Father to Son
Manly Conversations that can Change Culture
Five personal and candid discussions between Geoffrey Botkin and his sons.
6 DVDs over seven hours of video content
103 pages of printable PDF study materials
Volume 1: Work
Learning the disciplines of manhood by working with a father.
Is hard work something suitable only for slaves? Or is there a God-ordained purpose for hard, sweaty labor? If so, what is the end of that labor to be? Boys can learn many of the disciplines of manhood when they are very young, and a strong work ethic will sustain them all through educational pursuits, family life and the life mission which will give purpose to everything they do. Noah talks with his father about moral tests, educational goals, personal integrity and his responsibility to let no one look down on his youthfulness.
Volume 2: Adventure
Learning the disciplines of observation by having adventures with a father.
If a boy can learn to talk to his father about the world around him, everything in life becomes an adventure. Fathers interpret the world for sons. Sons learn the mind of the father, and they can both grow in spiritual discernment. Luke discovers the powers of observation, and the value in asking his father questions about girls, escapism, and science. Then father and son discover the constructive value in play as they envision the world in 500 AD. They imagine a family dynasty that can influence large areas with the benefits of godly dominion.
Volume 3: Worship
Learning the disciplines of service in a compromised and ritualistic age.
Ben, age 18, spent his formative years outside the US and has many questions about the direction American evangelicalism has taken in his short lifetime. Issues of pragmatism, compromise, and equivocation within church culture concern him. He and his father visit a church building typical of entertainment-centered worship to explore questions of duty, apostasy and tradition. What is the biblical meaning of worship, and what role should the church play in reforming the culture? Must the church first reform itself?
Volume 4: Warfare
Learning the disciplines of conquest by being a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
David disciples his youngest brother in matters related to firearms. Then over a game of chess with his father, David ponders the difference between today's spiritual battleground and today's popular playgrounds inhabited by some contemporaries. They discuss gentlemanly conduct in peace and war, forgotten principles of honor, and the dangerous century that lies before the younger generation. The days are perilous, but the challenges present great opportunity for young men who have the character to rise to positions of leadership.
Volume 5: Dominion
Learning the disciplines of faith through entrepreneurial family life.
What will a capable young man treasure in life? If he has the traits and character of a leader, what will he pursue in the way of a wife, a vocation, and possessions? Isaac Botkin talks about the gates of influence, the Kingdom of God, higher education, real freedom in Christ, masculine creativity, courtship and marriage.
Volume 6: How to Talk to Your Sons
Geoffrey Botkin speaks candidly about 21 ways we fail to consecrate our sons for real spiritual work, and offers practical steps to help build courageous responsibility in the face of impossible odds, courageous devotion to Christ in the face of hateful opposition, courageous planning in the face of scarce resources, and courageous hope in the face of worldly hopelessness.
