Maniphesto – Maniphesto

Foundational Core Team Bootcamp

paul — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:56:59 +0000

The purpose of this weekend training is for men’s groups to strengthen in-person bonds as a foundation for more effective work in a men’s group.

The weekend is aimed at participants getting to know themselves and each other as a team in action, performing tasks aimed at reaching individual and shared goals.

The program consists of a series of team and individual challenges designed to develop real work skills and dig a layer deeper than the polite screen personalities that we bring to online group meetings. Each man will be given the opportunity to lean into his fears and limitations, to see how he and others react under pressure, how he deals with discomfort, unexpected difficulties and conflict, and how he works as a member of a team. This provides an ideal foundation for taking the next step in development and depth in a men’s group.

The training will focus on developing skills in nature survival, bushcraft and military tactics. Concrete skills which will be introduced and practiced during the weekend include:

Map, compass and primative navigation
Camouflage, stealth movement, tactical target reconnaissance and observation
Survival with minimal food, sleep and equipment under harsh conditions
Water crossing
Medic and first aid
Military physical fitness test
Basic self defence
Force-on-force training with hardball weapons
Close Quarter Combat Simulation
Military patrol formation and standard procedures

Expect a program with limited sleep and exposure to the elements. The program is designed to cater for a group of men at considerably different levels of physical fitness and ability.

As a minimum to complete the weekend, you should be able to run at least 3km. To prepare for the weekend, it would be an advantage to start training as soon as possible, focusing on running, rucking, field navigation and orientation and a physical strength training program such as Maniphesto’s Kampkraft training.

Available weekends:

1st – 3rd Dec 2023
8th – 10th Dec 2023
26th – 28th Jan 2024
2nd – 4th Feb 2024
16th – 18th Feb 2024
23rd – 25th Feb 2024
8th – 10th March 2024

Pricing:

600€ pr participant for individual signup
1800€ for group of 5 participants
200€ for additional participants above 5, maximum 15 participants

This is a tailored package training program for teams on Maniphesto Core. We can also cater for a men’s group outsode of Maniphesto or any team of men who want to establish a strong foundation for work.

Minimum 4 participants. For practical details, please contact us on info@maniphesto.com

Some pictures from our previous events:

Meeting the Virgin

Maniphesto — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 01:13:52 +0000

The Virgin is perhaps one of the most central archetypes in the development of our society, western civilisation, and all of Christendom. And yet we have lost touch with it.

Having grown up protestant, so virginity was something that my parents thought that I should maintain, but not exactly popular amongst my school friends.

Having become Orthodox, I can see the incredible value and honour given to purity, chastity, and of course also to the Theotokos, the Mother of God, and also the importance that she is EVER Virgin.

I am still trying to understand this, and so it was really useful for me when Maximillian Ravn came and joined our Core fellowship. A student of Theology in Denmark, but more importantly has personally experienced the power of the Virgin, rather than just studying ideas about her. I got a lot of value from our last conversation and then asked him to tell his story. It was an even more powerful story than I expected.

See our previous conversation here: https://youtu.be/xUoZKCYWCZE

Men Lead Maniphesto

paul — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 09:19:22 +0000

Manliness is naturally connected to leadership. As good men develop in their ability to take on responsibility, they will naturally step into leadership.

The foundation of leadership is often wrongly assumed to be related to authority and power. This is a misconception – leadership is founded on a person deciding to take on responsibility for ensuring a specific shared goal or outcome. Authority and power which can be used for good are the natural result of manly leadership.

Leadership is therefore not a role which is assigned to a person, but rather a burden which one takes upon one’s shoulders through an explicit decision to take on a responsibility for a positive outcome.

In order to lead, men need to be able to formulate a compelling vision. That is why we work explicitly with supporting every member on Maniphesto Core to develop a high level vision for his life. That vision then needs to be grounded in the practical work of his everyday life of developing the habits that will mold him into the kind of man who can realize it. This is what we do in our Core groups with our accountability work.

