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Man Enough: How Jesus Redefines Manhood

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Man Enough challenges the idea that there is one way to be a man. The masculinity that pervades our church and culture often demands that men conform to a macho ideal, leaving many men feeling ashamed that they’re not living up to God’s plan for them. Nate uses his own story of not feeling “man enough”, as well as sociological and historical reflections, to help men see that manhood isn’t about what you do, but who you are. It’s not about the size of your paycheck, your athletic ability, or your competitive spirit. You don’t have to fit any masculine stereotype to be a real man. In our culture and churches more thoughtful, quieter, or compassionate personalities, as well as stay-at-home dads, are often looked down upon; and sermons, conferences, and publications center on helping men become “real men”. This pressure to have one’s manhood validated is antithetical to Gospel living and negatively affects how men relate to each other, to women and children, and to God. Man Enough roots men in the Gospel, examines biblical examples of masculinity that challenge the idea of a singular type of man, and ultimately encourages men to conform to the image of Jesus—freeing men up to be who they were created to a son of God who uniquely bears His image.

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2015

41 people are currently reading
277 people want to read

About the author

Nate Pyle

2 books4 followers
Nate is an author, blogger and ordained pastor in the Reformed Church of America. He serves as the pastor of Christ's Community Church in Fishers, Indiana where he lives with his wife and son.

Never imagining himself to be a writer, Nate began blogging in 2011 to gain clarity around his own thinking on various topics, especially leadership and church. Quickly, Nate realized he was a unique voice in the blogosphere. Rooted deeply in Reformed theology, Nate's writing is laced with nuance and a pastoral posture that is markedly different than the major Reformed voices in the blogging circles. In a world defined by extremes, Nate is a refreshing voice that walks the fine line between extremes.

Nate is a life-long learner, avid outdoorsman, wanna-be athlete, and a frustrated downhill skier living in Indiana. You can connect with him at www.natepyle.com.

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5 stars
70 (33%)
4 stars
86 (41%)
3 stars
38 (18%)
2 stars
11 (5%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Julia Dykshoorn.
5 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2026
I really wanted to give this book 5 stars because it says so many things which no one else seems to be saying, yet I believe are essential for men to hear.

My favorite things about the book:

- Pyle couches masculinity not in what men do, but in who they are. I think this is hugely important and something which most books on Christian masculinity miss. If we define manhood by a specific (culture-bound) list of actions - “be a leader, be confident, make hard decisions, provide for your family financially, fight battles, be a good father, and love your wife well,” not to mention be wild and play football - then we exclude many men from manhood. What about a single man? A man who can’t have children? Or a man who has a chronic debilitating illness? Are those men disqualified from masculinity?

- Pyle includes a really helpful discussion of masculinity in British/American culture and history over the past few centuries. Examining how definitions of masculinity have changed over the years helps us be able to sort out what is culturally defined versus what is biblically defined.

- Pyle’s prescription for being a man is “be like Jesus.” It is also his prescription, incidentally, for being a woman. The Bible spends a whole lot more time telling us to imitate Christ than it does telling us how to be masculine or feminine, and Pyle rightly highlights this.

This does bring me to my critique, however. Pyle is a part of the RCA and CRC denominations, which accept female pastors/leadership. His egalitarian stance definitely comes out in the last few chapters, and while I do believe there were good insights to glean from his points, he emphasized Eph. 5:21 (mutual submission) and never even mentioned the biblical concept of headship or the description in the rest of Eph. 5 about husbands’ role in leading and loving their wives. I am not the most staunch complementarian, but I do believe God has specific callings for men laid out in Scripture, and Pyle tended to skirt around those.

