Recommended Resources for Men

Absent Fathers, Lost Sons: The Search for Masculine Identity: Corneau, Guy (Boston: Shambhala, 1991); The author, a psychoanalyst, traces the scars on men that are due to their father’s silence or absence—sometimes literal, but especially emotional and spiritual.
Adam’s Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation: Rohr, Richard (New York: Crossroad, 2004); Recognizing the need for men to deepen their spiritual life, Rohr emphasizes the importance of initiation and being part of a learning group. The five essential messages of initiation are: “Life is hard. You are not that important. Your life is not about you. You are not in control. You are going to die.”
Becoming the Kind Father: A Son’s Journey [RTF: 16 pp/205 KB]: Sandborn, Calvin (Gabriola Island, BC: New Society, 2007); Sandborn shares his personal story as he moves from the experiences of having a harsh father to learning how to be a kind father to himself. This guide offers helpful insights for the millions of men who want to become kinder human beings. Sandborn offers a heartfelt call for an expression of manhood that is open to feeling one’s feelings, and being kind and gentle to oneself rather than being harsh and critical. A small group program for this book is available.
A Blue Fire: Selected Writings by James Hillman: Hillman, James, and Thomas Moore, eds. (New York: Harper Perennial, 1991); Hillman is a major figure of the men’s movement associated with Robert Bly and Michael Meade.
Boy into Man: A Father’s Guide to Initiation of Teenage Sons: Weiner, Bernard(San Francisco: Transformation Press, 1992); Weiner’s book describes a group of men taking their sons away for a weekend of intentional ritual.
Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man: Keen, Sam (New York: Bantam Books, 1991); Keen’s excellent book is highly readable and deals with the issues around separating from the world of Woman, which are often overlooked in books focusing on the father–son wound.
Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men: Maul, Derek (Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 2007); Maul stresses the importance of spiritual formation in the context of deliberate Christian community. His focus is on men deepening their personal relationship with God and growing in discipleship through Christian community and Christian spiritual disciplines.
He: Understanding Masculine Psychology: Johnson, Robert A. (New York: HarperCollins, 1989); Johnson looks at masculine psychology from the perspective of the Holy Grail myth.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Campbell, Joseph (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1972); Campbell’s numerous writings are acknowledged as the Bible on mythology and are frequently referred to by many leaders of the men’s movement.
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey toward an Undivided Life: Palmer, Parker (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass); Palmer encourages “circles of trust” in which, through pen sharing, each person learns to get in touch with his “inner teacher.” The author’s concern is that people today are internally divided and need to “rejoin soul and role” so individuals and communities can be healed from the ravages of consumerism, injustice, and violence.
How to Start and Sustain a Faith-Based Men’s Group: Scroeder, John (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2003); A simple and clearly written practical guide that contains wisdom on getting a faith-based men’s group going and keeping it going. This book includes tips and suggestions on what to do and not do. An excellent resource for starting a men’s group in your congregation.
In the Middle of This Road We Call Our Life: The Courage to Search for Something More: Jones, James W. (New York: HarperCollins, 1995); A professor of religion and a practising clinical psychologist, Jones has found that the crises we face in life, love, and work demand comprehensive spiritual answers. Here he weaves together the personal stories of his patients with the insights he has gained from years of counselling and teaching. This book explores the spiritual search as a way to answer our deepest longings and find our true selves.
The Invisible Partners: How the Male and Female in Each of Us Affects Our Relationships: Sanford, John A. (New York: Paulist Press, 1984)
I Don’t Want to Talk about It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression: Real, Terence (New York: Scribner, 1997)
Iron John: A Book about Men: Bly, Robert (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1990); Drawing on poetry, mythology, old world folklore, and Jungian psychology, Bly encourages men to get in touch with the rich history of a deep male self-understanding that can help them become more independent emotionally and thereby develop healthier interdependent relationships.
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine: Moore, Robert, and Douglas Gillette (San Francisco: Harper, 1990); Moore and Gillette are leading figures in the area of male archetypes and now also have separate books for the Warrior, Magician, and Lover. This 1990 book is the entry point for their ideas.
Man to Man: Recovering the Best of the Male Tradition: Milton, Ralph (Kelowna, BC: Wood Lake Books, 1993); An in-depth reflection on the stories of David in the Hebrew scripture. Milton uses questions to invite the reader to make connections between the events in David’s life and our own issues as men. Designed to be used in a small group.
Mid-Life: Psychological and Spiritual Perspectives: Brewi, Janice, and Anne Brennan (York Beach, ME: Nicolas Hays, 2004); Brewi and Brennan’s writings are an excellent blend of Jungian psychology and Christian spirituality. Their midlife workshops are great.
Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life: Sheehy, Gail (New York: Bantam Books, 1984)
The Portable Jung: Jung, C.G., Joseph Campbell, ed., and R.F.C. Hull, trans. (New York: Viking, 1976); This book covers Jung’s writings on midlife, structure of the self, anima/animus, shadow, archetypes, dreams, and so on.
Spirited Men: Story, Soul and Substance: Doyle, Brian (Lanham, MD: Cowley, 2004); Doyle reflects on the lives and wisdom of a wide group of men, including Plutarch, William Blake, Robert Louis Stevenson, James Joyce, and Van Morrison, seeing them as men of “immense spiritual substance, prayerful fury, enormous grace” and men concerned with the “moral grapple” and “the sinuous crucial puzzle of love.” In telling the stories of these talented, troubled, and extraordinary men, Doyle discerns clues about how to be a good man, headlong in the pursuit of love, and capable of greatness.
Toward a Male Spirituality: Carmody, John (Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1992)
Under Saturn's Shadow: The Wounding and Healing of Men (Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts, No. 63): Hollis, James (Toronto: Inner City Books, 1994)
Understanding Men’s Passages: Discovering the New Map of Men’s Lives: Sheehy, Gail (New York: Ballantine, 1998); Hundreds of bold, imaginative men—celebrities as well as everyday heroes—share their most intimate desires, deepest fears, and fervent cravings for renewal. Decade by decade, Sheehy uncovers the real issues facing men today: finding new passion and purpose to invigorate the second half of their lives, dealing with “manopause,” surviving job change, enjoying post-nesting zest, defeating depression, and learning what keeps a man young.
What Are They Saying about Masculine Spirituality?: James, David (New York: Paulist Press, 2002); An excellent summary of many of the key writers on masculine spirituality. This book calls men to “soul work”—the sometimes frightening journey into our own depths.
What Men Are Like: Sanford, John A., and George Lough (New York: Paulist Press, 1988); Sanford’s book is excellent coverage from a Jungian perspective including stuff on midlife, the anima, dreams, sexual fantasies, and much more.
Wildmen, Warriors and Kings: Masculine Spirituality and the Bible: Arnold, Patrick M. (New York: National Book Network, 2002)
Your Golden Shadow: Discovering and Fulfilling Your Undeveloped Self: Miller, William A. (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1992); Miller’s work on the shadow and Sanford’s on anima/animus issues are both highly recommended.

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