1st Edition
Emerging Trends in Leadership and Spirituality Insights from Theology and Social Science
List of Contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1, Barentsen & Renz: EMERGING TRENDS AND NEW NARRATIVES IN THE LEADERSHIP-SPIRIT DISCOURSE
Part I: Relational perspectives on the S/spirit of leadership
Chapter 2, Barentsen: RECENT ADVANCES IN LEADERSHIP RESEARCH AS PATHWAY FOR THE S/SPIRIT
Chapter 3, Bennett: LEADERSHIP-AS-SPIRITUAL-PRACTICE
Chapter 4, Smith: REDEFINING THE SPIRIT OF JESUS-SHAPED, TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: FROM PROTECTIONIST STASIS TO DYNAMIC INCLUSION OF DISRUPTION
Chapter 5, Bally-Balogun: EMBODIMENT OF THE TRINITY IN LEADERSHIP TRANSITION: LEARNINGS FROM A UK PENTECOSTAL TRADITION
Part II: Perspectives from "spiritual leadership" as model
Chapter 6, Klaiber: LEADERSHIP AS MEANING-MAKING: AN EMPIRICAL EXPLORATION OF VALUES, SPIRITUALITY AND SENSE-MAKING IN EXECUTIVE CONVERSATIONS
Chapter 7, Van Loon & Buster: SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP AS TRANSFORMING THROUGH DIALOGUE
Chapter 8, Nel & Magezi: A CHRISTIAN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND APPLICATION
Chapter 9, du Plessis: SPIRIT-LED LEADERSHIP FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, RECONCILIATION AND TRANSFORMATION: CONTEXTUAL PASTORAL LEADERSHIP IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT
Part III: The S/spirit of leadership in church contexts
Chapter 10, Zulehner: SO THAT HEAVEN MAY COME TO EARTH ... AT LEAST IN TRACES. LEADERSHIP EVOLUTIONS IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Chapter 11, Famos: LEAD AND BE LED: LEADERSHIP FROM A PROTESTANT-REFORMED PERSPECTIVE
Chapter 12, Waibel: NARRATIVES OF LEADERSHIP SHOWN THROUGH THE FAITH BIOGRAPHIES OF FEMALE COMMUNITY LEADERS IN SWITZERLAND
Chapter 13, Kummer: SPIRIT, LEADERSHIP, AND SYNODALITY IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Part IV: Unravelling relational aspects of leadership: network, community & synodality
Chapter 14, Preidel: GROUNDING THE SPIRIT: SPACE AS A MEDIATOR FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH
Chapter 15, Frühmorgen: SOCIAL DISTANCE IN CHURCH AND LEADERSHIP: EMPIRICAL AND PRACTICAL-THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Chapter 16, Schroth: THE S/SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP IN NETWORKS: IMPLICATIONS OF A NETWORK PERSPECTIVE FOR LEADERSHIP IN CHURCH
Chapter 17, Joosse: LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE ACTIVISM: SEEKING THE SPIRIT WITH A MODEL OF RESPONSIBILITY
Part V: Reimagining leadership in light of identity, ideology and power
Chapter 18: Reicher & Haslam & Platow: BREAKING THEIR RULES: USING LEADERSHIP THEORY TO CLARIFY TRUMP’S APPEAL AND USING TRUMP’S APPEAL TO CLARIFY LEADERSHIP THEORY
Chapter 19: Renz & Imhof: THEOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF RIGOR AND RELEVANCE IN ACADEMIC DEBATE
Biography
Jack Barentsen is Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Leadership and Social Ethics, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium, and Extraordinary Researcher in Practical Theology at the Faculty of Theology of North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Patrick Renz is Professor at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and Researcher and Lecturer at the Faculty of Theology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland. He is National Director of Pastoral matters of Migrants and Refugees in the Swiss Bishops' Conference.
Steven C. van den Heuvel is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium, Director of ETF’s Institute of Leadership and Social Ethics, and Chairman of the Working Group Theological Ethics of the Dutch Research School of Philosophy.
