Rating: 
Summary: Not quite as informative as it needs to be...
Review: I purchased this book on the recommendation of the men's group at my church. Although I do not have sons, I thought I could pass it along to my brother, who does have a son, and that I might glean some helpful information in raising my two daughters.First, several other reviewers have criticized the book for its "Christian" perspective, one even acts surprised that it is a Christian focused book. Frankly, it does not take much of a perusal to see that it is written from a Christian perspective, and one that is of a more conservative nature. That, plus the fact that it is no secret the primary author is a minister, should have tipped off those who are troubled by its Christian overtones. And the authors certainly were not hiding the fact that their faith is a big part of their writing this book. I have to wonder if those who are highly critical of the book were truly surprised and put off by this aspect of the book, or if they just wanted to take some shots at the religious beliefs of the authors. As to the book itself, I am a more moderate Christian (some friends might say liberal) so I did not find it to be quite the life-changing revelation some others have. Its general tone is overly conservative but I think the actual idea behind the book, i.e., raising a son to fulfill the mythic traditions of honor, duty, and such that is tied to knighthood, is excellent. And, you know, had my father done some of the things that are suggested in the book, I would have been excited and very much into it both as a child and teenager. If I am critical of anything in the book, it is that I think the ideas need fleshing out, a little more detail or alternatives, e.g., what can you do if you can't afford to by your son a ring with a special crest. And, perhaps in response to any "legitimate" complaints about its Christian perspective, the authors might consider addressing its use by non-Christians in some future edition. However, it is a very good guide to laying a foundation for raising a boy into a man, and I think the underlying theme that kind of gets lost in the arguments about its Christian perspective (involvement of a father in his son's life), is something both Christians and non-Christians should heed. I have passed the book along to my brother, although I don't know if he has read it yet, and I am trying to adapt some of the ideas to raising my daughters. All in all, whether you are Christian or not, this book provides some original and sound ideas for raising a son. And while I only give it three stars (I wish Amazon would add a half-star to each ranking level), it is a book I recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: They should mention "christian" on the title page ...
Review: As a father of 2 boys and 2 girls and a Christian seeking the Scriptures above all other voices for counsel, I find Lewis and Weber's narrow vision of manhood to be disturbing. There is nothing more dangerous than a half-truth taken as "The Truth". When we substitute any abstraction, whether it is "knighthood" or "wild at heart" for the person of Jesus Christ and the lives of the apostles, then we have swallowed our culture and blinded ourselves to the prophetic nature of God's call. One can find the roots of this book in the secular/Jungian men's movement literature starting with Joseph Campbell's <Hero with a Thousand Faces> and most popularly with Robert Bly's works. Whether the paradigm of knighthood is more pagan than Christian can be tested with one clear question.
Was Jesus Christ a knight? He certainly exhibited many of the chivalrous qualities the authors delineate, but ultimately, no, he was not a knight. He exhibited the knight's best qualities, but far less than those of a sage/rabbi, a healer, a servant, a prophet, and apostle of the Father, and a priest. No one ever called him the Aramaic equivalent of "knight". They called him teacher/rabbi or a prophet or healer or Messiah (the one role unique to him, not shared with his apostles). He himself saw himself as a physician, a servant of all, and especially the "Son of Man", his term for the "Suffering Servant" of Isaiah and Daniel.
Fundamentally, I don't doubt that this program is better than nothing at all, but I am afraid it will only continue to teach our boys to think of themselves as more special than girls, seek their own strength vs. God's, prone to fight first vs. make peace, and cover their vulnerabilities vs. sharing them in community, and finally increase their independence and individualism vs. interdependence in the Body of Christ. We need a balanced program of training young men to admire Jesus in all his traits and to seek a deep relationship with him through all means of grace, not merely a "vision, a code, etc."
Rating: 
Summary: A must for all Fathers and Sons
Review: I found this book to be an outstanding resource. I have two young boys and I plan on using the information shared in this book to help me introduce my sons to what it means to be a man. The principles shared in this book will help any father regardless of race, relegion or societal status. Dr. Lewis was able to help me deal with issues I had regarding the death of my father at a young age. I was concerned that because he died when I was 3 years old that I would have a problem passing on to my sons what it really means to be a man. I consider the information shared by Dr. Lewis to be priceless. I highly recommend this book to all men raising boys.
Rating:
Summary: What a great book!
Review: If you are serious about raising your son on how to be a man, this is the book for you! But you must read it with an open mind, because I learned alot about myself after my first time reading the book. After that, I was able to concentrate on how I wanted to be the father to my son that I think God wants me to be.
Rating:
Summary: EDUC 503 SJC
Review: Lewis, Robert (1997) Raising a Modern Day Knight. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers. If fathers are looking for a book to help them raise their sons into Godly men, then Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis is the book for them. Lewis has written an insightful book that can help fathers shepherd their sons into manhood. Lewis provides not only suggestions but also a plan: a plan that he has implemented with his own sons. Lewis writes that fathers no longer have a definition of manhood and lack a strategy that they can use to shape their sons into men. Using knighthood as inspiration, Lewis breaks down the stages of a knight to develop a definition, a process, and a few cerimonies that form a guide for fathers and their sons. The author's vision of manhood is one that fathers should look into. Lewis states that "A real man is one who rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects a greater reward...God's reward(60). If you are a father willing to invest time and energy in raising a son then Raising a Modern Day Knight should be on your book list.
