Evangelical leadership faulted Eldredge’s theology but endorsed his warrior masculinity

Evidence

Randy Stinson, executive director of CBMW, took issue with Eldredge’s theology. Stinson alleged that Eldredge neglected the reality of sin, and he accused Eldredge of promulgating “an unbiblical view of God” by depicting God as a “risk-taker,” thereby implying that God did not have full knowledge of the future. Theological quibbles aside, Stinson praised Eldredge for rightly identifying several key problems: the feminization of men by our culture and churches, the emasculation of our boys, and the truth that “every man needs a battle for which he can live and die.” In other words, Eldredge based his conclusions on a faulty theological foundation, but those conclusions were nevertheless largely sound. A decade later, Stinson would follow in Eldredge’s footsteps, coauthoring his own book on “biblical manhood.” — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 400

Categorization

• XREF: The pattern — conceding theology, embracing conclusions — demonstrates how the militant-masculinity strand became dominant despite doctrinal objections. Relevance for the reader’s contest of Du Mez’s method.