My book received an excellent review by Fred Fontz, who gave me permission to share it on my blog.
"4.5 stars that fell like it deserved to be rounded up rather than rounded down.
Admittedly, “Hearty Masculinity” is a Christian book written by a Christian author. I grew up in the church, but I haven’t actively participated in it for about a decade, so I was genuinely curious how I would receive a book that eventually places faith at the center of its message. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Two things jumped out almost immediately. First, this is an incredibly personal book. Chris Halverson absolutely writes himself into these pages. His experiences, beliefs, struggles, personality, and passion are all part of the story. Second, the book is incredibly well researched. Halverson references roughly two dozen other books throughout his writing and provides additional recommendations for readers who want to continue learning. He doesn’t simply present his opinions as fact. He consistently connects his ideas to a much larger body of work.
I really liked the structure of the book. The first half focuses primarily on the individual, exploring goals, values, vocation, time management, relationships, and what it means to live intentionally. The second half brings faith more directly into the conversation. I think that progression makes the book much more approachable. It gives readers, especially those who may be skeptical of the religious component, an opportunity to get comfortable with Halverson and his ideas before diving deeper into Christianity. In fact, Halverson addresses those skeptics almost immediately. He does so with compassion rather than judgment, seemingly understanding that some readers may have their guard up long before they reach the second half.
Halverson is particularly good at taking big concepts and making them manageable. Goals, values, vocation, relationships, and time management aren’t revolutionary topics, but he gives them purpose and connects them to everyday life. I especially liked the goal-setting worksheet he designed and included in the book. It’s one of those practical tools that takes the discussion beyond philosophy and gives the reader something they can actually use.
His discussion of masculinity also worked really well for me. Rather than simply criticizing stereotypical male behavior, Halverson gently challenges men to do better. There were several relatively simple ideas that stuck with me. His observation that men often build friendships better “shoulder to shoulder” rather than face to face made a lot of sense. Male friendships frequently develop through doing something together rather than sitting down with the explicit purpose of building a relationship. I also really liked his advice not to confuse “roommate stuff” with “marriage stuff.” It’s a simple reminder to keep everyday annoyances in perspective and remember what actually matters in a marriage. His discussion of God being present in the “last, lost, and least” also stuck with me.
One area I appreciated but questioned was Halverson’s passion for liturgy. He clearly finds tremendous meaning in its structure, progression, and purpose, and that passion comes through beautifully in his writing. I don’t question what it means to him, but I do wonder whether the average churchgoer experiences the liturgy with that same level of intentionality. I suspect plenty of Christians simply go through the motions or participate without thinking deeply about why each piece exists. That’s not necessarily a criticism of Halverson’s argument, but because liturgy becomes such an important part of the book, I think it’s a question worth considering.
My other minor criticism is that the writing can occasionally get a little wordy. Phrases like “let’s be grounded in orthopraxy” or “Paul’s forgiveness can feel perfunctory” aren’t exactly everyday language. Those moments stood out because so much of the rest of the book is remarkably approachable.
Overall, I enjoyed “Hearty Masculinity” much more than I expected. That’s not because I questioned Halverson as an author or because I’m particularly anti-church. I simply didn’t expect a faith-centered book on masculinity to connect with me as much as this one did.
Halverson manages to weave his personality together with knowledge, compassion, humor, and grace. He is clearly passionate about bringing people into the church, but somehow that invitation rarely feels pushy. He’s calling people toward faith without making the reader feel like they’re being cornered into it. There is no accusatory sermon or Sunday-morning-knock-at-the-door feeling here. Instead, Halverson presents what he believes, explains why it matters to him, and invites the reader to consider it for themselves.
That approach made all the difference for me."
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