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The Manliness of Christ
Jesus is the most masculine man to walk the earth. In fact, if you hate masculinity, you will hate the biblical Jesus.
Today’s Christianity is fixated on emotionalism, pageantry, and a softly-lit worship experience aimed to make you sway your hips for Jesus. The church, in a very real way, has become effeminate and delicate.
But does this Christianity reflect the biblical Christ? Was Jesus feminine, androgynous, or soft? In this short book, Dale Partridge demonstrates how the Bible presents the sheer manliness of Christ and how it should radically restore masculinity in the church.
Today’s Christianity is fixated on emotionalism, pageantry, and a softly-lit worship experience aimed to make you sway your hips for Jesus. The church, in a very real way, has become effeminate and delicate.
But does this Christianity reflect the biblical Christ? Was Jesus feminine, androgynous, or soft? In this short book, Dale Partridge demonstrates how the Bible presents the sheer manliness of Christ and how it should radically restore masculinity in the church.
57 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2022
About the author
Dale Partridge
24 books129 followersDale Partridge is the President of Relearn.org and Founder of Reformation Seminary. Dale holds a Graduate Certificate from Western Seminary. He is the author of several Christian books, including “The Manliness of Christ” and the bestselling children’s book “Jesus and My Gender.” He is also the host of the Real Christianity podcast and the lead pastor at King's Way Bible Church in Prescott, Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 26, 2023
i’m pretty sure dale had this “great idea” in his head and then tried to fit everything else in around it to prove his point. that may be why there were so many lost trains of thought in this book.
look, of course Jesus was masculine. He was literally born a man. but this book is bad and doesn’t prove its point at all. the statement is fine, but the book is not fine.
as an aside, the punctuation in this book is an abomination. is that for the ladies, dale? boy be wild. sometimes the grammar was questionable too, and one time he wrote “case and point,” and i cried.
anyway. near the beginning, dale says that a harmonizing thread in the Bible is male virility (gross) and illustrates this by saying that yeah, there’s about three courageous women in the Bible, BUT they’re outweighed by so many more courageous men. pardon? that doesn’t prove anything, dale.
he also states that of course gentler traits are not effeminate. okay, but somehow boldness is solely masculine?? and then he says, “The opposite of boldness is ambiguity.” on what planet, dale? he constantly did this with weird lists like this one: “concentrated exhibition of manhood: boldness, fearlessness, sacrificial love, and resolve.” how are these ONLY masculine traits? and he says the Bible instructs women to have traits opposite of boldness. pardon me?
he repeatedly quotes people and then says, “true, but…” and then also, “this isn’t limited to the male realm, however…” DALE.
in other news, “victor, conqueror, and king” aren’t traits, dale.
“we must not reject femininity in the church”
“[the church] must be safe, gentle, and encouraging while at the same time strong, bold, and resolved… When this balance is achieved we see the whole person of Christ.” SIR. i thought we were to be MEN OF VALOR. (jokes) but stop contradicting yourself, dale.
some questionable phrases:
“rugged masculine virility”
“He is a 100% red-blooded male.”
“potently masculine”
“virile and robust” (this is how he describes THE SON OF GOD)
“the manliest male”
the only good part of this book is that dale also apparently dislikes the phrase “love on each other.”
all that to say… don’t read this book. read gentle and lowly by dane ortlund. 🌝
look, of course Jesus was masculine. He was literally born a man. but this book is bad and doesn’t prove its point at all. the statement is fine, but the book is not fine.
as an aside, the punctuation in this book is an abomination. is that for the ladies, dale? boy be wild. sometimes the grammar was questionable too, and one time he wrote “case and point,” and i cried.
anyway. near the beginning, dale says that a harmonizing thread in the Bible is male virility (gross) and illustrates this by saying that yeah, there’s about three courageous women in the Bible, BUT they’re outweighed by so many more courageous men. pardon? that doesn’t prove anything, dale.
he also states that of course gentler traits are not effeminate. okay, but somehow boldness is solely masculine?? and then he says, “The opposite of boldness is ambiguity.” on what planet, dale? he constantly did this with weird lists like this one: “concentrated exhibition of manhood: boldness, fearlessness, sacrificial love, and resolve.” how are these ONLY masculine traits? and he says the Bible instructs women to have traits opposite of boldness. pardon me?
he repeatedly quotes people and then says, “true, but…” and then also, “this isn’t limited to the male realm, however…” DALE.
in other news, “victor, conqueror, and king” aren’t traits, dale.
