May 2007
Understanding Men by David Murrow 
(excerpts from the book "Why Men Hate Going to Church")
What Cultural Anthropology Teaches Us About Men
Cultural anthropology has much to say about male and female roles, why these roles were established, and how they play out in society – and in the church today. Let’s consider the hunter/gatherer model…
Social scientists use the hunter/gatherer model to explain a variety of human behaviors that persist today. Men love the outdoors, including hunting and fishing. Men derive joy from catching their own food, even though it’s often cheaper and easier to buy it at the supermarket. Men on the hunt had to be silent and became experts at non-verbal communication. Gatherer-women seem better able to keep lots of small details in their heads. Hunter-men seem more likely to develop tunnel vision and focus on a single target. These differences play out not only in our relationships; they appear in church settings as well. So is church easier for hunters or gatherers?
Men Tend to be Project Oriented – Because men focused all their energy on hunting, they tended to become project oriented. Their lives consisted of planning for the hunt, going on the hunt, celebrating the hunt, and resting from the hunt - Plan; work; celebrate; rest. This is a man’s natural cycle. The gatherer’s camp-based life was more predictable. Women improved their lives by creating systems that made their lives easier. They became program oriented. A program is a clever method of organizing people and resources to meet ongoing needs. So is today’s church project or program oriented? A church that wants to involve men will offer more project-based ministry opportunities. Projects have a clear objective, an exit point and involve the four elements of male engagement: plan, work, celebrate, rest.
Men Tend to be Outdoor Oriented – The hunter’s domain was the outdoors. Meanwhile the gatherer’s domain was the indoors – the safety and security of hearth and home. So where does 99 percent of Christian worship take place? Indoors. Christian classes? Indoors. Seminary training? Indoors. Men who say, “I feel closer to God out in the woods,” are not lying. For men, God lives outside. The great moments in Jesus’ ministry came while He was outdoors. If you want to reach men, move as much of your church’s ministry as possible outdoors. Open the windows of your sanctuary; let the light in. When in doubt, move it out!
Men Were the Warriors – Besides hunting, men had a very important secondary job: waging war against rival bands. Men must realize they are playing for keeps. They are in a battle against a real adversary who wants to destroy them. Men need to fight an evil one, not just evil as a concept. This is why there’s always a bad guy in the movies. Without a real threat from a real enemy, men don’t want to fight.
Men Were Called to Self-Sacrifice – Throughout history, men have known that one day they might have to sacrifice themselves for the good of the tribe. In Christianity, we have a hero who lays down his life for the good of others: Christ Himself. When we tell the story of His sacrifice, we speak to the hearts of men. Deep in his heart, every man has a desire to expend himself for a great cause. Men are drawn to religions where self-sacrifice is a real possibility. If you doubt this, look at what’s happening in Islam.
Religion Has Traditionally Been the Domain of Men – For thousands of years in societies the world over, men have taken the lead in religious life. Men have had the sacred role of passing faith to the next generation. But modern Christians have rewritten this ancient equation: women are now the keepers of the faith, transmitting religion to the next generation, while men focus on the secular aspects of life. When it comes to spiritual matters, society has always followed the lead of men. Unless Christianity reengages men, its influence will continue to wane.
Read the other articles in this issue:
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