That said, however, I would still highly recommend this book. Pyle did what he set out to do: he redefined manhood according to Christ’s example.
Profile Image for Scott.
62 reviews2 followers
November 12, 2017
Some interesting ideas here to challenge the contemporary role of men according to secular society. The vulnerable personal sharing wielded by the author had some power, but it was not used well within the context of the book. A lot of what was said was not surprising or revealing of some truth hererofore unrealized...possibly the weakest part of the book was the lack of connection to Jesus redefining manhood. More time was spent showing what manhood was not than lessons or insights on how Jesus redefined manhood. A good book, and well written, but I felt it missed the mark of the title's mission.
Profile Image for Jeremy.
775 reviews41 followers
September 14, 2020
We are always in danger of essentialism, which harms those on the margins of the bell curve who do not sit comfortably within gender stereotypes. Can men learn to be human as Jesus is human, and insodoing learn to be men in a healthy way that isn't afraid of being associated with seemingly feminine qualities?
2 reviews
January 26, 2025
Nate challenges us with the idea that our culture has influenced our interpretation of Scripture, especially in regard to “biblical manhood.” He gives a refreshing perspective in a culture that continually asks men to prove themselves. His points are supported by Scripture throughout. A short read I wish was longer as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
13 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2025
Could be shortened to about 60 pages. Some true and thought provoking stuff. Some contradictory reasoning.
Profile Image for Jonathan Sweeting.
2 reviews
January 23, 2021
I feel bad for giving 2 stars to a book that tells us we need to be more like Jesus. I wanted to like this book, I really did! There were, in fact, many points where I wholeheartedly agree with the position the author was trying to make. The man Jesus calls us to be is not the “macho man” of American culture. As men, we need to learn to be more vulnerable, to not continually try to prove ourself when we are already accepted in Christ. Things like serving, cooking, etc. are not inherently feminine. Good on the author for identifying and wanted to change what it means to be a man, especially a Christian man.

The problem is, every time the author talks about what it means to be a true man, he also talks about how those are traits that females should have too, because ultimately, male or female, we need to be loving, vulnerable, etc. He kept talking about how these different traits are both male and female, because they make us more like Christ. The author, in my view, 100% failed to address what is means to be a man, as opposed to being a woman. This book instead should be titled something like “tearing down cultural gender perceptions: being more like Christ.”

Scripture says God created us male AND female. Of course both males and females need to be more like Christ. But, what is it that makes us different? (Not greater/lesser/strong/weaker, but different). What does being a physical male mean as a Christian as opposed to a female? How does God call us to live as males in this world? How do we, as new creations in Christ, embrace our maleness in a way that honors and glorifies God and reflects Christ? You’ll never find that answer from this book.
Profile Image for John.
503 reviews15 followers
December 21, 2018
As I began to work closely with young men I knew I needed to think through a plethora of resources about manhood, masculinity, and being male. The process of becoming a man has been both very essential to my growth and development and yet at times very absent of modeling or in conversation. So going into this I had no clue what I was getting myself into because I still am working through my ideas of masculinity from observation and experience.

So at the beginning of the past summer, I bought a bunch of book on masculinity that I researched as important reads for men. There is a great list I have made from these that were really helpful. Interestingly enough there are only two I recommend from the "Christian" angle. That doesn't mean there aren't other good Christian masculinity books, but I intentionally tried to stay away from the ones I know about to be all about patriarchy, knighthood, and whatever other "Christian" models have been used to honestly oppress others. The two Christian books I read were The Wild Man and the Wise Man by Richard Rohr and then this book, Man Enough.

This book is worth the read. Pyle is honest and vulnerable (mostly) about his life and development in becoming a man. His ideas are Jesus-centric and really promote a sense of manhood that is more holistic and about being fully human. Though the book Pyle makes some large strides toward what it means to be a man and fully human. I appreciate this book in that it is allowing a new way to look at Christianity and Manhood.
Profile Image for Phillip Gonzales.
52 reviews
February 9, 2019
A wonderfully written book that helps men examine their lives beyond societal stereotypes.
Interwoven with scripture, Nate Pyle shares many examples ob why it's important not just being man enough, but to be more fully human.
Profile Image for Zachary Wagner.
Author 2 books24 followers
October 7, 2021
Helpfully counter-cultural to the Christian mainstream. The stuff on becoming more human is especially good.
196 reviews3 followers
November 21, 2025
A very unique book - I appreciate what Nate had to say.
Profile Image for Amy Jacobsen.
341 reviews15 followers
December 31, 2020
The chapter that stood out most to me was the one on descending and ascending. Powerful stuff. The way of Jesus is not the way of the world.
Profile Image for Robert Durough, Jr..
159 reviews16 followers
September 28, 2015
Nate Pyle’s debut book, Man Enough: How Jesus Redefines Manhood, contributes a much-needed perspective in our churches’ debate over gender roles and what it means to be a man (or woman, as the case may be). Steering away from cultural stereotypes of wilderness surviving, football playing, car fixing men devoid of any emotion other than jealousy and anger, Pyle points us to a more accurate and biblical perspective right from the start: there is no single template for masculinity (19) and that “being a man is not dependent on what one does; rather, a man is a man because he is made in the image of God. . . . Masculinity does not need to be proved; it needs to be affirmed” (25). The same thing can be (and is) said of women! When we look to Genesis, both man and woman are addressed in the mandates to be fruitful and rule—there is no gender distinction between the two (173). Leaping to Paul in his letter to the church in Galatia, Pyle also points out that there is no gender distinction in the fruit of the Spirit that is indicative of Christians, even though our culture (and churches!) tends to think of most of these attributes as being feminine (love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness), Pyle notes how faithfulness and self-control are often perceived as masculine (be faithful to your wife/family, and exercise self-control to be competitive and successful) (158). This certainly needs to change.

