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This study confronts competing views of conventional masculinity found in the earliest, and often overlooked, receptions of the character of Joseph of Nazareth found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, the Protevangelium of James, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Supplementing critical studies of spectacular gender performances in early Christianity, the author reveals deep instabilities inherent even (or especially) in seemingly ordinary or 'everyday' coding of masculine subjectivities in ancient Christian narratives, while also putting to the test ways in which canonical infancy material might be considered part of reception history. The study exposes the political mechanics behind Joseph's colorful characterizations and opens interpretive possibilities for rethinking normative views of manliness in early Christianity and beyond.