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narratives and teachings. Furthermore, the ap- often absent. Why? Voss’s research (2019) sug-
plications can be used to speak to the church gested that regardless of the denomination or
at large and young families within the church religion, those with secure attachment styles
specifically. stayed with the religion of their youth. Why?
One hypothesis is that those with secure attach-
Attachment Implications for the Church. ment with their fathers trusted their fathers and
It is noteworthy that when one observes the mo- imitated them. The apostle Paul makes note of
dern church, men are missing in many congre- the importance of imitation when he said,
gations. The cause may be varied, but the obser- I am writing this not to shame you but to warn
vation has led some to believe that the church you as my dear children. Even if you had ten
has become feminized (Murrow, 2005; Podles, thousand guardians in Christ, you do not
1999). Murrow (2005) suggested reasons for have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I beca-
why the American church often deters men me your father through the gospel. Therefore I
from active participation. He cited styles of mu- urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have
sic, focus on relationships, and activities that do sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who
not generally interest men. Thus, women tend is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of
to be leaders and doers in many contemporary my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees
churches. His remedy is to include a balance of with what I teach everywhere in every church.
activities that interest men and a focus on truth (1 Corinthians 4:14-17, Holy Bible, New In-
and orthodoxy that balances with what he refers ternational Version, 1984)
to as the softer side of the gospel that is reported Not only does he refer to imitation, but he re-
to be emphasized in many churches today. fers to being a father figure who was consistent
Podles (1999) provided a broader and more hi- with what he taught and how he lived. This is
storical narrative that theorizes why the modern perhaps one key for how young men, and wo-
church lacks men. Podles cited the enlighten- men, stay in the church. As far as young con-
ment and the industrial revolution as historical verts to the faith, Paul suggests that believers
moments that tended to divide labor and activi- imitate him. Churchmen, like Paul, can beco-
ty between men and women. As men went off to me “fathers” to those who do not have spiritual,
work, women stayed at home with the children. or even biological fathers. Attachment to those
Domestic roles included the work of the church other than the biological caregiver is possible.
while work and politics, topics divorced from Paul seems to understand that. However, this
the church on a social level, became the work of teaching seems especially important for men
men. These approaches to understanding why who are already in the church. The teaching of
men began to be less active in church life only the church must include content that helps edu-
provide some clues as to why the church may cate young fathers about the importance of de-
be considered feminized. Even if the idea of a veloping strong attachment relationships with
feminized church is rejected, there is still the is- their children as the first step. This education
sue of why men are not as involved as women in must be directed toward fathers-to-be, and tho-
many of today’s churches. se with young children. Secondly, the life must
Whatever the reason for the lack of male leader- be lived without hypocrisy. Helping fathers
ship in many churches, it is apparent that church live lives of spiritual consistency is important.
attendance has dwindled in many areas of Eu- Churches must assess and figure out how to im-
rope (Sahgal, 2018) and North America (Jones, plement such discipleship.
2019). Not that all specific churches see decline In a world of widespread divorce and unwed
and specific congregations in fact show growth. pregnancy, the modern world is facing a psy-
Male involvement is not lacking in all churches. chological and spiritual dilemma: the absence of
Also, in some areas of the world, the church has consistent fathering. This cultural phenomenon
grown in recent years, particularly the Middle is in line with Satan’s desire to “kill, steal and
East (Mission Box, 2019). However, across the destroy” (John 10:10). Church leaders and psy-
Western church, problems exist, and men are chologists face a perplexing task: to help fami-
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