Free at Heart: A Lutheran Response to Writings on Biblical Masculinity by David Clines and John Eldredge

Abstract

Many have attempted to construct a definition for biblical masculinity. From Bernard of Clairvaux to John Eldredge, Christian men have struggled with the question, “What does it take to be truly masculine in God’s eyes?” American Evangelicals have attempted to answer this question in a compassionate way. However, their answers have often fallen into the ditch of legalism. This study seeks to address this vital question through the eyes of Christ-centered Lutheranism. This thesis rhetorically analyzes and reacts to two major evangelical writings on biblical masculinity and allows Scripture to speak for itself. The reader will discover that by looking to the self-sacrifice of Christ men find the answer they have been seeking. Men empowered by the means of grace are called to freely sacrifice self to glorify the Son of Man, whose love for them does not express itself in a grace-less prescription for Christian men.