Heroic Fraternities: How College Men Can Save Universities and America

by Anthony B. Bradley

An original vision for redefining American manhood in an age of anxiety and an era of socioeconomic change, Heroic Fraternities examines the impact of the "frat film" genre (invented by Animal House) on ideas about "real" men and "real" fraternities that permeate the culture, and led the news media to increasingly equate the supermajority of fraternity men with the outrages of a few. The ugliest cases have sparked a drive to Abolish Greek Life, even though studies show rates of misconduct don't change when fraternities disappear. Common sense suggests that young men are struggling to build balanced adult male identities in a world where campus leaders call for them to be "less bad" and activists acknowledge male allies with #notallmen. The irony of the abolition movement is what they seek to destroy is also one of the more certain routes to save America's men from the alienation of a society in crisis. Fraternities are uniquely positioned to address soaring rates of substance abuse, anger, and despair by providing men with the support, friendship, and multiple role models they need. Examining fraternity life in the SEC, ACC, and Big Ten conferences, this book presents reasons for hope--and heroism--at all colleges.

222 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Dr. Anthony Bradley (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a professor of religious studies, chair of the program in Religious and Theological Studies, and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College.

Dr. Bradley lectures at colleges, universities, business organizations, conferences, and churches throughout the U.S. and abroad. His writings on religious and cultural issues have been published in a variety of journals, including: the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Examiner, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Detroit News, Christianity Today, and World Magazine.

Reviews

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’re in an era of widespread fatherlessness, where dad’s spawn kids and then walk away, or up and leave them and their mothers, or are physically present while emotionally distant. It’s part of what lies behind the “daddy-issues” that haunt many kids, teens and adults. Therefore, to build up virtuous and quality manhood in boys and young men, is a noble and honorable task. This desire fuels Anthony B. Bradley, professor of religious studies, director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College in New York, and research fellow at The Acton Institute. And this noble desire is crystal clear in his spanking new 222-page softback, “Heroic Fraternities: How College Men Can Save Universities and America”. Between the covers of this easy-to-read book, Bradley strives to restore the honorable goals of college fraternities, reclaiming their original concept of fostering heroic masculinity. A campus brotherhood that helps young men to “use their presence, power, strengths, and creativity to benefit those around them.” Where they “recognize that making the lives of other people better is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things a man can do.” Which is something that “gives a man a sense of purpose and direction in life. Everything about him makes other people better” (4).

The book opens up into two parts. The first section chronicles what campus fraternities were originally about and how they have benefited young men in character development, and ways they are instrumental in keeping men from falling into the purpose void. The author also shows the valuable means by which fraternities foster long-term male friendships. But Bradley doesn’t shy away from the growing problems in campus life in general, and fraternal life more specifically. He records many situations and incidents where fraternities have failed in Animal House fashion. As he observes, “The most disordered fraternities are the ones most lacking mature male guidance” (52).

But gallantly, the author pushes hard against such ugly trends in this work and presents several concepts to aid fraternities to move upward and onward so they can help make men more virtuous or heroic. As he notes, “the future of college fraternities must be a call to heroic masculinity—men using their power, presence, strengths, and creativity for the benefit of their brothers and those around them. It’s a call to live lives of excellence, honor, and virtue. It’s an invitation to put themselves in the position to always add value to their campuses. Heroic masculinity is an invitation to set up men for holistic success…” (69-70). As I read through the book I kept thinking, “This is not just for fraternities on campus. Our churches need to read this and think through ways to promote heroic masculinity!”

The second section of the work is a series of seven interviews with young men from seven different fraternities on separate campuses. The conversations circle around the ways the interviewees found their experiences shaping and beneficial as they worked toward their degrees. It also gathers, in their own words, where there has been moral failure on the part of some “Greeks” and how it was dealt with. This is a down-to-earth section, and even concludes with a touching special dedication “of this book, and the entire heroic fraternity project, to the heroism of the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega at Grand Valley State University, and to the memory of Quinten “Quinn” Campbell (2002–2021). May his memory be eternal” (177).

