When it comes to talking about the activity of directing the church, the language of leadership and leaders is increasingly popular. Yet what is leadership – and how might theological narratives better resource the discourse and practice of leadership in ecclesial contexts? In identifying and critiquing managerialism as a dominant narrative of leadership in the Western church, this book calls for an alternative approach founded on the concept of friendship. Engaging with the wider field of leadership studies, the book establishes an understanding of leadership activity and brings it into conversation with an incarnational ecclesiology. The result is a prophetic reimagining of ecclesial leadership in terms of a relational, kenotic praxis. This praxis of mutuality and love is framed here in the rich language of Christian friendship. The book also wrestles deeply with the embodiment of such a praxis, making explicit the power behaviours typical of friendship-leadership and offering constructive guidance for practitioners in the task of implementation within a complex and fractured world. This book offers a new vision of the centrality of friendship to leadership of a healthy church community. As such, it will be of great use to scholars of practical theology, ecclesiology and leadership, as well as practitioners in church ministry.

The unique leadership challenges organizations face throughout the world call for a renewed focus on what constitutes "authentic, inclusive, servant, transformational, principled, values-based, and mindful" leadership. Traditional approaches rarely provide a permeating or systematic framework to garner a sense of higher purpose or nurture deeper moral and spiritual dimensions of leaders. Learning to be an effective leader requires a deep personal transformation, which is not easy. This text provides guidelines in a variety of settings and contexts while presenting best practices in successfully leading the twenty-first century workforce and offering strategies and tools to lead change effectively in the present-day boundary-less work environment. Given the ever-growing, widespread importance of leadership and its role in initiating change, this will be a key reference work in the field of leadership and change management in business. The uniqueness of this book lies in its anchorage in the moral and spiritual dimension of leadership, an approach most relevant for contemporary times and organizations. It represents an important milestone in the perennial quest for discovering the best leadership models and change practices to suit the contemporary organizations. Designed to be a resource for scholars, practitioners, teachers and students seeking guidance in the art and science of leadership and change management, this will be an invaluable reference for libraries with collections in business, management, sports, history, politics, law, and psychology. It will present essential strategies for leading and transforming corporations, small businesses, schools, hospitals, and various nonprofit organizations. It brings the research on leadership and change management up to date, while mapping its terrain and extending the scope and boundaries of this field in an inclusive and egalitarian manner.

A unique and incisive exploration of the place and nature of friendship in both its personal and civic dimensions In Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship, distinguished theological researcher Anne-Marie Ellithorpe delivers a constructive and insightful exploration of the place and nature of friendship as innate to being human, to the human vocation, and to life within the broader community. Of particular interest to members and leaders of faith communities, this book responds to contemporary concerns regarding relationality and offers a comprehensive theology of friendship. The author provides an inclusive and interdisciplinary study that brings previous traditions and texts into dialogue with contemporary contexts and concerns, including examples from Indigenous and Euro-Western cultures. Readers will reflect on the theology of friendship and the interrelationship between friendship and community, think critically about their own social and theological imagination, and develop an integrative approach to theological reflection that draws on Don Browning’s Fundamental Practical Theology. Integrating philosophical, anthropological, and theological perspectives on the study of friendship, this book presents: A thorough introduction to contemporary questions on friendship and discussions of co-existing friendship worlds Comprehensive explorations of friendship in first and second testament writings, as well as friendship within classical and Christian traditions Practical discussions of theology, friendship, and the social imagination, including explorations of mutuality and spirit-shaped friendships Considerations for outworking friendship ideals within communities of practice, from the perspective of strategic (or fully) practical theology Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students taking courses on friendship or practical theology, Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars of practical theology and community practitioners, including ministers, priests, pastors, spiritual advisors, and counselors.

