Samson and the Pirate Monks: Calling Men to Authentic Brotherhood

The book is very well written; since it's Larkin's first, I suspect he had a great editor. It's to the point, not excluding necessary information but also excludes extraneous material. In the first several chapters of the book, Larkin shares his personal story of long-term hidden addiction—even while a pastor—and how he found recovery. At this point, he begins to transition toward teaching the lessons he believes he learned. The main one is isolation, how he didn't have relationships in which he could be open, honest, and authentic. The final section of the book describes how he came to start the Samson Society along with details on their basic documents and meetings. Overall it's an interesting and insightful read.

It starts like this: “My name is Nate, but you can call me Samson. That’s the code name my friends have given me, and for reasons you’ll eventually understand, I’ve given the same symbolic name to each of them. We are the Samson Society.” It’s an intriguing start to the book Samson and the Pirate Monks and I, for one, wanted to know more.Nate Larkin is founder of the Samson Society, a group for men who are looking for male friendship, (dare I say it?) accountability, and authentic brotherhood. It is a group for men who have tried to do the Christian life on their own and have found it impossible. It is a group that anyone can begin, without cost, without contracts, without hassle.I have long observed that men tend to do pretty poorly with friendship. I don’t know if we are really bad at friendship or if most of us have just never given it a fair try. In either case, I think it’s clear that too few men have genuinely significant friendships.Larkin was there. From the early days of his marriage he developed bad habits which, in time, grew into outright addiction. Before long he was hooked on pornography, visiting the seedy parts of town and, eventually, visiting prostitutes. Despite being raised in a Christian environment, despite being a pastor himself, he gave in to his habits, gave in to his lusts, and found his life and marriage crumbling around him. And he dealt with it all in isolation, without men around him who could help him and guide him. Even when he saw his sin and was desperate to overcome it, his life was devoid of meaningful relationships that could make a difference. For too long he wallowed in his sin.It was only when he got other men deeply involved in his life that he was able to gain real victory over his sin. He came to realize that Christian friendship—men befriending men—is a precious gift. As he emerged from the mess of his addiction he says “I was willing to trust Christ, but I was not ready to trust the body of Christ. … What I did not yet understand was that while Jesus does offer a personal relationship to every one of his disciples, he never promises any of us a private one. … The church, according to the New Testament, is not a loose confederation of individuals. The church is a body—a living, breathing organism whose members are so intimately connected that they can only move together. On any given day, every member of that body needs help, and every member has some help to give.”Samson and the Pirate Monks is partly Larkin’s biography and partly an account of the founding of the first Samson Society. It is also a call for men to put aside their pride and inhibitions and to find meaningful relationships with one another. And it provides more than a call—it provides a defense and a structure.The book is full of helpful insights about life and faith. Things like this: “I have found that for short stretches of time I can convince myself that I am being faithful to God if I define faithfulness in terms of only one behavior.” That resonates, and so does this: “Self-righteousness … is a doubled-edged sword. If I have reduced holiness to a single behavior, then I am standing on one leg. One slip and I am nothing again, absolutely useless.” And this: “God, in his grace, has used addiction to shatter my moralistic understanding of the Christian faith and force me to accept the gospel. I am not a faithful man. That’s why I need a Savior. I cannot live victoriously on my own. That’s why I need a Helper and brothers. I cannot keep my promises to God—the very act of making them is delusional—but God will keep his promises to me.”I find books like this easy to dismiss, perhaps especially because so many of us have tried accountability relationships and found them wanting. That and we have had so many calls to relationship, to accountability, to Eldredge-style openness. But then I think about men I know and wonder how they would receive this book and, even better, the kind of relationships it models. And then I realize that men are desperate for exactly what Larkin describes here. The book may be easy to dismiss, but to dismiss it too quickly and too easily would probably say more about me than about the book and its ideas.I enjoyed Samson and the Pirate Monks thoroughly and would commend it to any Christian man. Read it, pillage it for ideas, and start pursuing true brotherhood.

it’s 12 steps, but it isn’t. It’s for alcoholics, but far more. Not a glove that fits any size of hand, but a tie that binds any fractured soul to others. A powerful read and eminently practical for men seeking authentic community on whatever road they travel.

I would suggest reading this book, it's a compelling story and a good read. Even if you arent an addict of something the brotherhood principles are pricelessSummaryA book about Christian brotherhood and integrity.• I spent the first 40 years in the upper deck, watching the gospel from the football seats• I was the man of integrity and it was essential for everyone’s sake that I protect the perception at all costs• Jesus was da leader of a group called da “disciples” (Addicts sing )• Al looked helplessly at Dad. Dad said, “She just got sick and died. She didn’t suffer.”• This was insane. Stupid. Incredibly dangerous. More than that , it was wrong, morally reprehensible, a betrayal of my wife and a blatant violation of ethical standers established by God• I live- yet not I, but Christ liveth in me! (Nate’s father)46• Samson and David- two great men, two great failures. Samson didn’t recover because he never bothered to make friend (paraphrase pg 66)• From that point on, David’s battle against the Philistines was a team effort, and his team eventually won.• We’re building a fellowship on the conviction that on any given day every Christian needs help and every Christian has some help to give• The Facts1. God exist2. God is our Creator3. Spurning God’s fellowship, we all have sinned, forfeiting our created place and losing our spiritual lives4. I have personally defied God’s law and rejected his love, Alienation from him has produced darkness and chaos in my life for which I have often blamed others.5. God has continued to love me, even in my active rebellion, and in Christ has done everything necessary to restore me perfectly to himself.6. As I accept responsibility for my sin and find forgiveness in the finished work of Christ, I experience reconciliation with God and am progressively restore to harmony with myself and others.7. Despite the lingering effects of sin, I am a restored son of the sovereign Lord, whose Spirit is at work in my weakness, display and his glory and advancing his kingdom• The path ( membership of Samson- Not listed page 117)• Believe, surrender, ask – repeat• To follow the path you must first leave the cave• Now, however we recognize that human self-sufficiency is an illusion and self-help is a blind alley.• I can demonstrate my faith in Christ by reaching for the telephone and calling a fellow Christian for help.

Brilliant read good book for men to read. Punchy and helpful

Nate Larkin's honesty was just what our marriage needed at a very critical time. Written with wit but at the same time addressing issues of infidelity and addiction with a soberness that comes from walking that road himself. You can't put a price on experience and this book is chock-full of wisdom for any Man who is walking a dangerous road that leads to death and destruction. Nate found freedom in relationships, no longer a lone wolf he learned how to go from Samson to David. Worth reading for ANYONE, not just those suffering from addictions or having struggles in their marriage.

Easy to read, lots of great stories and illustrations. An essential read for any man who has sinned and hidden it away!

An honest confession that leads to a powerful ministry, very inspiring

Wow, if only we could all be so honest with each other as Christians. A great read for Christians who want to grow and be real.