Christian Preidel is Professor for Pastoral Theology at the Faculty of Theology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Head of the Institute for Religious Education and Member of the synodal committee of the Catholic church of Switzerland.
This volume makes a timely and much-needed contribution to contemporary leadership studies by bringing theology and social science into a rigorous and creative dialogue. By probing the often-unexamined S/spirit shaping leadership theory and practice, the contributors move beyond technocratic and heroic models toward relational, reflective, and ethically grounded approaches. This book not only provides an overview of the secular and sacred aspects of leadership, but also offers a lively discussion from the perspectives of social sciences, theology and practice. It is rich in interdisciplinary insight and empirically informed reflection. This book not only diagnoses current leadership crises but also opens fresh imaginative pathways toward S/spirit shaping leadership with an impact on religious settings, organizations and society.
Gabriël Anthonio, Professor in Value-Driven Leadership, Theologische Universiteit Apeldoorn, Netherlands
This book aims to bridge theological and social science perspectives on leadership, making it of interest to scholars in both areas. The thematic device of S/spirit highlights the duality and overlap of the religious and human spirit. It will also be a welcome addition to the literature on leadership and spirituality. All in all, this book promises to make a unique contribution to the study of leadership theory and practice.
Joanne B. Ciulla, Professor of Leadership Ethics, Director of the Institute for Ethical Leadership, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, United States
This book follows the basic insight that knowledge is both contextual and fragmented. To learn something profound and pioneering about leadership for the crises and challenges of the mid 21st century, the editors assembled scholars, researchers and practitioners from different fields, continents and denominations. By this, the book offers an amazing range and variety of helpful insights and discourses about leadership issues (transformation, relation, participation…) and brings the best of many worlds (theology, social sciences, philosophy, empirical research…) into one book.
Felix Eiffler, Ph.D., Head of Research Unit Missional Church Development at the Center for Empowerment Studies, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
I am an extremely enthusiastic champion of this book. The authors have worked tirelessly for over a decade to pull together the ideas and contributions that it contains, and I think they have done a superb job. Moreover, the book as a whole is novel, fresh, and exciting on a number of levels —in terms not just of its message, but also its focus, content and reach. If I were a publisher, I would jump at the opportunity to publish it.
Alex Haslam, Professor of Psychology, Leadership Scholar, and Laureate Fellow at the University of Queensland, Australia
This book stands out not only for its original topic, but also for the way it is treated. It opens a conversation across fields of study, bringing together both empirical and theoretical approaches, contributions from multiple theological disciplines, and perspectives that cross confessional boundaries. Not least, it demonstrates how leadership studies in general and theological leadership studies can fruitfully inform one another.
Martin Jakobsen, Editor of Scandinavian Journal of Leadership and Theology and Associate Professor, Ansgar University College
Leadership is not trivial. But the literature on leadership is full of books offering simplistic answers. Thus, we need non-trivial conferences and books like this that deal competently with real leadership. This book offers interesting case studies from different parts of the world and various contexts.
Volker Kessler, Professor, Akademie für christliche Führungskräfte, Gummersbach, Germany, Professor extraordinarius, Research Institute for Theology and Religion, Pretoria, South Africa
The best edited works arise from a need to address the most pressing challenges of the day. In this regard, the collection is truly exceptional in its interdisciplinary aims to explore leadership as a process of S/spirit toward greater institutional and societal flourishing. Each of the contributors has developed clear, compelling cases for a more relational, contextual, and integrative leadership that rightly critiques models and practices of previous generations. I encourage all who teach and lead to incorporate this text into their courses and professional development.
Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Associate Professor of Leadership and Formation, Iliff School of Theology, Denver, United States
In an emerging age of co-creativity, this volume interconnects theologians, leadership scholars, social scientists, and practitioners to extend our understanding of spirituality and leadership. A multinational collaborative of authors explores the shared reflexivity of discerning the S/spirit in leadership. The result is a perichoretic image of sensemaking that invites mutuality and redemptive action toward human flourishing. Future-ready leaders will deeply resonate with the holistic wisdom of these S/spirit-informed pathfinders!
Thomas F. Tumblin, Professor of Leadership, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky USA






