Men of Virtue
ZACHARY WAGNER
In this episode of the Pastor Theologians podcast, we welcome one of our own hosts, Zach Wagner, to discuss his new book, Men of Virtue: How the Fruit of the Spirit Forms Male Character in the Modern World. Zach reflects on his decade of ministry with CPT, his transition into a new season, and the journey behind writing a book that reframes conversations about masculinity through the lens of Christian virtue.
Rather than focusing on cultural ideals of manhood, Zach explores how the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control—forms a distinctly Christian vision of male character. The conversation examines the modern crisis of meaning, competing narratives around masculinity, and how following Jesus challenges both the denigration and idolization of masculine identity.
Zachary Wagner is an author, ordained minister, and New Testament scholar. After studying at Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College, he earned a DPhil (PhD) in New Testament from the University of Oxford, where his research focused on reward in the letters of Paul and the Gospel of Matthew. He is the author of Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality and Men of Virtue: How the Fruit of the Spirit Forms Male Character in the Modern World. He continues to write and research on the New Testament, Christian ethics, and Stoicism. Zach is a Fellow in the St. Basil Fellowship at the Center for Pastor Theologians. He lives just outside Chicago with his wife, three children, and their intentional community.
