Toxic Masculinity vs Biblical Masculinity: The Rise of Andrew Tate

Toxic Masculinity vs Biblical Masculinity: The Rise of Andrew Tate

Trigger warning: sexual assault

*deep breath*

Andrew Tate, the man who rose to fame after being kicked off Big Brother for a video surfacing of him hitting a woman with a belt, has recently been arrested for human trafficking and rape allegations. He is this generation’s golden calf, with more than 11.6 billion views on TikTok alone.

Tate is a self-proclaimed misogynist, saying women are ‘barely sentient’. He also tweets that women should ‘bear responsibility’ for being sexually assaulted. Yet these comments have not stopped him growing in popularity.

Tate flips the narrative that our society is becoming more equal, as he exploits the fears and insecurities of a generation of men. The idea that men are the protectors and providers, whilst women are the subservient caretakers, may not seem that radical, but when you see that this belief system is founded on aggrieved entitlement, it becomes an entirely different beast.

Tate preaches to his followers – known as ‘The War Room’ – that men need to fight back to orient the world around themselves again, reclaiming a state of primal and traditional masculinity. All because women aren’t financially or emotionally reliant on them anymore.

I find myself asking why he has so much traction, why young boys and men are so attracted to his antagonistic thoughts. So, with open misogyny and violence against women somehow becoming the norm, and toxic masculinity being repackaged and idealised for the next generation of men, I think we should restate a biblical vision of womanhood and masculinity, which we as Christians are called to embody.

Biblical masculinity is counter-cultural to Tate’s ideology of proving manhood with strength and violence. The example of Jesus Christ shows that masculinity is expressed through kindness, patience, self-control, and vulnerability. Christ consistently remained gentle, humble, and resilient in honouring his neighbours and enemies. And significantly, he included women within his ministry and discipleship, despite the social practices of his time. He befriended Mary Madelene, engaged with the woman at the well, and cared for his mother, even whilst on the cross.

Ultimately, biblical masculinity treats women with respect, honouring them as sisters who equally bear God’s image. This is the version of masculinity that we, the scattered church, need to demonstrate on our frontlines. How might we model and encourage this in our workplaces and relationships with those around us?

And, Andrew Tate, as a woman I don’t want protection. I want respect.

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Annabelle Adams
Team Operations Coordinator
LICC