A key necessity to formulate vision is to have an explicit existential foundation which defines your cosmology and anthropology. Only through having a clear and positive understanding what life and existence is about and what humans are, can you develop a clear and true vision of the future. This is defined through the spiritual, religious level. Thus men need to ensure a stable, strong and embodied spiritual practice rooted in real community to lead well.

For most men, family life is the ideal training ground for leadership. It is through learning to take responsibility for, to love, and to guide their own family well, that they can learn to lead others. Especially the relationship with his wife in a fully committed marriage, which he is driving towards deeper intimacy, is the key ingredient which will make a man a leader who is a flame which is fully alight and burning brightly in the world.

Additional resources on Men Lead:

Men Lead series:

Core Community meeting: Why Vision is Masculine

Vision for Orthodox Christians

The Saints – Role Models for Masculinity /w Fr Hans Jacobse and Fr Michael Butler

Maniphesto — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 01:56:04 +0000

This is a reposting of an episode of As Iron Sharpens Iron from Ancient Faith Ministries.

See the original episode here: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts…

God is a MAN OF WAR w/ Fr Stephen de Young

Maniphesto — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 01:52:45 +0000

War, Conflict, and Violence in the Perspective of the Christian Orthodox Faith with Orthodox Priest Father Stephen De Young.

You can follow Fr Stephen on his podcast Lord of Spirits: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts…
And find his book God is a Man of War: https://store.ancientfaith.com/god-is…
The Religion of the Apostles: https://store.ancientfaith.com/the-re…

The Patriarch and the Virgin /w Maxmillian Ravn

Maniphesto — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 01:51:48 +0000

A conversation on Patriarchy and the Virgin – bringing in perspectives from views such as Jordan Peterson.

This Destroys Feminist Ideas on Patriarchy

Maniphesto — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 01:49:10 +0000

Are you ready to challenge the prevailing feminist arguments about patriarchy and explore a fresh perspective?

Join us in this thought-provoking video as we debunk common notions about patriarchy and engage in a critical analysis of its role in society.
Click play now to broaden your understanding and be part of an insightful conversation!

Watch the Full Episode Now

• Fr JOSIAH TRENHAM – What Masculinity …

Men’s Work vs. Therapy: Which Approach is Right for You?

Maniphesto — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 01:45:43 +0000

In this week’s Maniphesto Core Leadership Meeting, we had a fascinating conversation about the meeting point between therapy and men’s work. As a group, we explored the different approaches and philosophies of these two distinct practices and discussed how they can complement each other in supporting men’s emotional and psychological well-being. Men’s work is a term used to describe a variety of approaches and practices that aim to support men in developing greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and personal growth. This can involve group workshops, retreats, coaching, and mentorship programs. On the other hand, therapy is a more traditional approach to mental health, focusing on identifying and addressing emotional and psychological issues through one-on-one sessions with a trained therapist. During our conversation, we explored the benefits of both men’s work and therapy, and how they can work together to create a holistic approach to men’s mental health. For example, men’s work can provide a supportive community and sense of belonging, while therapy can offer a safe space to explore and work through deeper emotional issues. We also discussed the importance of finding the right approach for each individual. While some men may benefit from a more structured therapeutic approach, others may find greater support through the community and group-oriented approach of men’s work. If you’re interested in learning more about the intersection of therapy and men’s work, this conversation is a must-watch.

The Masculine Men Maniphesto

paul — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 10:03:08 +0000

Masculinity is the qualities which are admired the most in men. Our fellowship aims to build masculine men.

To say that men are masculine is to not just state the obvious, but it is to underline the essence of what manhood is about. We love, admire and value masculinity in men. And the core of our work is aimed at constantly strengthening our masculine attributes.

The discussion as to whether masculinity is determined socially or biologically is of marginal interest to us. Neither are we interested in engaging in discussions to try to convince people who think that masculinity is toxic or harmful.

Some of the aspects of masculinity we appreciate the most include strength, courage, assertiveness and the ability to lead. While some aspects of masculinity change in time, there is a central and stable core, which is perhaps best captured by the Greek ἀνδρεῖος (andreîos) which refers to that which is pertaining to a man, that which is strong, brave and courageous.