Much of the book is a journey through Pyle’s husky childhood to an athletic, adventuresome adulthood and still not “feeling like a man.” I’m sure many will be able to relate, especially in an American culture where bread-winning and other struggles are no respecters of gender and churches tend to push a “man works, woman stays home” mentality (yes, this sort of scripture twisting is still quite prevalent). I’ve recently tossed my hat into the pool of applicants for a “Men’s Ministry Coordinator” position at a local university despite its desire to promote “Biblical masculinity” through “initiatives that are specific to men,” like “Fantasy Football League.” I like to think it’s just a poorly written job description and that it isn’t indicative of an actual university-wide perspective, but either way, I pray it is filled with someone who thinks like Pyle in this regard!

(Kudos to Dual Identity for their cover design! This sucker pops!)


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Profile Image for Victor Gentile.
2,035 reviews66 followers
October 4, 2015
Nate Pyle in his new book, “Man Enough” published by Zondervan gives us How Jesus Redefines Manhood.

From the back cover: The freedom and faith to be the man you were made to be

It’s not about the size of your paycheck. It’s not about your athletic ability. It’s not about your competitive spirit.

Manhood isn’t about what you do; it’s about who you are.

Man Enough doesn’t just challenge the idea that there is one way to be a man; it obliterates it. Using his own story of not feeling “man enough”, author Nate Pyle exposes the disordered masculinity that pervades our church and culture and offers a refreshing message of grace and hope to men who are exhausted from trying to fulfill an unattainable model of manhood.

In our culture and churches more thoughtful, quieter, or compassionate personalities, as well as stay-at-home dads, are often looked down upon; and sermons, conferences, and publications center on helping men become “real men”. This pressure to have one’s manhood validated is antithetical to Gospel living and negatively affects how men relate to each other, to women and children, and to God.

Man Enough roots men in the Gospel, examines biblical examples of masculinity that challenge the idea of a singular type of man, and ultimately encourages men to conform to the image of Jesus—freeing men up to be who they were created to be: a son of God who uniquely bears His image.

I will never fix a car. I will never score a touchdown. If you drop me in the wilderness I will not make it back to civilization and I just will not survive. Does that not make me a man? God made me in His image and He never fixed a car or scored a touchdown either. Pastor Pyle tells us, “being a man is not dependent on what one does; rather, a man is a man because he is made in the image of God. . . . Masculinity does not need to be proved; it needs to be affirmed” I think that every man should get a hold of this book and read it from cover to cover. I think that each man will give out a relieved sigh as he begins to realize that he doesn’t have to work at it to be a man. It is simply that he already is. Let us break the stereotype. “God does not require people to prove themselves as worthy before he calls them to himself. Rather, in his calling of people, God deems them as worthy.” This book would be a great gift to give to the male friends and family so that they could break the stereotype as well. I recommend it highly!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Profile Image for Annie.
106 reviews34 followers
June 4, 2016
I was excited to see that someone had finally written a response to the wild man stereotype. But, Nate Pyle's book isn't just a response and he doesn't swing to the other side of the spectrum - that men should be passive and uncaring. No, Pyle says that men need to embrace their own spirit. So, if you find joy in going to the shooting range, do it. If you find joy in painting, do it. If you find joy in hiking, do it. Recognize that God is bigger than just one type of man - that we are all created in His image and that looks like a wide spectrum of personalities and interests.

Pyle does an excellent job of weaving his own life experience, scriptural references, and his experience as a pastor to encourage men to seek their own true identity. And, while this book is written for men, I found its message universal enough to appreciate and learn from it as well. Pyle writes for men but doesn't forget that women are also created in God's image.

