Josh Hawley, Al Mohler discuss challenges facing 'disaffected' young men: 'They feel shut out'

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, April 23, 2026

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Southern Baptist theologian Al Mohler discussed the unprecedented challenges facing disaffected young men in the United States today during a Wednesday episode of Mohler's podcast "In the Library."

Toward the end of their wide-ranging conversation that spanned more than an hour, the two were discussing cultural gender confusion and the so-called "manosphere" influencing young men, when Hawley noted that the demographic is facing particularly challenging circumstances that often make them feel they can't succeed.

"You mentioned the manosphere, which makes me think of all of these young men out there, many of whom voted for Republicans and the president this last time around, but now say that they're very disaffected," he said.

"This is just a very, in many ways, disaffected group, because I believe they feel shut out of American society."

Hawley, who wrote a book about manhood and masculine virtues in 2023, observed that the difficulties young men face are coming at them from multiple angles and include economic, social and spiritual challenges.

"Number one, they've been told by the liberals forever that masculinity is inherently toxic and evil," he said. "They can't afford to buy anything. They are uncertain about how to have a relationship, how to get married, if they can get married ... if they can afford it, all of those things."

Hawley, a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, suggested that the pain and alienation many young men feel offer Christians an opportunity and a responsibility to disciple them, but that policymakers must also play a role.

"This is a huge segment of our population. We as believers especially have to speak to these men and say to them, there is a purpose for your life, right? The country needs you; more importantly, the Kingdom needs you."

"And we've got to show them that what real masculinity looks like is choosing to be responsible, get that job, get married, have a family. But on policy terms, we've got to give them a country where that's possible. And right now, they don't think it is possible."

Mohler, who serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, framed the crisis facing young men in civilizational terms, noting that "no civilization can survive unfulfilled, aimless, restless young men; it just doesn't work."

Mohler had earlier brought up the potential economic dangers posed by artificial intelligence and proposals out of Silicon Valley for a universal basic income, which he said would mark "the end of all structured, ground organic morality" and effectively cede total cultural control to the Left.

"One of the most basic Christian observations in politics and economics is there ought to be an appropriate link between labor and reward, right? And if that is not honored, then you actually subvert everything you say you're trying to do," Mohler said.

Mohler went on to stress the importance of teaching young men that they must delay gratification and "take the initiative" in things like work, relationships and even hygiene, if they hope to find later joy and satisfaction.

He said he had never met "any sizable number of young men" who regretted following the so-called "success sequence," which includes getting at least a high school degree, securing a full-time job and waiting until marriage to have children.

Hawley agreed, but noted the ladder of success that worked in previous generations increasingly feels out of reach for many young men in the U.S.

"That's all what they want," Hawley said. "And I think that's the disaffection that we're seeing right now, is young men are afraid they won't be able to have it. They can't always put words to it, but that's the fear. It's that, 'I'm never going to be able to buy a house, get a girl, have children, grow up together.' They fear they're going to be shut out of all of that."

"And they're not terribly wrong about that," he added.

Amid their struggles, young men appear increasingly to be turning to faith, according to recent data. A new Gallup report released last week showed that 42% of men ages 18 to 29 surveyed from 2024 to 2025 said religion is "very important" to them, which marks a sharp rise from 2022 to 2023 data, when just 28% of men said religion was "very important."