Richard Rohr is a Franciscan monk who is well known for his writings on manhood and sacred initiation on the hero’s journey.
Rohr summarised a lifetime’s work into the following maxims that distinguish men from boys.
He offers a template for a practical and pragmatic spiritual life, where men are useful, productive, sensitive and strong.
Five Truths of Manhood
- You are going to die
- Life is hard
- You are not that important
- Your life is not about you
- You are not in control of the outcome
Failure to realise these truths condemns a man to a life of childhood.
“The purpose of a man is to look after all the life around him
Plants, animals, people, land
Everybody standing up alive
Everybody beautiful”
David Mowaljarlai Am, Ngarinyin elder
Sources
Manhood, Biddulph, 2015