Last week we started Men’s Leadership Training, a 10-week course on how men can be better men.  The objective is for us, as men, to see ourselves in light of who God has made us, how sin has messed us up, and how Jesus restores us.

Here is an overview of the course, a roadmap to understanding manhood:

Four Archetypes

An archetype is an ideal example of a type.  As far as masculinity goes, God has made men to embody four particular expressions of manhood.  These are the four spheres of a man’s life:

1. King: We have been given domains to rule
2. Cultivator: We harness the resources of our domains for sustenance and beauty
3. Protector: We secure our domains from entropy and enemies
4. Shepherd: We leave a legacy by training other men to be Kings, Cultivators, and Protectors

Eight Stereotypes

A stereotype is an exaggeration of a type.  These two opposing extremes are displayed when a man either abuses his sphere or abandons his sphere:

1. King:
   1. Power-Hungry (Abused)
   2. Passive (Abandoned)
2. Cultivator:
   1. Addict (Abused)
   2. Sluggard (Abandoned)
3. Protector:
   1. Manipulator (Abused)
   2. Coward (Abandoned)
4. Shepherd:
   1. Know-It-All (Abused)
   2. Fool (Abandoned)

Two Prototypes

A prototype is an original type or version of something that is the basis for later types.  There are two prototypes for masculinity:

1. Adam.  The first Adam led his family (including us) outside of God’s authority in an attempt to be his own god.  This sin obscured every aspect of masculinity, causing men to either abuse or abandon their domains.
2. Jesus Christ.  The second Adam, Jesus, ruled his life perfectly.  He demonstrated justice and wisdom in each sphere of his manhood, showing us what it means to be a true man.  Furthermore, he was God-in-the-flesh, and as such, his crucifixion is sufficient to atone for our sins, and his resurrection from the dead is sufficient to overcome death.

Men’s Leadership Training is on Wednesday nights from 5-8 at Molly Malones in Covington.