Masculine men are trustworthy, stable and solid. Confident in themselves, they have no need to prove anything to anyone else, but continuously focus on working to contribute value, as they know that their strength is best employed and developed in sacrificial service to those around them. They are a force to be reckoned with, creating safety and security for those under their care, but are fully able to stand firm in the face of adversity and to defend themselves and others if the need arises.

The secret of the masculine man is that he is able to fully submit himself and receive from that which is far greater than himself – for a religious man, he will call this God. Through putting aside his own selfish desires and aligning himself, his actions and his life with the deepest mystery and patterns of reality which are revealed to him, he is able to fully find himself and his own manhood, and thus embody that mystery to others around him.

Besides this, a practical method to developing masculinity is to spend time with other masculine men, to learn from them, to develop brotherly relations with them, and to explicitly remind each other about ad hold up masculine values as worthy of striving after. This is what we do on Maniphesto Core.

Additional Material:

A New Foundation and Direction for Maniphesto – Newsletter 27-04-2023

paul — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:58:46 +0000

It has been a while since we last sent a newsletter. The last 6 months or so have seen some big discussions about our identity and direction as an organisation. Much of this has now been clarified, and we are ready to move forward, standing more firmly and honestly in who we are, the foundation of our work and where we are going.

The biggest issue to deal with has been my own conversion to Orthodox Christianity, and the subsequent shift of our identity and direction.

In short, I started this work to “restore manhood” in 2018. I was a political scientist, a highly successful entrepreneur, cosmopolitan, progressive, liberal and atheist. Much of my life at that point was focused on hedonistic exploration and pursuit of new experiences.

Through pursuing the stated goals from my work, I was confronted with the reality that the only thing that I could change was myself. Restoring manhood in society entailed recovering a correct understanding of and approach to reality in myself.

In 2018 I had a personal encounter with God which led me to converting to Orthodox Christianity in 2019. In Orthodoxy, I found a complete anthropology and cosmology which not only had formed the basis of the beliefs we have today about manhood, but also perfectly described the challenges we are facing as well as a 2000 year old tried and tested method to solve them.

Finding my feet in this fundamentally new way of being has taken its time. It has been important for me to move slowly and to continuously draw others with me. I have also married, moved from Copenhagen to a small farm in the countryside, and as I write this, awaiting any day now the birth of my third son.

I have especially worked hard to listen and have honest conversations with the broad variety of men in and around Maniphesto – not least to illumine the bridge I had crossed and help myself understand and integrate my journey.

Having increasingly found that stable foundation for my own life, I am thus able to return with renewed strength and focus on the Core of our work in Maniphesto – to support men in finding stabiltiy and strength in their own life.

Importantly, I want to underline here, that Maniphesto is NOT changing to become an organsiation for Orthodox evangelisation. Pretty much all of the fanstastic, masculine and purposeful men who are doing all the heavy lifting in Maniphesto are NOT Orthodox Christians. Some men might be inspired to learn more about the Orthodox path, in which case they will need to seek out a local Orthodox Church.

My personal engagement and approach will follow three “angles of attack”:

In my online and social media engagement, I will seek out the conversations which I find personally the most interesting, valuable and relevant. Recently this has increasingly been Orthodox Christian thought leaders like Fr Josiah Trenham and Jonathan Pageau, but I am keen to continue to discuss with anyone who can help me to learn more about this vast subject of manhood.
Our network of online men’s groups, Maniphesto Core will focus on the the specific method of building accountability which we have developed there, which involves supporting men in formualting an inspiring vision for themself, setting goals and developing positive habits. We will purposefully limit excessive theological and philosophical discussions there and keep the focus on pragmatic action. We will also run online courses and programs on specific issues as needed.
Locally here in the Danish countryside where I live, I will continue to run vision retreats as a rite of passage, utilising inspiration from all of our previous work as well as my military training in order to help men gain more embodied clarity and direction in their life.

So that is it for now. Please drop me a message if you have any reflections on all of this – we greatly appreciate hearring from you. And if you want to learn more, then check out our web site, YouTube channel or sign up for Core.

Thanks, Paul