Rating:
Summary: A Must for Every Dad With A Son
Review: Robert Lewis has written a top-notch, easy to understand, easy to implement book to help Christian dads rear godly, masculine sons. He defines a man as "....someone who rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects the greater reward." His definition of ideal manhood is excellent, especially his emphasis upon "rejecting passivity." Although he does not always lay out an exact plan for readers to follow without variation, he shares his own experiences and ideas as a suggested approach. The book is divided into five parts: The need for a modern-day knighthood, The Knight and his ideals, The Knight and his ceremonies, the Knight and his round table (community of men), and the Knight and his legacy. Part two, "The Knight and His Ideals" is alone worth the purchase price of the book. His suggestions for cermonies that celebrate a boy's advancement into manhood are creative. This book helped me come up with some related ideas. As a result of reading this book, I implemented a "Knights of Light" training seminar for our junior high boys (I am a pastor); I compiled info on courtesy, respecting women, etc., and we had a knighting ceremony for the guys that completed this training. Lewis has written a book that addresses a real gap in our culture; he understands masculinity, particularly Christian masculinity. Go for it, dad!
Rating:
Summary: Raising boys to be men in a polically correct world
Review: Thank you Mr. Lewis for providing us with a model to raise boys into men in a politically correct world. There are those, to be sure, who will take issue with the Lewis premise, but we have taken it to heart. In our schools, mass media and sadly even in many of our churches, there is a concerted effort to punish boys for being boys- do not play with guns, hunting is evil, and if they show any hint of testosterone dope them up with Ritalin. What have kind of harvest have we reap in the last thirty years of trying to raise gender neutral, sensitive boys, devoid of masculine violence? A raising rate of fatherlessness running up to eighty percent in some communities. But then again, who needs fathers? But the question needs to be asked- is raising modern day knights a biblical concept? Is knighthood and Christlikeness compatible? I think so. Certainly, Jesus never condemned the soldiers role. In fact, in both the gospels and the Book of Acts, Roman centurions serve as a model of what it means to be men of faith. Also, Romans 12 speaks of the role of the state, including the police and military, as instruments of God to keep the peace. Our boys need to learn how to be men. Raising a Modern Day Knight not the perfect model of how to train boys to be men, but it is a good model. We are using it as our church teaching our boys the four tenants of manhood promulgated by Lewis: A real man rejects passivity; a real man accepts responsibility; a real man leads courageously and finally, a real man expects the greater reward. Our boys, who can be expelled from school, if not arrested, for drawing a picture of a gun in school have learned how to safely handle and shoot rifles and shotguns, and have sliced watermelons with a saber. When these boys grow up and marry, they will be men who love, respect and protect their wives. They will provide their sons and daughters with a model of what a Christlike man looks like.
Rating:
Summary: Raising boys to be men in a polically correct world
Review: Thank you Mr. Lewis for providing us with a model to raise boys into men in a politically correct world. There are those, to be sure, who will take issue with the Lewis premise, but we have taken it to heart. In our schools, mass media and sadly even in many of our churches, there is a concerted effort to punish boys for being boys- do not play with guns, hunting is evil, and if they show any hint of testosterone dope them up with Ritalin. What have kind of harvest have we reap in the last thirty years of trying to raise gender neutral, sensitive boys, devoid of masculine violence? A raising rate of fatherlessness running up to eighty percent in some communities. But then again, who needs fathers? But the question needs to be asked- is raising modern day knights a biblical concept? Is knighthood and Christlikeness compatible? I think so. Certainly, Jesus never condemned the soldiers role. In fact, in both the gospels and the Book of Acts, Roman centurions serve as a model of what it means to be men of faith. Also, Romans 12 speaks of the role of the state, including the police and military, as instruments of God to keep the peace. Our boys need to learn how to be men. Raising a Modern Day Knight not the perfect model of how to train boys to be men, but it is a good model. We are using it as our church teaching our boys the four tenants of manhood promulgated by Lewis: A real man rejects passivity; a real man accepts responsibility; a real man leads courageously and finally, a real man expects the greater reward. Our boys, who can be expelled from school, if not arrested, for drawing a picture of a gun in school have learned how to safely handle and shoot rifles and shotguns, and have sliced watermelons with a saber. When these boys grow up and marry, they will be men who love, respect and protect their wives. They will provide their sons and daughters with a model of what a Christlike man looks like.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the strong minded man
Review: The book started out real strong and grabbed my attention through references that really struck home. In fact, the early references would probably appeal to the majority of men living in contemporary Western civilization. Thereafter however, the book takes an unwelcomed turn and employs religeous zealousness to make points. The author has some great insight, but the message would be better delivered in a more objective manner. My personal opinion ... I'd like to teach my two year old son to be a bit more critical and not to allow a bible to dictate his moral absolutes. The implication of "responsibility", after all, is the ability to stand on your own two feet.
Rating:
Summary: Very worthwhile
Review: The concept sounded hokey to me when a friend first described it, but a couple of years later I finally read it. Wow, what a great guide. I'm using this with my boys. One caution - if your boys are younger, it's still worth reading, but there's a temptation to try to rush them into some of the knighthood stuff. I started a little earlier with my first boy than was probably appropriate - he was a very precocious 7, but I'd still recommended waiting a couple of years. All in all, highly recommended. I'm buying copies for several friends.
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