[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-199880-105":53,"doc-detail-199880-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","three-models-of-manhood-in-search-of-real-men","Three Models of Manhood - In Search of Real Men","","A biblical study that explores constructive models of manhood through three Scripture passages, examining how role, power, and imitation shape Christian masculinity. It questions where boys and men learn about “real men,” critiques simplistic adoption of biblical stories, and argues that models emerge through dialogue, prayer, and critical grappling. Three portraits are developed: a man of tombs characterized by death-wards strength without feeling; John the Baptist as man but not main with a supportive mandate; and Joseph as real man, responding to devastating circumstances with integrity.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":51,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/general/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/three-models-of-manhood-in-search-of-real-men/199880/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/three-models-of-manhood-in-search-of-real-men/199880.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Pentious","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-20","2026-09-04",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":76},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"Why does the study propose three Biblical passages for exploring manhood?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"It proposes a medley of three passages as sites to explore constructive models of manhood, while stressing that the Bible seldom provides ready-made models and that models must emerge through dialogue, prayer, and critical grappling.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What does the study say about the “man of tombs” as a model of manhood?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The man is portrayed as too strong yet unable to feel, living among tombs and seeking the status quo rather than change. The resulting picture of manhood includes brute strength, fear of change, and lack of neighborliness, and is described as not meant for imitation.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How is John the Baptist presented as “man but not main”?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"John the Baptist is highlighted for a simple lifestyle, clarity about his mandate and mission limits, and thriving in a supportive rather than leading role. The study argues it is possible to have impact without being the “main man,” trusting that “while I decrease He must increase.”","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},199880,1788507272,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":50,"category_name":51,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":76,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":76,"language":135,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":125,"read_time":9},1374404730887,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Three Models of Manhood: In Search of Real Men  \nby Prof TS Maluleke  \nModel 1: Mark 5:3-5  \n“...No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones”.  \nModel 2: Matthew 3:4  \n“John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey”.  \nModel 3: Matthew 18-19  \n“...Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ..., he had in mind to divorce her quietly”.  \nSearching for Models  \nWhere shall young boys and girls go to find and experience positive and constructive role models of men and manhood? Where do boys learn about masculinity? Indeed, where do men learn about manhood? Do they imitate the shenanigans of the male celebrity figure? Should they look up to the drug-dependent but ‘cool’ and ‘successful’ gangster? Must they dream of jobs as gun-totting marine soldiers ravaging some glamourized war zone in some far-away land inhabited by inferior or evil humans? Should the young mimic the manner, voice, style of the filthy rich male (tel)evangelist? In this Bible study I propose a medley of three Biblical passages as sites in which we may explore constructive models of manhood. But the Bible seldom provide us with ready made models, complete maps written to scale and answers invoking no further questions. Indeed, Biblical models of anything, can only emerge in dialogue, contestation, prayer and grappling. Simplistic, hasty and slavish adoption of stories about apparently successful men in the Bible as examples of model manhood may prove to be dangerous and counter-productive. As the medley of passages chosen for this study will show, there are some male examples not meant for imitation - even in the Bible. Some of the stories of apparently successful or unsuccessful men in the Bible are complex - yielding no easy answers - and therefore needing to be read both prayerfully and critically. Three models of manhood, derived from our readings are proposed below, namely, a) man of tombs, b) man but not main, and c) real man.  \nModel One: Man of Tombs  \nIt is neither accidental nor insignificant that the sick character with which Mark 5 opens is a man. Only a man could be like this! The five noteworthy things about this man are that he: a) was too strong physically, b) felt no pain, c) felt nothing, d) lived among the tombs, e) did not want to change or be changed. He had what many men dream of, unlimited, indestructible physical strength. He probably looked like the muscular athletic type who are the envy of all men and women. When he cut himself he felt no pain and probably cried out as a show of raw and brute force rather than pain. It seems that he had lost all sense of touch both physically and emotionally. The neighbours he chose and with whom he ‘lived’ were literally dead and buried - he lived ‘night and day among the  \ntombs’. Ironically he rushes towards Jesus to ask not for healing, but for the status quo tobe maintained, i.e. to be left unchanged in that state of unfeeling. The picture of manhood that emerges out of this man is a familiar and widespread one: brute strength, inability to feel, absolute lack of capacity for neighbourliness, fear of change and on friendly terms with death. This is a model of manhood that is not to be imitated! The man of tombs is man turned death-wards.  \nModel Two: Man but not Main  \nJohn the Baptist has seldom been seen as a model man. Because his major and selfprofessed role is that of herald and ‘road preparer’; he has often been regarded as being NOT the ‘real thing’ but as a metaphor pointing to the real man Jesus, who was to come. But I want to suggest that it is precisely his role as ‘road preparer’ that makes him a model man worth exploring. The traits to highlight about him are among others, a) a simple life-style - dressing in camel’s hair and having locusts ","cbCaimATqLqWAt7z","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaimATqLqWAt7z","pdf",21165,"English","# Three Models of Manhood - In Search of Real Men\n## Model 1: Mark 5:3-5\n## Model 2: Matthew 3:4\n## Model 3: Matthew 18-19\n## Searching for Models\n## Model One: Man of Tombs\n## Model Two: Man but not Main\n## Model Three: Real Man","[{\"question\":\"Why does the study propose three Biblical passages for exploring manhood?\",\"answer\":\"It proposes a medley of three passages as sites to explore constructive models of manhood, while stressing that the Bible seldom provides ready-made models and that models must emerge through dialogue, prayer, and critical grappling.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the study say about the “man of tombs” as a model of manhood?\",\"answer\":\"The man is portrayed as too strong yet unable to feel, living among tombs and seeking the status quo rather than change. The resulting picture of manhood includes brute strength, fear of change, and lack of neighborliness, and is described as not meant for imitation.\"},{\"question\":\"How is John the Baptist presented as “man but not main”?\",\"answer\":\"John the Baptist is highlighted for a simple lifestyle, clarity about his mandate and mission limits, and thriving in a supportive rather than leading role. The study argues it is possible to have impact without being the “main man,” trusting that “while I decrease He must increase.”\"}]","Three Models of Manhood - In Search of Real Men | PDF"]