“we must not reject femininity in the church”
“[the church] must be safe, gentle, and encouraging while at the same time strong, bold, and resolved… When this balance is achieved we see the whole person of Christ.” SIR. i thought we were to be MEN OF VALOR. (jokes) but stop contradicting yourself, dale.
some questionable phrases:
“rugged masculine virility”
“He is a 100% red-blooded male.”
“potently masculine”
“virile and robust” (this is how he describes THE SON OF GOD)
“the manliest male”
the only good part of this book is that dale also apparently dislikes the phrase “love on each other.”
all that to say… don’t read this book. read gentle and lowly by dane ortlund. 🌝
August 20, 2022
This was interesting. I had not previously thought of the masculinity of Jesus as a consideration unto itself. I think it’s a great theme and could’ve been a very worthwhile study of Jesus’ humanity and masculinity. This little book however, promised more than it delivered.
It read more like a blog post that was stretched into a small book. And the subtitle only existed on the cover. It wasn’t explored in the book at any length.
Great theme, several interesting points, but over all it left much to be desired. Two stars for my disappointment and for what seemed to me to be a very hastily edited and compiled book. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t that good either.
It read more like a blog post that was stretched into a small book. And the subtitle only existed on the cover. It wasn’t explored in the book at any length.
Great theme, several interesting points, but over all it left much to be desired. Two stars for my disappointment and for what seemed to me to be a very hastily edited and compiled book. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t that good either.
January 16, 2025
A very punchy book that wastes no time getting to the scriptures. This book brings balance to the very effeminate view the west has on Jesus Christ. It celebrates his masculinity and shines the light on aspects to his masculinity I hadn't thought of.
December 7, 2022
This is a very short, pamphlet-size work reclaiming the life of Jesus from the effeminate church. While he does some exposition, it is primarily a work of rhetoric. Partridge takes the Scriptures we already know, but recasts them in helpful ways. We rarely consider Jesus's manhood in the way he lived and taught. The church understands the necessity of Jesus's humanity but rarely considers his masculinity.
But Patridge helps us see that Jesus is the man that Adam should have been. Jesus accepted responsibility, and demonstrated masculine resolve and sacrifice to accomplish his Father's purposes. This is a good book that is worth reading to understand the manliness of Christ better.
But Patridge helps us see that Jesus is the man that Adam should have been. Jesus accepted responsibility, and demonstrated masculine resolve and sacrifice to accomplish his Father's purposes. This is a good book that is worth reading to understand the manliness of Christ better.
June 20, 2022
Great book you can easily read in one sitting. Books that cover topics such as this are desperately needed in the Church. I just wish it were longer and more fleshed out.
December 28, 2023
Short and concise, this book does an amazing job of pointing out problems with Christian masculinity today and immediately laying out what it looks like to be a man, biblically. Christ being the ultimate man allows us to see what we ought to be. Definitely worth a read. Praise God for men like Partridge.
March 31, 2024
Short, concise, and to the point. This book shows that Christ is the epitome of a masculine man. The modern church has made Christ into a weak and effeminate man. But, that is not who Christ really is, and this book shows that, it shows the Manliness of Christ.
November 6, 2023
Some people will get turned off by the title of this book. But honestly, I think a better title would be “Don’t forget that Jesus was a man.” Not quite as eye grabbing as this title. Mainly the author brings out how many of the traits that Christendom has brought out over the last decade are the “feminine” traits of Jesus, while minimizing the “masculine” traits. This little book hopes to help correct that. And it does it very well. An easy and quick read, and a good corrective. Highly recommended
June 17, 2023
The most helpful portion of the book concerns the effeminacy of men in the church. The author gives a few examples of potential symptoms (of effeminacy) to look for in this regard that may be helpful for men to cultivate a more masculine character.
