Book Review: Man Up! The Quest for Masculinity by Jeff Hemmer
This review is part of the ‘Good Books’ series we are running over the coming months highlighting wonderful books which share God’s wisdom.
Jeffrey Hemmer’s Man Up! is an excellent resource for building up biblical masculinity in the Church. If you’re looking for a how-to guide to being a man, you’ll be tempted to skip to last few chapters of the book. But Pastor Jeff wisely begins by laying a strong biblical foundation, exploring man’s creation, fall and redemption through Jesus Christ, the true God who is also true Man.
Hemmer also has his eye on the culture and points out not only the extreme caricatures found on the left and right of politics, but also the murky middle in which most men find themselves. When exploring the cultural roots of our current crisis, he refuses to put the blame on others but urges men to take full responsibility for their own failings, regardless of the circumstances, and to look to Christ for restoration.
When Hemmer finally gets around to giving advice, he delivers a truckload. He takes Adam, Jesus and our heavenly Father as prime examples of what is means to be a man, a husband and a father. He gives practical instructions too, and notes the pitfalls and the extremes, helping men to keep to the straight and narrow.
Jeff’s jocular style makes for easy reading, although not everything he says is easy to read, and this is where his sense of humour helps the most. Hard truths and difficult commandments are not shied away from, but boldly addressed, wrestled with and pinned to the ground with all the gusto the author possesses. A true-blue American, he’s not afraid to say what he thinks, which may challenge certain readers, but he leaves each chapter open for further discussion, providing study questions and other exercises to help men digest the content, either in small groups or on their own.
Hemmer’s witty writing exudes a joy in God’s gift of manhood and in Christ’s victory over all of man’s sin. The title Man Up! is not only a call for men to rise to a higher standard, but also a proclamation of the Gospel: that in Christ, men are lifted up: forgiven of their sins, brought out of their own self-centredness and raised to rule with Him in His kingdom. Avoiding the legalism which is found in many books on the topic, Man Up! strengthens men by the power of both the Law and the Gospel to live in the image of Christ.
Thomas Krahling