Raising a Modern Day Knight

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: Excellant, specific work on how-to for fathers, sons, church
Review: An excellant work with specifics on how-to raise a modern day man (knight) in today's society. It does not dwell on the negative but spends its time on how to's. Best read as a group of three to five men who would like to put its contents into a real-life application. Should be a required standard in church libraries. Its practical steps not only help fathers raise modern day men, but these priciples would benefit any son to apply to their own lives as well as churches looking to start such a ministry.

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: Very Dangerous Pseudo-Biblical Program
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: Creates a bond between father and son that all dads need!
Review: Because of this book, I am greatly looking foward to beginning a special bond with my son that I may have never known.

Rating:
Summary: Passing on a Legacy of Godly Manhood
Review: Before reading this book, I had a pretty good grasp of what my role was in terms of raising my son, and that has not changed. What has changed is that Robert's book has given me a plan, and has helped to target my efforts in raising him toward Godly manhood. This book has helped to crystallize my vision for my son, and I am very thankful that I read the book in time to have some "running room" before confronting most of the major issues in his life! I have passed the book on to several people, and it is, without a doubt meeting a need in men's lives. Thanks to Robert Lewis for "leading courageously" and for his faithfulness to the Lord!

Rating:
Summary: If you have a son - You Have To READ This Book!
Review: Every son needs a father willing to do for him what Robert Lewis, Bill Wellons, and Bill Parkinson did for their sons! This is a great book! I am a mother of an 8 month old son that will some day turn into a "Modern-Day Knight". I know this, because he has a wonderful father that will teach him how to become a man. This book provides great insight and guidance. I would recommend this book to both mothers and fathers of sons, Christian or not.

Rating:
Summary: They should mention "christian" on the title page ...
Review: How can a man actually be a good father by passing on the ignorance of religion to his child? I actually thought "man my dad should have read this book", until I noticed that it was christian-oriented. My experience is that christianity *causes* a degree of passivity, increases the acceptance of ignorance and conformity, etc. Passing religion to a child encourages the lack of critical thinking, increases the blind trust of unknown people and organizations, etc. Almost every religious person I've known has been weak and passive, doesn't question authority, or simply defaults to always taking the religious-right-wing side of arguments without thinking any further about the issue. I have tried to hammer reason into the minds of religious people without success because they are so intent on believing what they've been convinced of through peer-pressure and unsubstantiated promises (lies). Just my 2cents that will be censored out by biased editors.

Rating:
Summary: Lewis Practices What He Preaches
Review: I am a young man who has read this book and attends Robert Lewis' church in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have twice attended his Men's Fraternity meetings in which he teaches many of the principles of this book, and have found them to be life-changing. I have no children and am single, but even those at my stage of life can profit from the principles in Raising a Modern Day Knight. Lewis is a genuine leader and sincerely practices what he teaches.

Rating:
Summary: Most moving and useful book I've read other than the Bible.
Review: I cannot say enough about Raising a Modern-Day Knight. I have already started utilizing the concepts and ideas provided. The impact has been tremendous! I will be leading a Sunday School class on this book starting in May. All I can say is, "Read it!"