Truly Human, Fully Male: Christ the Model of Manhood (MP3)

Christ was fully human in the measure that he was a man, a male individual. Yet, as Christian tradition has always struggled with the tendency to deny Christ's full humanity, so today, in an age of "toxic masculinity," we find a commonplace effort to downplay or stifle any talk of Christ's maleness.

Guided by the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, this talk will highlight how the doctrine of the Incarnation demands full affirmation of Christ's male sexuality, that is, of Christ's assumption of a male-structured human nature. Acting in a male-conditioned yet also sinless manner, Christ thereby provides an example of "manly" moral action, of which the Gospels supply ample evidence. This talk will give particular attention to the way Christ acts as a model of manly courage, of manly chastity, and of manly headship.