unrelated but i'll shoehorn it in to shill eastern orthodoxy the true chirch that holds preserved and ancient interpretations and tradition which neither papism nor it's creation (yes, it's fault) protestantism as a whole, even the highest of higher church protestantism, cannot hold a finger to. theologically it's the only consistent one. politically, it's leaders are corrupt like the other three but they don"t change or dictate dogma and theow your world upside down like the pope does with papism causing insane mental gymanstics and semantics.  it's a like a time capsule of christianity.   ml in "the church impotent," cited above (and recommended by several of these men), leon podles offers a theory about how western christian piety became feminized. in the 12th-13th centuries a particularly tender, even erotic, strain of devotion arose, one which invited the individual believer to picture himself or herself (rather than the church as a whole) as the bride of christ. "bridal mysticism" was enthusiastically adopted by devout women, and left an enduring stamp on western christianity. it understandably had less appeal for guys. for centuries in the west, men who chose the ministry have been stereotyped as effeminate. a life-long orthodox layman says that, from the outside, western christianity strikes him as "a love story written for women by women." the eastern church escaped bridal mysticism because the great split between east and west had already taken place. the men who wrote me expressed hearty dislike for what they perceive as a soft western jesus. "american christianity in the last two hundred years has been feminized. it presents jesus as a friend, a lover, someone who 'walks with me and talks with me.' this is fine rapturous imagery for women who need a social life. or it depicts jesus whipped, dead on the cross. neither is the type of christ the typical male wants much to do with."
United States