The Church Impotent (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This groundbreaking book should be read by everyone concerned about the future of Christianity." -- St. Anthony Messenger

"This volume will certainly invite an important discussion." -- National Catholic Reporter

Product Description

After documenting the highly feminized state of Western Christianity, Dr. Podles identifies the masculine traits that once characterized the Christian life but are now commonly considered incompatible with it. In an original and challenging account, he traces this feminization to three contemporaneous medieval sources: the writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the rise of scholasticism, and the expansion of female monasticism. He contends that though masculinity has been marginalized within Christianity, it cannot be expunged from human society. If detached from Christianity, it reappears as a substitute religion, with unwholesome and even horrific consequences. The church, too, is diminished by its emasculation. Its spirituality becomes individualistic and erotic, tending toward universalism and quietism. In his concluding assessment of the future of men in the church, Dr. Podles examines three aspects of Christianity-initiation, struggle, and fraternal love-through which its virility might be restored.

In the otherwise stale and overworked field of "gender studies," The Church Impotent is the only book to confront the lopsidedly feminine cast of modern Christianity with a profound analysis of its historical and sociological roots. Dr. Podles presents the fruit of his meticulous scholarship in a lucid and readable style thoroughly accessible to the non-specialist.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Spence Publishing; 1st edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890626198
• ISBN-13: 978-1890626198
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,651 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating examination, February 2, 2001

By	Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Many people have noted, and worried about, the fact that men are so much less likely to regularly attend church in the West than women. In this book, Leon Podles examines this phenomenon from a historical perspective, and concludes that it is not a new problem, but one that extends all the way back to the thirteenth century! Immediately following that, the author takes a powerful look at masculinity (as opposed to maleness, the mere fact of being a male of the species) from the viewpoints of biology, developmental psychology, and anthropology. Then, there are chapters that trace the evolution of Judaism and the first millennium church, neither of which suffered from a lack of men. Finally, the author examines the changes in Christian thinking that began in the thirteenth century, follows trends in masculine development in the absence of Christian influence, and finally provides some suggestions on reversing this "feminization" of the church.

As a man, I found that this book spoke to me. The author's examination of masculinity was powerful, striding far beyond what I have read in other "men's" books. The problem that the author proposes is both subtle and profound. I believe that the author's examination of the men produced outside of Christian beliefs (e.g. love, hope and charity) means that women should also be concerned about this problem. Therefore, let me recommend this book to all believers.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sanity at last, September 15, 2001

By	Anthony M. Esolen (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

There is a scene in C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles in which one of the children says to another, about the Christ-figure Aslan, "After all, you know, he isn't a TAME lion." And I believe it was Lewis also who said that perhaps Goodness was a more terrifying thing than we had imagined. Mr. Podles' book reminds us of at least one reason why men do not go to the modern mainline and Catholic churches: it is because those churches have tamed Jesus Christ, and NO LONGER TREMBLE BEFORE HIS MAJESTY. Those Churches are, fundamentally, not serious about what they are doing.

How many people realize that, in the whole of the Gospels, aside from his greeting Nathaniel with the words, "Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile," Jesus never praises his disciples, never says that they are good people, never allows them to celebrate themselves; he promises them rewards, but those are for giving up all they have and following him. Indeed, Jesus is often quite sharp with them: "If you, WHO ARE WICKED, know how to give good things," "Get thee behind me, SATAN," "O YE OF LITTLE FAITH." Yet the disciples follow him. Why? Mr. Podles knows why -- men look up to those who love them enough to strengthen them, to discipline them, to make them undertake the arduous adventure. Podles' description of the Penitentes in New Mexico made me wish that I, too, could show my love for Christ in such a drastic way; it nearly made me weep.

But I suppose what most endears this book to me, and what most infuriates me about the rather niggling criticism it has received in two of the reviews here, is that it bothers to take the winning of men's souls seriously, something which the Churches, in their lukewarm love, have found too inconvenient or upsetting to do! How comfortable our mainline Churches have become -- old biddies' clubs! Niceness and smiley faces are not going to save the soul of the tattooed man on the streetcorner: who, by the way, probably has a man's keen and ruthless insight into what is merely sentimental and phony. If he is to be saved, Christ must do the work -- and the one who preaches Christ to him had better have Authority in his -- and I use the pronoun advisedly -- voice.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Right Question! Right Answer?, August 24, 2001

By	Mark A. Tusken "saintmarker" (Geneva, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Why is a woman more likely involved in Christendom than a man? That's the question. Chapter six suggests that for the first thousand years men and women were equally involved in the life and leadership of the church. Through the influence of the Scholastics and their Aristotelian reasoning a feminization begin to take hold. That's the answer. Podles has a Ph.D from Virginia in English and it is clear he has done his homework. I highly recommend the book. I gave it four stars instead of five because I am not sure the book will convince anyone or change any minds! I read it as a conservative and resonated with it. But I had to ask myself what would be the reaction of my more liberal thinking friends. I do not think it will change their minds about much. This is a book for everyone. Conservatives will enjoy his answers and liberals will enjoy his questions! And all of us need to ask, along with the author, "If Jews Muslims and the Eastern Orthodox have solid participation from men, how can the church impact men in western Christendom?"