A very well-written article with very good points about what we as men face today. I (unlike many of the young men in my neighborhood) had the privilege of actually growing up with both parents in the home and an older brother which allowed me to see what manliness in relationships and in the home looked like. Due to that upbringing it has always been easy for me to see this feminization process taking place within our society. It is especially prevalent in the field of education. Whether it's no longer allowing boys to play touch sports like tackle or two-hand-grab-football (as I did when I was in elementary school) or professors in the university setting subtly implying that the world is in shambles due to it being run by males, true manliness (so sad that I have to preface that word with "true") has been and is (now more than ever) under assault. It literally sickens me to look at this younger generation (teens now) and (sometimes) not be able to tell the girls apart from the boys.

Janneva,

I'm sorry, but no, the feminist movement was not about men and women being "equal," it was about men and women being THE SAME. There is a vital difference. The movement sought to destroy all *distinctiveness* between the two sexes, not just the "injustices." The emotional prejudice in your response ("centuries of male domination" ... sarcasm about "women growing beards") echoes the very underlying hostility and anger toward men that the movement worked very deliberately to instill in women. We will never be able to "work together as men and women of Christ to raise the next generation of boys to be the responsible and kind leaders that God meant them to be" as long as half of us refuse to acknowledge the destruction wrought by the feminist movement. It might help to ask yourself also, why only "responsible and kind," and not strong?

While I agree that many factors contributed to what the author calls the "feminization" of men, I heartily disagree with his assertation that the feminist movement was about turning men into androgenous beings. It was about justice; equal pay for equal work, for having the right to function in society as equals.

Can centuries of male domination be countered by one generation of strong women? If so, it's a wonder women didn't grow beards thousands of years ago.

While we can disagree about the root causes, we should work together as men and women of Christ to raise the next generation of boys to be the responsible and kind leaders that God meant them to be.

How about too many over protective and enabling mothers. Mostly single.

The loss of "manly" males is definately felt by all elements of our culture. I am glad to see this trend beginning to be recognized and addressed by more churches today. There is a wonderful ministry by Paul Coughlin based on this same philosphy. His book "No More Christian Nice Guy" helps men identify this problem and offers solutions for men to rediscover the healthy male assertiveness and leadership qualities God intended them to enjoy.

I have an adult son who wrestled, camped, carried a pocket knife, shot a B.B. gun, and understands the finer points of flatulence humor. And it was me - a female - who gave birth to him. I won't apologize for the fact. I was also a stay-at-home mother. Once again, I absolutely will not apologize for my influence and involvement in his development. I'm not "the problem". My husband was a good father but he is not "the whole reason" my son turned out well.

If we want to pick random cultural experiences and assign great importance to them...what about the idea that the "feminization" of men has corresponded with women leaving the home and entering the work place? Maybe these boys aren't getting the nurturing they need from their mothers - maybe they're "feminized" because they've missed some important freudian developmental stage. I won't say that this is true but one could certainly build the argument.

I'm sorry but I'm not convinced...Saul was secretly feminized? Esau was really feminized and Jacob was secretly manly - even though Esau was the favorite of his father and Jacob was closer to his mother? And the reason that these men turned out to be such terrible disapointments is somehow because of their wives/mothers/ girlfriends? What ever happened to sin nature? Let me guess...Satan is a girl, right? The Word of God says, "Fear of MAN (emphasis mine) is a trap"

How about this bogus theological construct:

1.) Solomon was known for his great wisdom.
2.) Solomon also had a thing for lots and lots of women.
3.) Wisdom is depicted in the feminine form in Scripture.
4.) Therefore, "REAL" men should avoid wisdom at all costs.

I haven't read the book but this article presents an argument not backed by Scripture.

EXCELLENT article. Every man should read this! I found myself in this web and tangled in all of it. Later in life, as a young teen, I was Mentored by a wonderful Foster Dad (who was a successful business man and ordained minister). I look at my 16th and 17th years of my life as a complete reprogramming of the way I viewed the world and my walk with Jesus. As young college student I sought out male professors who would take me under their wings to continue this Re-growth process. As a young soldier I went to churches and found a man who would mentor me or at least be a good example of a manly-Godly man. However, I will note; that no Men's ministry or Church had any idea how to answer my question; if they had a mentoring program. No one to this day has had that set up. I just had to search and wait for a man, who already had a full plate, to ask me to join him on a project he was working on or to stop by the office and chat. The Church is in desperate need of Male Mentors.