presented by Jesus and His apostles. If we base our faith on apostolic witness and succession, we need to be cognizant of what that tradition teaches us.

George Demacopoulos writes about the narrative put forth by the Times article and aligns with what The Church teaches us.

The problem with the Times essay isn’t so much that it reported these trends but that it did so without acknowledging that the “Orthodoxy as Masculinity” narrative is consistently rejected by Church leaders and scholars because it is so blatantly misaligned with the Church’s theology and history.

Demacopoulos also acknowledges the ways that such narratives can alienate women in the church.

Decentering men

Of course, this reactionary emphasis on masculinity didn’t arise in a vacuum. It comes from a culture that has been increasingly diminishing the role of men in society.

One day last year, I read several articles in the NYT, the very same publication that cast a skeptical eye on the conversion of so many young men to Orthodoxy, about how to marginalize men.

• I Decentered Men. Decentering Desire for Men Is Harder.
• “This is a woman’s home,” the actress says. “If a man walks in, I want him to feel like a guest.”

This is a publication that regularly gives voice to attempts to push men out of the culture. Is it any wonder that there would be an equal and opposite reaction in some parts of that same culture? While the teachings of the Orthodox Church may not align with the new emphasis on masculinity, it is a place where young men can go to seek shelter from the devaluation of their contributions. The Church welcomes the young and the old, women and men, and values them.

There’s an irony in the examination of this phenomenon by a reporter at a major news publication in the U.S. In our country, boys and men are 4x more likely to commit suicide than girls and women. When my son was six, he came to me wondering what was wrong with boys, because he constantly saw messages on PBS and on youth apparel with messages like “Girls Rule.” There are many more statistics about academic performance, job prospects, etc. that spell danger for men as a group. That a journalistic outfit that covers cultural trends closely would leave these trends mostly unacknowledged speaks to a disturbing disinterest.

Better guidance

Ultimately, I believe the teachings of the scripture and tradition that Dorroll outlines are what can most benefit men. Christianity has presented a model for how men and women can navigate through the world for two millennia. We don’t need influencers to tell us how to behave. The priests who are confronting the need of these new male converts are trying to reshape them in the mold of Christ. This is no easy task. They get them for far fewer hours than the internet does.