Reclaiming male erotic desire: Psychology, theology and pastoral practice

Abstract

Contemporary Western culture often leaves men confused or ashamed about their sexuality. The erosion of traditional male formation rites, combined with the rise of online subcultures such as the ‘manosphere’, has left many men adrift and vulnerable to nihilism or extremism. Within Christian contexts, male erotic desire is often framed primarily in terms of temptation and sin. This essay argues that such desire, when rightly ordered within a relational theological anthropology, is not an entitlement to be asserted, but a vocation to be lived: a sacred, formative call to self-giving love.
Contribution: Grounded in biblical texts, sacramental theology and contemporary psychology, particularly sociocultural learning theory and masculinity studies, the article develops this vocational framing through five movements: (1) surveying historical and theological perspectives on male erotic desire; (2) examining the cultural erosion of formative structures; (3) examining the therapeutic role of religious participation with regard to male desire; (4) assessing the potential of Christian participation to support redemptive integration as vocation, and (5) proposing pastoral practices, especially role modelling and communal rites of passage, while identifying safeguards against their distortion. The essay concludes with a call for Christian communities to reclaim their role in forming men who embody integrity, emotional depth and the capacity to flourish in committed relationships.