There were several unfortunate editorial slips throughout the volume that were mildly annoying. Nevertheless “Heroic Fraternities” was a valuable read. It should have an immediate and special place for all campus fraternities, administrators, donors, alumni, and “Greeks”. But beyond Bradley’s aim, I would say, as a Christian minister, this volume needs to be worked through by congregational leaders for the sake of the young men in their parishes. I highly recommend the book.

My thanks to Wipf and Stock for sending me an electronic version of the book. They happily sent me a .pdf version and made no demands. Thus, this review is freely made and freely given.

[Joe Palazzolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Message

Bradley does an excellent job of writing about the real fraternity world - not the made-for-TV stuff that you see in popular media. What he writes about is not just the best of fraternities, but rather the common of fraternities. That is, the brotherhood, picking each other up when you're down, being a place where young men can feel safe to talk about their lives, the networking, the holding each other accountable - there is significantly more of that in these organizations than there is of what the media tries to sell the public. Where Bradley excels is in telling the untold truth behind the headlines and he does so in a manner that should inspire anyone who is part of the fraternity movement and believes that we need the heroism of these young men on college campuses.

I gave 4 out of 5 reviews in recognition of the significant grammatical and formatting errors in the Kindle version of the book. I've never read a book that was so lightly edited and that had so obviously not been carefully reviewed for errors before. This isn't to take away from Bradley's message at all, but rather to note that if you read this book (I recommend it), then just be aware that it will be a common occurrence for your reading to be interrupted by a missing word, a broken sentence, or two thoughts incorrectly joined together. There are so many mistakes that I was compelled to write this blurb about it. But, put all of those mistakes aside and you still have a powerful book about the young men on college campuses.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book started out with a good idea, to look at how fraternities could help struggling young men. But, the author never seemed to decide whether he wanted to write an academic work on fraternities, or more of a self-help book for how the fraternities should act going forward. So, he ended up with a book that tried to do both, but didn't do either one very well. He has extensive interviews with fraternity leaders, which he includes the full texts from. However, he doesn't provide any analysis of these interviews. Also, the interviews are all with leaders, as opposed to rank and file members. He writes about the history of fraternities, but only cites one source. He spends a lot of time talking about the problem of fatherlessness and lack of positive older role models for young men, but never explains why fraternities are better placed to address this problem than are religious organizations, other types of social organizations, or professional organizations. I think he correctly identified a problem, but didn't address it all that well, which is a shame.

[Pete Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Dr. Bradley for a while now and have been totally won to the work he's doing on discipling/mentoring young men. He's been working on this project for a while now and I highly recommend the interviews he's done on his podcast. They're pretty much the oral form of the second half of the book. As a Christian, there's so much to think about here about how we need to reconsider how we can reach and encourage men - not just to be Christians, but also to be men. As a former frat member (Delta Tau Delta), I was both heartened and a bit wistful to hear about frats who took very seriously the development of relationships and character rather than settling for a social club for boys. I desperately needed the former when I came to college, but I got more of the latter - and to think of how that could have helped me...

Read this book.

[Trent Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating collection of data, cultural observations and collegiate testimonies boiled down to a simple thesis: improving the fraternity system, not abolishing it, is an essential aspect of solving the boy crisis. If you work with young men, or puzzled at the powerfully productive or detrimental effect of friends groups - I would read this book. Beyond that, it is admittedly very niche

[Oliver Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful read for skeptics of or those unfamiliar with greek life, of which I am both. It is perhaps a bit overly optimistic at times though (which you might get the impression of even in the title). The best chapter of the book was "what the best fraternities do" where Bradley lays out his vision of "transforming" fraternities for the good of campuses and the world.

[Felipe Moraes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book hoping to learn how to build stronger brotherhood. Overall, I came away with some good principles that I hope to implement despite not having been in a fraternity in my university years.

[Kyle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me want to go back in time and join a fraternity… for all the right reasons