Dying to old roles and rising again

Sixteen men attempt to lay out what it means to be an adult male Christian. The authors move beyond old stereotypes of manliness and Christian identity to chart new identities, roles, and attitudes. They include men who are deeply in the Christian church and men barely in the church, straight and gay men, white men and African Americans, Protestant and Catholic, younger and older.

Contributors include: Mike Bathum, Mark Muesse, Michael Battle, Stephen Boyd, David Livingston, Donald Capps, James Newton Poling, Merle Longwood, Marvin Ellison, Philip Culbertson, Brett Webb-Mitchell, Jerald Townsend, Robert Bennett, Robert Goss, Ed Thompson, and Lee Butler.

As pastoral theologians they are keen observers of and prophetic witnesses to the core issues, deepest wounds, and greatest potential for men — involving spirituality, relationships, sexuality, health and healing, violence and abuse, aging, and religious community. Together, says Culbertson, their reflections are "a valuable next step for men in the church" and offer promising glimpses of new, healthy, life-enhancing ways of being men of faith.