Paul's memoir, Confessions of a Prodigal Son, is coming out. Fr Deacon Stephen Wehr proofread the manuscript, and in this conversation he takes Paul through it.

Paul grew up in a loving Christian home in South Africa. Then he spent years running from it: secular education, corporate work, status, hookup culture, a marriage with no God in it, atheism in "enlightened" Denmark, Burning Man, psychedelics, tantric yoga schools in Thailand, and men's work groups that sometimes turned predatory. Along the way he met the spiritual vampires who feed on young men looking for a father. What finally brought him home was an unexpected Easter lecture in an ashram, reconciling with his father, the love of his wife, and at last the Orthodox Church.

They talk about why the world's pleasures turn to ashes, why psychedelics are a shortcut to spiritual delusion, why men need a father, honest friends and a spiritual father, and why a man finds his way to salvation through marriage and family. And near the end: Jordan Peterson pointed the way – so why do so many men hesitate to take the step?

📖 Confessions of a Prodigal Son: pathofmanliness.com/book

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Chapters

00:00 Why I wrote the book
01:58 Growing up in South Africa: my father's example
04:04 Leaving home: Egypt, women and hookup culture
06:14 Does the validation last? Measuring manhood by women
08:26 My first marriage and the question of putting God first
12:32 Career, money and drifting apart
14:15 Burning Man and the psychedelic deception
16:54 Spiritual delusion, the occult and "an angel of light"
19:03 Tantra, yoga and the worship of Kali
22:10 An Easter lecture on Christ in a Thai ashram
24:10 Discovering men's groups: why men need men
28:12 Spiritual vampires: predators in men's work
31:37 Advice for young men looking for a guide
33:19 Reconciling with your father and breaking the "not like him" vow
34:40 Friendship, accountability and the spiritual father
36:00 My wife, my path to God
38:42 Marriage, children and communion: monk or married man
42:35 My son
43:50 Why men without a family direction fall apart
46:15 Jordan Peterson pointed the way: why men hesitate to take the step
49:46 A word for the older brother who never left
53:47 Closing

Hampus Linder is a Swedish documentary filmmaker who came to a European men's gathering in 2019 intending to expose the men's movement — and ended up making a six-year personal film about masculinity, fatherhood, and what it means to be a man. That film is Confessions of a Swedish Man.

In this conversation, Paul and Hampus revisit the journey honestly — including the dark side of what Paul was building: a men's movement built on new age spirituality that enabled predatory leaders. They talk about the collapse of that movement, what real spiritual foundation looks like, and why two men who disagree on much can still be genuine friends.

🎬 Watch Confessions of a Swedish Man: https://confessionsofaswedishman.com/eng
📩 Join the Path of Manliness men's groups: [link]

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Who is Hampus Linder?
02:00 – How a filmmaker set out to expose the men's movement

03:00 – Paul's journey from atheism to Orthodox Christianity

05:00 – Why the European Men's Gathering collapsed

10:30 – Where there's power, there will be abuse

11:50 – Hampus's own spiritual journey through making the film

13:30 – Fear of intimacy: with men, with women

16:00 – Commercialised spirituality and the manipulation of vulnerable men

18:00 – Did the men's gatherings make money?

21:00 – The value of each person as unique

22:30 – Sacrificial love? Paul explains the Orthodox understanding

24:30 – Why secular rituals fall flat

25:00 – The transcendental argument: why unity requires God

29:00 – Hampus pushes back on traditional gender roles 31:00 – What masculinity actually is — and what it isn't

33:00 – Man, woman, head and body: the Orthodox vision of marriage

36:00 – A stable and well-functioning family life

38:00 – Commercialised therapeutic individualism — the real secular religion

41:00 – How left and right each took half of Christian truth 42:00 – The woman caught in adultery: mercy AND "go and sin no more"

43:00 – Hampus opens up: heartbreak

45:00 – Paul: why the secular path to love fails

48:00 – What's next for Hampus and Confessions of a Swedish Man?

Young men across Scandinavia are rediscovering Orthodox Christianity as the anchor in our chaotic modern world. Father Mikael Fälthammar, a Swedish Orthodox priest, shares how his journey from Lutheran upbringing to Orthodox priesthood has revealed the timeless wisdom men need today.In this powerful conversation, Father Mikael reveals how the ancient virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance provide the foundation for authentic manhood - something our culture has forgotten. Learn how his parish has become a beacon for men seeking meaning beyond the empty promises of modern ideologies.Ready to join other men on the path to strength, stability, and meaningful brotherhood through tradition?Join our Summer gathering here: https://pathofmanliness.notion.site/or an online men's group at https://maniphesto.com/core-member/and find the structure and community you've been searching for.🔔 Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on our latest content. 🔔https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXPMCOblA-vdnIpE-4BR8PA?sub_confirmation=1🟠 Read more about Maniphesto:https://maniphesto.com/about🟠 Free Tools and Resources: https://maniphesto.com/tools/🟠 Join an online men's group with Maniphesto Core: https://maniphesto.com/core-member/🟠Find us on your preferred platform:https://linktr.ee/maniphesto#OrthodoxMasculinity #TraditionalValues #ChristianManhood #Homesteading #BrotherhoodOfMen #Faith #AncientWisdom #Masculinity #SpiritualStrength #OrthodoxChristianity