> Bill Peirson Case #76 Masculinity

Editorial: Masculinity

October 01, 2026

William L. Peirson

If the quantity of articles, columns, videos, and podcasts being churned out on the topic of masculinity is anything to go by, our society has a lot of questions about what it means to be a man in today’s world.

This is not surprising. We’ve spent decades thinking about ‘the second sex’, but until recently, seem to have assumed things are straightforward for boys and men. But things have changed for everyone. Men and boys are navigating a world in which many of their traditional roles are now either shared with women, or no longer there at all. Male role models are harder to come by as many children grow up with absent fathers and spend less time in physical social spaces. Devices fill long hours, and manospherical influencers muscle in on territory traditionally occupied by sharing real life with older and wiser men. Accusations of toxicity and constant warnings about what to do (and not do) around women can make it feel easier to avoid the minefield and turn to apparently consequence-free substitutes like pornography and AI companionship.

In the midst of this upheaval, is there a ‘right’ way to be a man? If so, what does it look like? And what wisdom does the Bible have to offer? It is into this arena we have launched our latest edition of Case. We have sought to do so with respect and kindness. Respect, because Christianity insists that respect is due to all people, as all are formed in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Kindness, because issues of sex and gender are intrinsic to who we are as people and can be conflicted.

The articles take on questions of masculinity from different angles. Patricia and Kamal Weerakoon help us understand a key biological driver of masculinity. Starting at conception, they track the influence of testosterone throughout the typical healthy male lifespan, before turning to the clinical uses and trending abuses of ‘T’ and their long-term consequences. Marshall Ballantine-Jones dives into the manosphere and finds the biggest dangers facing young men may not be the ones we expect. Craig Foster directly addresses Christian husbands on the topic of coercive control, pointing out the warning signs and offering a biblical way forward. And fathers Rory Shiner and Tim Adeney share their wisdom and experience gleaned over years of raising sons and daughters respectively.

Many years ago, a girlfriend asked me whether I had a personal hero. My view than, as it is now, is that if we have Christ, do not need heroes. For men, particularly, I believe that we see in Jesus what it means to be truly masculine—to use strength to serve, to lead others to goodness, to have courage to bless in the midst of hostility, to be willing to die to see others saved. This lies counter to nearly everything we see in our popular culture.

My prayer for all our readers, as always, is that they will be blessed as they consider what is inscribed on these pages.