I'd highly recommend this book, but especially for men who don't connect with the wild, mountain man expectation that many churches present. This book gives men permission to be themselves, and by doing that, being more masculine than they could be by pretending to be someone else.

**I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.**
Profile Image for Sean Strehlow.
17 reviews2 followers
December 23, 2015
I wish every mens ministry would pick up this book and study it. Nate Pyle has some amazing thoughts on what it means to be a man, and masculinity has nothing to do with it. In a world-even the christian world- where the feminization of men and the church is lamented, Pyle helps us understand that masculinity and femininity are both wonderful parts of the human experience. Pyle's call to be a man has nothing to do with being more masculine, but rather encourages us to be fully human- embracing the masculine and the feminine. There is so much pressure in our culture to be a certain type of man, and it is impossible to meet all of the criteria. Man Enough is here to remind everyone that you are fully known, and fully loved no matter what cultural criteria you fail to meet.
8 reviews
July 18, 2016
I tend to think Christians should jettison attempts to write on 'manhood/womanhood' and should focus more on the cultivation of virtue for all people, but that aside, this is probably the best 'Christian manhood' book I've encountered. He avoids some issues - such as confusion or struggle regarding sexual orientation, discussion of roles for men/women within a local church [though his contentions in the final two chapters make it seem like he would lean toward egalitarianism] - but this avoidance makes his larger point all the more clear... it's not about become a 'manlier man' but a 'more human man.'
Helpful pushback on various cultural norms that shape one's perception of what it means to be a man. Good work re the need to grow in emotional intelligence/awareness, vulnerability, etc.
Profile Image for Luiz.
58 reviews
November 13, 2015
I read this in looking for stuff to talk about with my men's group and as a response to the many complaints about John Eldredge's book “Wild at heart” and my own ambiguous second read through of it last year.

it is an interesting look and a better answer to what does a man look like.

The authors response: everyone is different so what a man looks like is as varied as the men on the planet and every one should be attempting to look like jesus.

I think more will sink in on repeated readings as I went through it pretty quick and it didn’t seem super well written or edited.

but on the other hand; it is a pretty simple message that everyone needs to be reminded of.
Profile Image for morrcahn.
40 reviews7 followers
June 1, 2021
I can see how this book could be a great first step to tearing down the Christian supports of toxic masculinity, and many people need this. If you've already torn those down, this book will almost certainly not be of use to you.

That being said, the author still–though likely subconsciously—propagates gender stereotypes and I found this very frustrating. Not only that, but he took some liberties with speaking for women and some of his data/conclusions were presented without a source.

To his credit, he does finish the book in a fairly progressive way—to my surprise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chad Schuitema.
95 reviews3 followers
October 12, 2015
Much needed and so personally engaging

Nate is a friend of mine. And I love the way he weeps his personal story throughout this book. But it isn't just a book full of personal stories, it's also very in-depth study of manhood. For anyone searching for what it means to be a man, this book is for you. Embracing vulnerability, weakness, and finding your true self are all major themes of this book. This book truly does redefine manhood.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
2 reviews
January 28, 2024
Good book about what constitutes true biblical manhood, and how to avoid falling into toxic cultural ideals that are hurting men and their relationships. Although written at a fairly basic level and somewhat repetitive, the concepts are interesting and even insightful at times. Women are not the intended readers, but I was able to draw links from this with other relevant concepts, and it helped me understand some key relational and societal issues from a male perspective.
Profile Image for April.
Author 3 books25 followers
November 13, 2015
An excellent book that challenges the majority of literature on Christian manhood. I appreciated Nate Pyle's refreshing take, and found his call to pursue what it means to be made in God's image to be a helpful word for women, too.
8 reviews
May 10, 2016
This was a refreshing read, even though it's a "men's book." I appreciated the 'getting back to Jesus' for your identity, and not relying on present cultural experience for your identity. As a former member of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, this was a great read at just the right time in my life.
64 reviews
Want to read
May 5, 2016
Recommended by FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) magazine
Profile Image for Chris Theule.
135 reviews4 followers
December 2, 2015
Nate Pyle shows us another way.
Great read for any guy who is following Jesus.
Profile Image for Jeremy Graves.
39 reviews
March 26, 2017
Excellent, and a good critique of and alternate perspective of the slew of "biblical masculinity" materials that have flooded the market in recent years. Highly recommended!
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