This is a "Christian theology" book written by David Murrow and it was published in 2010 by Thomas Nelson and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program, the new BookSneeze Program.




“The Map” is a book in two parts. In the first part of the book, David Murrow develops a mystery story, where he is contacted by a Welsh Vicar named Benson who asks him to meet with an old priest who knows of a guide to Christian manhood. The author goes on to search for that guide. On several occasions during the search, Murrow narrowly evades the enemy and becomes increasingly nervous. David knows that the opponents represent evil, but he has very few clues to identify his enemy. He becomes aware that the world needs this map.




In the second part of the book, the author explains the three journeys every great man must make through submission, strength and sacrifice. He analyzes several Biblical heroes, such as Paul, David, Moses and Samson and relates their stories to the map. He also offers practical and “down to earth” strategies for integrating these ideas into our life.




One of the biggest lessons from the book to me was the thinking that “When a fellow Christian points out our weakness, we should respond with humility, not self justification”.




Having a bachelor degree in Theology, I was initially skeptical that this book could bring something different, the so called “Map embedded into Matthew’s Gospel”. But I have to confess that the author made his point in a magnificent way. Overall, "The Map" is an excellent book, very worthy reading and very rewarding. The idea of teaching Christianity through a mystery story is very effective.

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I do not read a lot of fiction. As a general rule, I simply do not enjoy it. However, I do have an appreciation for its value. As a communicator, the best way to make a point or teach a lesson is often through the use of a well told – or written – story.

The Map (2010, Thomas Nelson) by David Murrow is a unique blend of fiction and non-fiction. In the first part of the book, Murrow tries to write an adventure story. This story serves as an illustration that will be explained in the second part. I commend Murrow for his creativity and novelty, and it almost works. Part of the problem is that the fictional story is only pretty good. I realize the blurbs and book descriptions on the back cover of the paperback are there to help sell books. That being said, the quote from Robert Lewis (founder of Men’s Fraternity) only sets the reader up for disappointment: “the spiritual punch of C.S. Lewis, written in the style of a Jason Bourne thriller.” Let’s just say it’s a bit of over-kill.

That is not to say the book is bad. Actually, it is quite good! The Map is a follow-up to Why Men Hate Going to Church, and provides some much needed balance. The second half of the book is all about the path men should take to spiritual maturity.

With the understanding that many, if not most, men need visual cues to help them learn, Murrow lays out the journey to maturity in the form of a map. Reaching spiritual maturity is like climbing a mountain, and Murrow’s map is designed to help get us there. To draw this map, Murrow took cues from major sections of Matthew’s gospel. In analyzing the book of Matthew, Murrow saw three journeys Jesus made:

• Matthew 1-7: Jesus is mostly humble, meek, and submissive. His life and teachings reflect a classic feminine pattern. (the journey of submission)


• Matthew 8-25: Jesus is mostly powerful, bold, and outspoken. His life and teachings reflect a classic masculine pattern. (the journey of strength)


• Matthew 26-28: Jesus is mostly meek, passive, and sacrificial. His life once again reflects a classic feminine pattern. (the journey of sacrifice)

Murrow understands that everyone—men and women—have personalities that include both masculine and feminine traits. When he uses the terms masculine and feminine, he makes in meaning and intent clear—and I appreciate that.

Before we go any further, let’s not run aground on the words masculine and feminine. I’m not saying that strength is manly and submission is womanly. I’m simply pointing out that, throughout the literature of a thousand cultures, attributes such as strength, aggression, goal orientation, competitiveness, and conflict are most often identified as male. On the other hand, love, communication, family, nurturing, and harmony are regularly understood as female. (Even modern bestsellers such as Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus follow this line.)

So please don’t judge me when I use feminine to describe the soft virtues and masculine to describe the hard ones. The purpose of this book is not to stereotype. Nor am I assigning certain traits to males and others to females. Quite the opposite. My prayer is that men and women will develop both sides of their personalities. I’m pleading with women to be strong, and with men to embrace weakness. My labels may not be PC, but they’re instantly understandable. (page 105)

After introducing the concept of the three journeys, Murrow spends three chapters examining and describing them in greater detail. He does a good job of continuing the metaphor of map and mountain as he describes these journeys. He also offers biblical examples of men on these journeys, highlighting their successes as well as failures.

The last few chapters were the most helpful to me personally. In Chapter 16, Murrow identifies seven points where men “get lost on the mountain”. I found this encouraging. Some of these are points I have been stuck or have seen other men stuck. It was encouraging to see that my experience is not isolated and that it is possible to get unstuck and continue on the journey.

The remainder of The Map is devoted to incredibly important, but often forgotten (or neglected), task of applying what you have learned to your life and/or ministry context. Please do not miss this step. Murrow good advice in this arena. The reality is that, as men, we are on these journeys. The question is whether we will realize this and allow the journeys to grow, shape, and mold us into the men God has designed us to be—and calls us to be.

I started reading The Map almost hoping not to like it. I wanted to take what could be called an elitist or condescending view of a simplistic, purely pragmatic Christian “how-to” book. Alas, I cannot. It is a good book with simple, but rich, insights into a journey to biblical manhood.

Murrow writes in a style that is easy to read which would make The Map easy to hand out to men you know. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds this an important topic. Church leaders, including lay-leaders, may find it particularly helpful as they provide ministry opportunities with and for men. ( )

NCLA Review - David Murrow claims to have identified a “map to manhood” embedded in the Gospel of Matthew. The map consists of three journeys: submission, strength, and sacrifice. Murrow, who now lives in Alaska and has worked for Sarah Palin, previously wrote Why Men Hate Going to Church. Readers will either love or hate this current book, but there’s no denying that Murrow has an audience among conservative Christian men for his message. Rating: 2 —KLF ( )

David Murrow, known for his books challenging Christian men, has written a new book providing further encouragement to those men. In The Map: The Way of All Great Men, Murrow divides the narrative of our Savior Jesus Christ found in the gospel of Matthew into three separate sections, each section being part of a map which men can emulate. In discussing the portions of Christ's personality or mission that displayed qualities that we normally associate with femininity as well as the more traditional masculine parts of Christ's life, Murrow provides insight into some of the internal conflict that many Christian men face today. Throughout the book though, especially the second-half, Murrow's call of boldness from Christian men is loudly proclaimed. I personally enjoyed this book. The first half of this book is one of the more interesting stories I have read of any sort in some time and belongs in any discussion of great short stories published in 2010. I'll say that the surprise in the middle of this book left me frustrated at first but I soon came to appreciate it for what it was. Murrow cuts no corners in this book reminding today's American Christian man that we are in danger of becoming extinct. Murrow does some damage to his map's validity when he points out some of the flaws in his map's reliance on the book of Matthew at the first of the second section but, again, I came to appreciate this more as I read. I could relate in my own Christian walk with a great deal of what Murrow maps out in his book and I believe that Murrow and myself are not the only two thinking the thoughts he presents. If you are interested in ideas and ways to revitalize or shake the men in your church to begin walking more closely in Christ's footsteps, this unique view of the book of Matthew would be a good jumping off point. I would recommend this book. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." ( )