This reference work offers comprehensive perspectives on servant leadership. Featuring a cadre of leading world-class scholars, practitioners, and contributing authors from diverse fields of inquiry, it aims to collate research on servant leadership with a particular focus on its moral and spiritual dimensions.It is divided into sections that center on topics such as character, philosophical influences, diversity and inclusion, critiques of servant leadership as well as examples of servant leaders Though first introduced in the 1970 by Robert Greenleaf, the field of servant leadership is still lacking consensus on a definition and a theoretical framework. The goal of this reference work is to begin to fill this gap by assembling the scholarship of the top scholars in this field and providing a go-to source for information on the theory and practice of servant leadership. This handbook will serve as an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students of organizational behavior, human resource management, and business ethics, as well as consultants and business leaders interested in discovering the best leadership models to suit contemporary organizations.

With the theme of relationship receiving renewed attention in a variety of areas, theological expressions of the subject are also being brought back into the spotlight. Although the concept of a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression, it is often poorly defined. Here, Michael Berra draws on the Swiss theologian Emil Brunner to redefine and rehabilitate the analogy of relationship. Basing his study primarily on Brunner's seminal work Truth as Encounter, Berra proposes that relationship ought to be the central motif for the whole of theology. He investigates the theme in light of modern relationship science, arguing that God-human interaction categorically meets the definition of a relationship, and that it is existentially intended to be intimate. Scholars and church leaders will find in Berra's approach a refreshing voice in this dynamic field.

While books on famous and infamous Pentecostal leaders abound, the corpus of research on Pentecostal leadership is sparse. This is unfortunate, as strong and innovative leadership has been instrumental for the exceptional growth of the movement--and for countless examples of abusive behaviors in Pentecostal congregations. To promote effective leadership while avoiding the destructive effects of autocratic leaders, it is necessary to better understand the dynamics of leadership within Pentecostalism. This is the purpose of the book, and Truls Akerlund fills a gap in the present knowledge on Pentecostal leadership--first by discussing the extant literature on the topic and then by exploring the meaning of such leadership through a phenomenological analysis of the experiences of pastors in Pentecostal congregations. The author describes a general structure of Pentecostal leadership with essential characteristics of the phenomenon, locates Pentecostal leadership within the broader streams of organizational and religious leadership research, and points out crucial discussions and implications to be addressed in Pentecostal organizations.

This book aims to introduce a distinctively evangelical voice to the discipline of practical theology. Evangelicals have sometimes seen practical theology as primarily a ‘liberal’ project. This collection, however, actively engages with practical theology from an evangelical perspective, both through discussion of the substantive issues and by providing examples of practical theology done by evangelicals in the classroom, the church, and beyond. This volume brings together established and emerging voices to debate the growing role which practical theology is playing in evangelical and Pentecostal circles. Chapters begin by addressing methodological concerns, before moving into areas of practice. Additionally, there are four short papers from students who make use of practical theology to reflect upon their own practice. Issues of authority and normativity are tackled head on in a way that will inform the debate both within and beyond evangelicalism. This book will, therefore, be of keen interest to scholars of practical, evangelical, and Pentecostal theology.

A spirituality of the American priesthood based on the documents of Vatican II and the teaching of the U.S. bishops.

"In these three essays - which were presented as keynote lectures at the 2004 conference of the National Association of Diaconate Directors - Professors Cummings, Ditewig, and Gaillardetz construct theologies of the diaconate in conversation with one another and the church. The result is essential reading for deacons, aspirants to the diaconate, deacon directors, as well as the other orders of the clergy, and the laity" -- Book jacket.

Why do some late modern churches grow, counter to the trend in Western Europe? Why do people identify with such churches – and does identification lead to morally transforming commitments beyond late modern consumerism? This case study investigates these questions based on ‘real life’ or empirical research, which include both the level of individual life strategies and organisational practice in two growing European churches. This innovative and interdisciplinary study draws on recent findings in theology, moral philosophy, sociology and organisational psychology. Its findings may prove useful not only for scholars in these disciplines, it may also enrich the reflection of practitioners who seek to perform the difficult art of transformational leadership in a late modern context.