March 6, 2024
(Recommendation from Joseph)
This is an admirable exhortation for men to be Christ-like men.
It is perhaps unnecessarily polemical and inflammatory. It also could do with better editing.
“Christ is the world’s premier Provider and Protector… He provides salvation at the expense of His own life… He protects His Church from the attached of the enemy and the grip of sin. But this is merely fingers deep into the ocean of Christ’s masculinity. This concentrated exhibition of manhood manifests itself in five primary ways: His Boldness, His Fearlessness, His Intensity, His Sacrificial Love, and His Resolve.”
This is an admirable exhortation for men to be Christ-like men.
It is perhaps unnecessarily polemical and inflammatory. It also could do with better editing.
“Christ is the world’s premier Provider and Protector… He provides salvation at the expense of His own life… He protects His Church from the attached of the enemy and the grip of sin. But this is merely fingers deep into the ocean of Christ’s masculinity. This concentrated exhibition of manhood manifests itself in five primary ways: His Boldness, His Fearlessness, His Intensity, His Sacrificial Love, and His Resolve.”
March 7, 2023
Brother needed an editor, and there are some statements and descriptions of the masculinity of Christ that he may want back at some point.
BUT, his chapters on the church emphasizing Jesus’s softer attributes while completely downplaying or ignoring his strength, righteousness, courage, and the defeat of his real enemies were spot on and helpful. I’m thankful Partridge did this without denigrating women or femininity. He highlighted how Christ honors and cherished his daughters while calling men to be men and for the church as a whole to take on more of Christ’s masculinity as we seek conformity to him.
Was tempted to give this three stars for the tough formatting and some phrases that I didn’t agree with, but the message of this book (long-form blog article?) is important for the church today to read and wrestle with. The righteous are as bold as a lion and are ready to stand for righteousness, even when faced with lions. May God grant his church courageous faith that’s intrepid and immovable by the fear of man.
BUT, his chapters on the church emphasizing Jesus’s softer attributes while completely downplaying or ignoring his strength, righteousness, courage, and the defeat of his real enemies were spot on and helpful. I’m thankful Partridge did this without denigrating women or femininity. He highlighted how Christ honors and cherished his daughters while calling men to be men and for the church as a whole to take on more of Christ’s masculinity as we seek conformity to him.
Was tempted to give this three stars for the tough formatting and some phrases that I didn’t agree with, but the message of this book (long-form blog article?) is important for the church today to read and wrestle with. The righteous are as bold as a lion and are ready to stand for righteousness, even when faced with lions. May God grant his church courageous faith that’s intrepid and immovable by the fear of man.
April 21, 2026
Read this for Ryan:
In The Manliness of Christ, author Dale attempts to redefine masculinity through the lens of Jesus, but he does so by selectively interpreting Scripture. Rather than allowing Jesus' life and teachings to naturally define masculinity, Dale begins by establishing his own definition of masculinity and then cherry-picks verses from the Bible to support it. His approach is more about fitting the concept of biblical masculinity to his preconceived ideas than genuinely exploring the multifaceted nature of Christ’s character.
In The Manliness of Christ, author Dale attempts to redefine masculinity through the lens of Jesus, but he does so by selectively interpreting Scripture. Rather than allowing Jesus' life and teachings to naturally define masculinity, Dale begins by establishing his own definition of masculinity and then cherry-picks verses from the Bible to support it. His approach is more about fitting the concept of biblical masculinity to his preconceived ideas than genuinely exploring the multifaceted nature of Christ’s character.
September 5, 2022
The premise is good. It seems like the author had a point to make and tried to get Scripture to fit it. There is so much to be said for the masculinity put forth in the Bible, Christ being the perfect example, and in opposition to today’s culture! This book just didn’t do the subject justice. The traits, for the most part that the author discussed are required traits in all Christians. I feel other authors have done a much better job on this subject.
