And the idea that this is a universal call for all men is not an accidental misstatement. This is white knighting in its purest form. It is written in our hearts, one of the core desires of every man and every woman. From ancient fables to the latest blockbuster, the theme of a strong man coming to rescue a beautiful woman is universal to human nature.
Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Helen of Troy, Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Arthur and Guinevere, Tristan and Isolde. Fairy tales, literature, music, and movies all borrow from this mythic theme. And one day the boy, now a young man, realizes that he wants to be the one to win the beauty. Little boys rehearse their part with wooden swords and cardboard shields. Why is this story so deep in our psyche? Ever little girl know the fable without ever being told. On horseback they ride off to his cottage by a stream in the woods for a rendezvous that gives passion and romance new meaning. Eventually the sorcerer is defeated, the dragon falls, the giant is slain. Much blood is shed on both sides three times the knight is thrown back, but three times he rises again. Against all hope he comes with cunning and raw courage he lays siege to the tower and the sinister one who holds her. Only a champion may win her only the most valiant, daring, and brave warrior has a chance of setting her free. But his lovely maiden is unattainable, the prisoner of an evil power who holds her captive in a dark tower. Her heart is golden, her love as true as an arrow. Her flowing hair, her deep eyes, her luscious lips, her sculpted figure – she makes the rose blush for shame, the sun is pale compared to her light. She is young with a youth that seems eternal. She might be the daughter of the king or a common servant girl, but we know she is a princess at heart. Once upon a time (as the story goes) there was a beautiful maiden, an absolute enchantress. Here’s what Eldredge has to say about white knighting: Though its popularity seems to have waned a bit, it is still probably the most widely read and influential Christian men’s book out there.
Perhaps the most pure expression of this is in John Eldredge’s 2001 New York Times bestselling book Wild at Heart. One of the most powerful paradigms of masculinity promoted by the Evangelical church is that of the white knight, the man who rides to the rescue whenever someone, especially a woman, finds herself in trouble.
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