The 1990s men’s movement carried rival visions including egalitarian masculinity

Evidence

Reflecting the unsettled times, no singular notion of masculinity dominated the evangelical men’s movement of the 1990s. Following Ed Cole’s lead, many evangelicals sought a middle path between an outmoded “macho” masculinity and the “softer” modern one they found lacking. They found the answer in “soft patriarchy.” Yet many other Promise Keepers speakers and writers hewed toward a more expressive and sometimes even egalitarian model. This is most clearly seen in Gary Oliver’s Real Men Have Feelings Too (1993), sold by the PK organization and championed by McCartney. Unlike Cole, Oliver rejected stark gender difference. He argued that traditional “masculine” traits (“bravery, strength, stoicism, an insatiable sex drive, a preoccupation with achievement”) were nothing more than “myths of masculinity.” Likewise, “gentleness, compassion, tenderness, meekness, sensitivity” were not essentially feminine characteristics, but rather healthy human ones—traits modeled by Jesus Christ himself. Oliver urged men to get in touch with their emotions and he rejected the patriarchal chain of command, instead endorsing egalitarian marriage. — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 350

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to the reader’s contestation of Du Mez’s thesis: here Du Mez herself concedes no singular masculinity dominated, suggesting the militant-masculinity strand was one among several.