Books for Men: "Thoughts For Young Men" by J.C. Ryle
#1 in an occasional series
There’s no end to books about men, by men, for men. Especially today, when the “manosphere” is full of such books, and even more full of books-in-modern-forms - X threads, TikTok clips, and the YouTube videos that form the base diet for many men.
With all that being said, I thought it might be a good idea to start an occasional series that reviews classic texts on the subject. Most of these will skew modern, but I’ll be adding older ones as I come across them.
Have one you’d like me to cover? Drop a comment here, or mention it in the subscriber chat.
Back to the classics
We’re starting this series with J.C. Ryle’s Thoughts for Young Men. I read it for the first time years ago, then revisited it this week.
Let’s dive in.
Author Bio
John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) served as the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. He lived to be 84, wrote prolifically, and often focused on practical as well as theological subjects.
Thoughts for Young Men is probably the peak of the “practical” side. It’s not necessarily a book loaded with “how-to” instructions. He doesn’t tell young men to hit the gym, or learn a trade, or travel more.
Instead, his practical advice focuses on getting young men to understand that they will need to walk a hard path - particularly young men who are Christians. There will be challenges and opposition, and if you’re not practically prepared to face them, well:
The devil uses special diligence to destroy the souls of young men, and they don't seem to know it.
This, in essence, is his primary focus.
Book Outline
After several pages explaining the dangers facing young men in the church, and building the need for advice to combat those dangers, the core of the book looks at the problem from three sides:
Dangers facing young men
General advice for facing those dangers
Specific counsel (think a “tips and tricks” section
I won’t detail his whole outline here. But as an example of the power of his writing, consider a section from the “dangers” part.
Ryle identifies several common weaknesses most young men face:
Pride
Love of Pleasure
Thoughtlessness
Contempt of Christianity
Fear of Man’s Opinion
Just think of how many (modern) societal woes could fit into that paradigm.
Abuse, particularly the sexual abuse found at colleges everywhere. and bullying all have a root cause pride.
Laziness, general lack of momentum, and the basic “mom’s basement” stereotype? Love of Pleasure.
Casual misogyny, cruelty, and general boorishness often stem from thoughtlessness and its close cousin, selfishness.
And yes - I’ll blame the general breakdown in male communities, male friendships, and men’s mental health on the last two points, which are often connected. It’s a fear of man’s opinion that often drives men away from church and Christianity.
Main Themes
Thoughts for Young Men is a short book; it runs to roughly 40 pages. I have no desire to make this review any longer than the book, so let me cherry-pick a couple main themes that would apply especially well for today’s men, however young.
Start now
Ryle, writing to young men, spends much time warning about lost chances and missed opportunities. Don’t miss out on the chance to live without regrets in the future because you made right choices now!
Applied specifically to non-Christians, Ryle of course pleads for young men to realise the value of Christ and the Christian walk. He also applies that idea more generally, calling on young men to live their lives now in preparation for the future. For Ryle, that means avoiding everything from sexual immorality to a hedonistic lifestyle that precludes future opportunities.
Don’t gamble on the future
There’s a classic Christian message that calls on people to remember that no one knows how much time we have on this earth. Often, this can come across as a “scare tactic”, and sometimes it is. Sometimes, I dare say, it should be.
But there’s another way to look at it. Ryle argues that young men often plan, consciously or unconsciously, on a “late conversion” - in other words, there’ll be time enough for this Christian stuff later. For now, it’s off to Ibiza!
Or to use another example; too often, we men seem to assume that we’ll be Henry V.
Sure, right now we’re “Prince Harry”, hanging out on the seedy side of town, wasting our time and our lives with wine, women, and song. Or the modern equivalent - Xbox, fast food, and OnlyFans.
But of course, when and if a crisis comes, we’d certainly rise to the occasion. Just like Henry V, we’d shake off all those old associates right away and become great overnight.
That’s a lie.
Sure, SOME men can make that transformation overnight. But the vast majority of us have to work for it. We men don’t transform instantly. We start with a block of marble, and we have to chip away - a bit here, and bit there - until we’ve shaped ourselves into a statue worth admiring.
And when we mentally plan to be Henry V, we create an excuse to dodge a lot of that hard work.
Takeaways
Make some time to read Thoughts for Young Men. There’s a PDF version here, or you can find a physical copy from your preferred online shop.
Ryle’s work is a call to young men to not waste their lives, and to follow Christ - and the two ideas are inextricably linked.
Not young anymore? Don’t panic. The advice still applies - just consider “now” your starting point, and move forward!
Feedback
Enjoying the emails? Please pass them on. And in the meantime, I’m looking for other classic books for men to review as part of this series. Let me know any recommendations!