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Fight Like a Man: Redeeming Manhood for Kingdom Warfare
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
315 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 25, 2014
Although Dalbey credits his wife with the inspiration for the title of this superb book, he also seems to imply it comes from a slogan on a t-shirt. Many years previously he admits to being brought to tears by some words on a t-shirt for the rock band, Petra: Get on your knees and fight like a man.
The book is mainly about the effects of shame on Christian men and how its insidious outworkings keep them from experiencing the Father’s grace. It’s about how the line, ‘Real men don’t cry,’ and ‘Big boys don’t cry,’ has cost men dearly. There’s some highly but gently confrontational thoughts in amongst the anecdotes of men who have, or haven’t, overcome the father-wounds in their hearts.
For me, as a woman, there were a couple of nuggets I’m still chewing over in my mind that have, I admit, very little to do with the overall general theme of the book. One is this: ‘historically, whites have granted others a rung on the national level of esteem only after exploiting it themselves and then scorning it as lower.’ What does that mean? It means that black women were only allowed as Miss America contestants at the time the women’s liberation pickets began. It means that an integrated military came at the same time as the anti-war movement. It therefore means that racism is alive and well and that all the so-called ‘advances’ society has made are totally illusory.
The second nugget I am still assaying is an anecdote at the beginning of the book: Dalbey wrote of how sometimes Satan fattens people for the kill. His example was Steve who was married with two grown-up kids. His wife had been molested as a child but, in pre-marital counselling, the pastor had told them not to worry because it had all been taken care of on the Cross. Things of the past cannot harm Christians anymore. After twenty-five years of marriage, just as Steve had worked his way up to an influential position in business and was being considered as a senior elder in his church, his wife announced she hated all men and was filing for divorce. Shocked and dismayed, church officials barred Steve from all leadership. Not only was his marriage destroyed but his witness too.
The words that leapt out at me were these: ‘when Steve had finally reached the threshold of community esteem and significant ministry, the Enemy struck.’
It’s the word threshold. The more I study thresholds and the covenants which govern them, the more I notice how often such events happen to the unsuspecting.
The book is mainly about the effects of shame on Christian men and how its insidious outworkings keep them from experiencing the Father’s grace. It’s about how the line, ‘Real men don’t cry,’ and ‘Big boys don’t cry,’ has cost men dearly. There’s some highly but gently confrontational thoughts in amongst the anecdotes of men who have, or haven’t, overcome the father-wounds in their hearts.
For me, as a woman, there were a couple of nuggets I’m still chewing over in my mind that have, I admit, very little to do with the overall general theme of the book. One is this: ‘historically, whites have granted others a rung on the national level of esteem only after exploiting it themselves and then scorning it as lower.’ What does that mean? It means that black women were only allowed as Miss America contestants at the time the women’s liberation pickets began. It means that an integrated military came at the same time as the anti-war movement. It therefore means that racism is alive and well and that all the so-called ‘advances’ society has made are totally illusory.
The second nugget I am still assaying is an anecdote at the beginning of the book: Dalbey wrote of how sometimes Satan fattens people for the kill. His example was Steve who was married with two grown-up kids. His wife had been molested as a child but, in pre-marital counselling, the pastor had told them not to worry because it had all been taken care of on the Cross. Things of the past cannot harm Christians anymore. After twenty-five years of marriage, just as Steve had worked his way up to an influential position in business and was being considered as a senior elder in his church, his wife announced she hated all men and was filing for divorce. Shocked and dismayed, church officials barred Steve from all leadership. Not only was his marriage destroyed but his witness too.
The words that leapt out at me were these: ‘when Steve had finally reached the threshold of community esteem and significant ministry, the Enemy struck.’
It’s the word threshold. The more I study thresholds and the covenants which govern them, the more I notice how often such events happen to the unsuspecting.
April 10, 2020
This is a really good book on Kingdom Manliness: what it means to be a man of God. I recommend it for anyone who wants to follow Christ and make a difference in this world for the Kingdom. Dalbey navigates through the different areas of a man's life and connects it all to our struggles living in the world and how God calls us to deal with them. He alludes to this being the third book in his series of Godly manhood but it certainly is a standalone work.
February 6, 2019
Don’t waste your time with this book. It’s out-of-date social commentary, lack of biblical theology, and questionable counseling advice make it one to avoid.
December 28, 2015
Awesome book about authentic Christ-like manhood.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews