Detox! The Spiritual Path of Jesus for Twenty-First Century Men

The souls of men in the 21st Century are in a crisis of Toxic Masculinity, acculturated into violent, sexually exploitative, misogynistic, and racially intolerant behaviors and ways of thinking. 2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth provided a cure, setting the lives of men on fire and turning the world upside down. He challenged violent presumptions, treated women as equals, and showed men how to love their enemies and serve the least-valued and outcast of society. The love of God he revealed and lived was so powerful that human history divides itself according to his life. The world still needs turning, and Jesus needs men whose hearts are ready for the challenge.
This book prepares those men.

Beyond Violence and Self-Deception

Detox! JP21 is specifically addressed to men and is a process of unlearning and disentangling from the dysfunctional and maladaptive systems into which we have been enculturated, and then immersing and embedding in a system that affirms life in its diversity and interconnectedness.

It does this by exploring closely the Path or Way that Jesus taught and lived. In this book, we discover that the Way of Jesus does not consist of doctrines, theologies, and speculations about Jesus, rather it consists of a way of living that expands our awareness of who we are, and how we are interconnected with the human and more-than-human world around us, that roots us deeper into those interconnections, with the result that we work to manifest that same expanded awareness and action in the cultural and social systems in which we live.

It is a Way of Love that is action on behalf of and in the best interests of the other, especially as how they define those best interests.

Disentangle from Toxic Masculinity by Following Jesus.

Detox! The Spiritual Path of Jesus for Twenty-First Century Men (Detox!JP21) is a book researched and written over the course of sixteen years by Craig S. Pesti-Strobel, a pastor, actor, artist, and scholar of religions. Detox!JP21 is the first book to approach the issue of male spirituality strictly from the perspective of what Jesus taught his male disciples.

The unfolding of the 21st Century presents many challenges and obstacles for men to live lives of integrity and depth of character. The same challenges faced the men who followed Jesus and lived in his presence. In this book, I show how Jesus lived such a life of meaning and purpose, and how he taught a way of life that not only transformed individuals, but also significantly changed the world.

This book will show you:

How to connect your faith and deepest values with your life and actions;
How the Gospels present an entire way of life that encompasses the way you relate to other men, to the women in your life, and to your family;
How to become a better father, partner and man in society by confronting any patterns of abuse and oppression in which you have been socialized;
How to live and express boldly the deep love you feel for the world and its inhabitants.

This book will aid you in become disentangled from the dysfunctional systems that contribute to toxic masculinity:

Probe beneath the surface of the Gospel stories for the social settings and significance of Jesus’ teachings
Investigate how Jesus encountered and engaged the oppressive and abusive social systems of his day
Explore the things Jesus did as specific spiritual practices designed to change the patterns of thought and behavior of his male disciples
Provide practical exercises that will help the reader to apply those same practices today

Present a practical and courageous spirituality that is balanced, daring and holistically comprehensive.

Questions and Answers about Detox!

Why did you write this book?

I wrote this book to cure a sickness that has reached epidemic proportions: Toxic Masculinity. From gun-toting militia members to rampant sexual harassment and abuse to white supremacy to mass shootings, the symptoms are in the headlines daily.

How does Jesus supply a cure?

Jesus demonstrated and taught his male followers a masculinity that is life-giving, that seeks the welfare of others, that respects and cares for the earth and all its creatures. Jesus showed them a way out of the systems of power and domination, human abuse and exploitation that he called “the world.” He offered a way for men to rescue and cleanse their souls and minds from the perversions of these systems, and gave them a new way of living that was grounded in the radical way of love. His love was the kind that made a person willing to lay down their life for their friends. It’s the kind of love that you cannot dismiss. It is the kind of love that makes us as human beings, and in its absence, breaks us.

We have had 2000 years of Christianity. Why do we have toxic forms of masculinity among supposed Christian men?

G.K. Chesteron famously said, “It's not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and not tried.” The path of Jesus demands change, and courage to face up to our dysfunctional and destructive society. It requires of us to live our lives for the betterment and well-being of others around us and far away from us.

Do you really think you can cure Toxic Masculinity?

I can plant seeds and offer an inoculation of what Jesus offered the world as he worked with his male followers. I simply challenge men to consider carefully what Jesus taught, and how it will change their lives.

Why didn't you write a book for women?

I am a man, and far too many men have been telling women what Jesus wants them to do. I speak out of my experience as a man, to other men. Toxic masculinity is our problem as men, and we need to address it head-on and deal with it. As we do this, our relationships with other men, with women, with our families, and with others around us and far from us will change.

Aren't you being a bit idealistic and naive?

Am I tilting at windmills? I hope I am in good company. Jesus stood up to the inequities and dysfunctionalities of his own culture in the midst of an empire based on militaristic domination. He persisted nonetheless, and his sublimely courageous way of life still rings true 2000 years later.

How does this book differ from other books about male spirituality?

Detox! is the first book to approach the issue of male spirituality strictly from the perspective of what Jesus taught his male disciples. It is not based in Jungian typology, nor does it look for masculine archetypes by looking at various male characters in the Bible (who too often are examples of the masculinity Jesus was trying to cure and provide an alternative to).

What is your hope for this book?

That men of all ages, races, ethnicities, and political persuasions will read it and consider carefully how truly living and practicing the Way of Jesus just might provide true fulfillment of life and satisfy their hearts at the deepest level, and in the process, will benefit and bless the world around them.

Anything else?

I plan to offer retreats for men who wish to explore more deeply the themes of the book and apply some of the exercises and practices that I detail in the book. Watch for those retreats on this website!

Detox! JP21 is published under the Resources imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers,
It is now available for purchase at the following sources:

Wipf & Stock Publishers (Click to order)

Amazon.com (Click to order)

Bookshop.org (Click to order)

Or order through your favorite local bookstore!

Video Blogs about Detox!

Video #2: "Disentangling from Toxic Masculinity" discusses:

A brief bit about me;
The spiritual resources within us and within the communities we live in;
Our interconnectedness forms us as persons;
The Internet is replacing the human community's role in shaping human consciousness;
The Path of Jesus provides a cure.

Note: This video was written, recorded and edited completely without the use of AI.
Music Copyright: "Understand It’s All For You," written and performed by John Nilsen, used with permission from John Nilsen. www.johnnilsen.com.

Video #3: "The Gospel According to Jesus"
This video looks at the Gospel that Jesus himself preached and lived:

First, that we are all the spiritual children of one Heavenly Parent;
Second, this Heavenly Parent is fully, completely, and entirely characterized by love;
Third, we are all, every one of us on earth and beyond, the spiritual children of this One Heavenly Parent, and thus members of one human family;
Fourth, by fully embracing this reality, trusting in its truth, we embark upon a new spiritual awakening and set out on a path of spiritual growth and depth.

This path of growth is characterized by living lives of loving service to those around us.
Note: This video was written, recorded and edited completely without the use of AI.
Music Copyright: "Understand It’s All For You," written and performed by John Nilsen, used with permission from John Nilsen. www.johnnilsen.com.

Video 4: "Basket Cases"
Video 4 takes look at how we are all basket cases.
This video explores in a playful but graphic way the material contained in Chapter 4 of "Detox! The Spiritual Path of Jesus for 21st Century Men."
By understanding how our personalities, belief systems and behaviors have been shaped by the Inter-Personal and Social Spheres in which we live, move, and have our being, we gain a deeper understanding of how Jesus shaped a spiritual path designed to raise our consciousnesses to a higher level.
Note: This video was written, recorded and edited completely without the use of AI.
Music Copyright: "Understand It’s All For You," written and performed by John Nilsen, used with permission from John Nilsen. www.johnnilsen.com.

Video 5: Questions and Answers
This video addresses various questions:

Why did you write this book?
How does Jesus supply a cure?
We have had 2000 years of Christianity. Why do we have toxic forms of masculinity among supposed Christian men?
Do you really think you can cure Toxic Masculinity?
Why didn't you write a book for women?
Aren't you being a bit idealistic and naive?
How does this book differ from other books about male spirituality?
What is your hope for this book?

The spiritual, moral, and ethical foundations of the United States of America are under attack and are in danger of being totally demolished. The demonstrably un-Religious Right has so perverted and veered away from the very clear and self-evident teachings of Jesus that the very word “Christian” is now a term of disgust.
2000 years ago, Jesus wept over the perverted distortions of religion that plagued Jerusalem and eventually led to its destruction. Surely he is weeping over the present-day blasphemies practiced by certain putative religious leaders in America.
There is another path that is true to the path that Jesus taught and walked himself, and we need legions of people willing to walk it. It is the Spiritual Path of Jesus for the 21st Century.

"It's not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried."