Poems for Patriarchs: The Verse and Prose of Christian Manhood

by Douglas W. Phillips

One reason men lack vision is because they lack poetry in their lives. Men no longer sing or recite inspirational verse. Our boys are no longer required to memorize the great psalms, hymns, and poems of Christian manhood. This should come as no surprise. The 20th century has wreaked havoc upon chivalry and manhood. The transformation of poetry from the ennobling to the coarse, the banal, or the irreverent is as much a sign of our national loss of manhood as it is of the decline of decency and civilization. Poetry is essential to a man's life. We should never forget that God chose to communicate through the language of poetry. A large portion of the Scripture from Psalms to The Song of Solomon -- even the book of Isaiah in the original language -- was written in verse. Why? Because poetry and song allow us to use the beauty of language to paint mental images of victory, of devotion, and of the beauty of life in Jesus Christ. This is why I often begin my speeches or end them with verse. For years, requests for these poems have poured in. Now, in Poems for Patriarchs , I have compiled the most inspirational and vision-communicating selections. The collection includes poems and prose both obscure and popular, but selected because of the profound way they speak to the most important issues in a man's life. They are neither fluffy nor frilly, foppish nor foolish, but virile and often sage, both as to their composition and character. Each chapter in the book contains a generous number of selections, some new, some ancient, but all designed to address the various biblical roles, relationships and seasons in a man's life, from early boyhood to his twilight years. The book begins with the ''Poems of Patriarchy,'' a section designed to inspire men to think in terms of sacrifice, certitude, and vision. In ''Poems of Boyhood,'' the memories of childhood and glories of being a boy are joyfully proclaimed. ''Poems of Sonship'' is dedicated to the meaning of honor between father and son. ''Poems of the Groom'' focuses on a man's love for his wife and the Lord's love for his bride, the Church. ''Poems of Fatherhood,'' includes my favorite poems that remind me of the ''big picture'' and the glory of raising up sons and daughters for the Lord. Many fathers will especially love ''Poems for the Children's Hour'' and ''Poems of Heroism'' because they include some of the very best ''daddy read-aloud'' poems. A Sampling of Included - The Patriarch
- The Pilgrim Vision of William Bradford
- The Hymn of Boyhood
- Woodman Spare That Tree
- The Letter of Sullivan Ballou
- King Alfred's War Song
- We Few, We Band of Brothers
- The Children's Hour

Genres: Poetry

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Doug Phillips is a sinner, saved by grace. God was pleased to place him in the home of Howard and Peggy Phillips, two outstanding parents who loved him and poured their lives into him. His father personally discipled Doug for much of his life, taking Doug with him around the country, such that Doug had traveled with his family through 49 of the 50 states by the time he was 18. His father — a former candidate for President of the United States who served as Acting Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity under Richard Nixon — faithfully read both Old and New Testament to him at the dinner table, taught him constitutional law, public policy, and communicated to Doug a remarkable passion for history. They listened together to more than 2,000 audiocassettes on history, books, and theology.

As a young man, Doug was also discipled by Robert Gifford, a great preacher of the Word and pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, who communicated to Doug a passion for Christian apologetics and the sovereignty of God. Because of his father’s work as a statesman, Doug had the opportunity to spend time with, and learn from, many of the great Christian leaders of the last 30 years. It was during this time, however, that Doug came to realize that the greatest witness a man could offer for Jesus Christ was not what he knew, but how he lived his life as a father and a husband. It was at this time that God began to build a vision in Doug’s life for seeing the restoration of biblical manhood, godly femininity, and the Christian home.

While running a Christian newspaper in college, Doug met Beall, a young woman who ran a ministry to unwed mothers called “Alternatives to Abortion” (interestingly enough, Beall herself had been adopted). Five years later, on “the happiest day of my life — except for every day after that,” Doug and Beall were married. Doug attended law school for the purpose of developing skills that would help him defend home educators and Christian parents from State tyranny. He graduated from George Mason School of Law, where he studied under judges Robert Bork and Doug Ginsberg. He served for six years at the Home School Legal Defense Association in multiple capacities including staff attorney and Director of the National Center for Home Education.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gift from my wife, I really enjoyed this book there were many of my old favorite poems and a few new ones.

[Joshua Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not really read much poetry, as it just doesn't appeal to me. However, of the few poems that I actually like, many of them are in this book.