What is biblical masculinity? A guide for Christian men
In this episode of Faith & Clarity, Dr. Mark Turman sits down with Dr. Chris Harper of BetterMan Ministries to discuss confidence and courage amid cultural confusion about identity, gender, and purpose. Dr. Harper shares how he came to faith in his late 20s, pursued theological training, and shifted his ministry focus to “go after the men,” now leading BetterMan, a redesigned iteration of Men’s Fraternity for millennials and Gen Z. Together, they explore why the church has emphasized restoration more than formation, stressing that “you can’t become what you can’t define,” and distinguish toxic masculinity from biblical masculinity by framing the true opposite of masculinity as immaturity.
Dr. Harper outlines BetterMan’s definition of manhood as the joyful pursuit of sacrificial responsibility and its “four Ws”: Word, woman, work, and world. The conversation also addresses men’s isolation, the loss of intergenerational discipleship, fatherlessness, responsibility in parenting, and guarding against late-life moral failure, closing with an encouragement for younger men to seek guides and for older men to reengage.
Topics
- (0:00) Introduction
- (4:04) Dr. Chris Harper faith story
- (7:05) BetterMan origins
- (7:59) Why men need clarity
- (16:30) Millennials need a guide
- (21:11) Toxic vs biblical manhood
- (23:19) Four Ws of manhood
- (27:37) Why men feel isolated
- (30:18) Rebuilding generational discipleship
- (31:57) Homogenous church trap
- (37:57) Acts 2 vision and dreams
- (40:09) Fatherhood priorities at 14
- (42:34) Raising responsible young adults
- (46:55) Anxiety addictions and worship
- (54:22) Conclusion
Resources
- BetterMan website
- Ask Us Anything: info@denisonforum.org
- Sign-up for a Denison Forum newsletter: DenisonForum.org/subscribe
About Dr. Chris Harper
Dr. Chris Harper is passionate about biblical manhood and fatherhood, and often speaks on topics such as a man’s identity in Christ and the importance of being a gospel-centered husband and father. Chris received his Master's degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and his Doctorate from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Chris and his wife, Ally, live with their four children - Scarlett, Malachi, Calvin, and Oliver - in Arlington, Texas. In addition to his family, Chris loves pickup basketball and a good cheeseburger, and firmly believes Jordan is better than LeBron.
About Dr. Mark Turman
Dr. Mark Turman serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigate today’s complex culture with biblical truth. He is best known as the host of the Faith & Clarity podcast and the lead pastor of the Possum Kingdom Lake Chapel, the in-person congregation of Denison Ministries.
Dr. Turman is the coauthor of Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design and Who Am I? What the Bible Says About Identity and Why it Matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He later completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco.
Before joining Denison Forum, Mark served as a pastor for thirty-five years, including twenty-five years as the founding pastor of Crosspoint Church in McKinney, Texas. Mark and his high school sweetheart, Judi, married in 1986. They are proud parents of two adult children and grandparents to three grandchildren.
About Denison Forum
Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of our day from a biblical perspective, helping believers discern today’s news and culture through the lens of faith. Led by Dr. Jim Denison and a team of contributing writers, we offer trusted insight through The Daily Article, a daily email newsletter and podcast, along with articles, podcasts, interviews, books, and other resources. Together, these form a growing ecosystem of Christ-centered content that equips readers to respond to current events not with fear or partisanship, but with clarity, conviction, and hope. To learn more visit DenisonForum.org.
All episodes are produced by Sound of a Rose. For more information, you can visit soundofarose.com.