December 7, 2022
Loved this- pre-read for my sons. I agree that the book just doesn’t do the topic justice and could use volumes more on the subject of Christ’s manliness (even biblical manliness), but I would not give it less than 5 stars! Content was helpful, biblical, encouraging and accessible. I also felt very helped in ways that I can be an encourager for my husband—- I did not grow up with biblical examples of manhood and found this wonderful.
June 23, 2022
I liked the message of the book. My issue was with the formatting. I bought the Kindle version so I don't know if it is an e-book issue or both that and hard copy.
A lot of the words ran together making it hard to read as a writer myself.
Also, I couldn't highlight and there was a lot of stuff I wanted to highlight.
A lot of the words ran together making it hard to read as a writer myself.
Also, I couldn't highlight and there was a lot of stuff I wanted to highlight.
September 5, 2022
Packed with biblical quotes from Christ himself and scores of passages of Scripture, Partridge calls Christian men back to biblical Christ-like masculinity. Not machismo or bravado, but Christ-filled courage. A short, pithy, courageous, and above all, biblical antidote to the modern, effemitate, helpless, unbiblical Jesus of pseudo-Christianity.
February 3, 2023
Solid, short introduction to Christ as a man and what that means. Perhaps most striking was the reminder that Christ became a male and not female. This of course only matters if you see men and women as non-interchangeable. Also his chapter on some of the defining characteristics of masculinity and how Christ showed those was excellent.
April 7, 2023
Dale. I loved this. Except this could've been a cut in half by removing the fluff and publishing it for free as an article. Instead of published into an almost-book (more like a booklet) that measured small enough to fit into the front pocket of my pants from the 7th grade...before I hit my growth spurt. And then sold for like $12-18?? Really? C'mon man.
January 12, 2024
This book should be on every Christian man's reading list. Dale Partridge offers both a diagnosis as to why the modern Church is failing and a solution in this book. Too many men are living lives that do not reflect the Lord Jesus Christ. This book reminds us of who we are to emulate and just how far we have fallen from the task.
September 28, 2022
convicting
First two chapters are a bit slow but the book I short, so the meat was still meaty. A good read for men and a reminder that the American Church needs to start discipling their boys to be men.
First two chapters are a bit slow but the book I short, so the meat was still meaty. A good read for men and a reminder that the American Church needs to start discipling their boys to be men.
December 31, 2022
Solid little book about the Masculine Savior and what He calls his Church to be. Balanced viewpoint that doesn't seek to turn to the other extreme by being macho but rather calls the Church to be bold and courageous just as our Savior was as He conquered Death triumphantly.
June 25, 2023
A must-read for men or the uninitiated.
A must-read for anyone looking for a true picture of what true masculinity is. In a world where no one can define what a man is or, for that matter, what a woman is, the author gives us a time-tested example of what masculinity is.
A must-read for anyone looking for a true picture of what true masculinity is. In a world where no one can define what a man is or, for that matter, what a woman is, the author gives us a time-tested example of what masculinity is.
March 5, 2025
This book was a great charge for men to follow the full range of attributes presented to us by Christ. We are called to share the gospel in love and gentleness while also calling out the evil of the world with vigor and aggression.
July 10, 2022
Really well written.
Short quick read that bring up great true points.
Short quick read that bring up great true points.
July 16, 2022
Great book and good reminder that yes Christ is the lamb of God but he is also the lion of Judah. This is commonly forgotten within the western church.
August 27, 2022
Abrupt and timely.
January 1, 2023
Short but dense
A quick read with a very intese amount of information. Quick, to the point, easy to understand, and most importantly, accurate.
A quick read with a very intese amount of information. Quick, to the point, easy to understand, and most importantly, accurate.
January 4, 2023
this was both the best and worst way to start my reading year
February 3, 2023
So so good!! The world needs more Authors and Pastors like Dale Partridge!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews