Stan McConnell

I started reading this book today. I was entralled by the bright cover image. I was startled by the large capital letters. Even more though, it was the latest in a long line of books I've been reading about what it means to be a man or more specifically a man as God intended. What John Elredge started (Wild at Heart), Paul Coughlan continues. It's different here though.

No one would really argue about John Elredge's angle. Surely men are supposed to be wild. It appeals to the classic idea which are more or less reinforced in the culture around - men go fishing, hunting (some men do) and basically stuff that men would like to do. We all want to live an adventure, fight a battle, and rescue a beauty. I don't know of anyone who is offended by that.

No More Christian Nice Guy is another beast entirely. Niceness is wrong is the basic premise. Jesus was not only wild, but he was offensive, subversive, rude, impatient and used righteous sarcasm - all that and an agressive sense of humour. Yep, Jesus sounds pretty, well, unnice. Coughlan is also critical of the feminist movements and an idea that often thought but seldom said that women are ever so slightly more Spiritual then women. As crazy as this all sounds, I tend to agree with his ideas. Niceness is basically pleasing other people and as long as that takes a high place in our value scheme, we're ineffective in our Godly mandate and often lying to ourselves. Niceness - so overrated.

I should be finish the book in the next week if anyone wants to borrow it.
Leave some comments, I want to hear what people think.