Theological reflection as a leadership development practice for the post-Christendom Scottish church: Developing moral convictions and navigating new identities

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Lal Dhillon
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Church Leadership ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Missional Leadership ◽  
Development Practice ◽  
Moral Convictions

This paper discusses the role of theological reflection in church leadership development, focussing in particular on missional leadership in a post-Christendom context. It considers the organisational viability of a programme of theological reflection for leadership development, and the particular qualities which such a programme could foreseeably foster.

It Keeps Me Seeking

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Briggs ◽  
Hans Halvorson ◽  
Andrew Steane
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Good Argument ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Argument From Design ◽  
Relationship Of

Two scientists and a philosopher aim to show how science both enriches and is enriched by Christian faith. The text is written around four themes: 1. God is a being to be known, not a hypothesis to be tested; 2. We set a high bar on what constitutes good argument; 3. Uncertainty is OK; 4. We are allowed to open up the window that the natural world offers us. This is not a work of apologetics. Rather, the text takes an overview of various themes and gives reactions and responses, intended to place science correctly as a valued component of the life of faith. The difference between philosophical analysis and theological reflection is expounded. Questions of human identity are addressed from philosophy, computer science, quantum physics, evolutionary biology and theological reflection. Contemporary physics reveals the subtle and open nature of physical existence, and offers lessons in how to learn and how to live with incomplete knowledge. The nature and role of miracles is considered. The ‘argument from design’ is critiqued, especially arguments from fine-tuning. Logical derivation from impersonal facts is not an appropriate route to a relationship of mutual trust. Mainstream evolutionary biology is assessed to be a valuable component of our understanding, but no exploratory process can itself fully account for the nature of what is discovered. To engage deeply in science is to seek truth and to seek a better future; it is also an activity of appreciation, as one may appreciate a work of art.

scholarly journals Problematizing leadership learning facilitation through a trickster archetype: An investigation into power and identity in liminal spaces

Leadership ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 174271502199822
Author(s):  
Gareth Edwards ◽  
Beverley Hawkins ◽  
Neil Sutherland
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Liminal Spaces ◽  
Learning Facilitation ◽  
Reflective Conversations ◽  
Permanent Resident ◽  
Shadow Side ◽  
Learning Development

This study uses the archetype of a ‘trickster’ to reflect back on, and hence problematize, the role of the educator/facilitator identity in leadership learning. This is based on the view that a trickster is a permanent resident in liminal spaces and that these liminal spaces play an important role in leadership learning. Our approach was based on the reading of the trickster literature alongside reflective conversations on our own experiences of facilitation of leadership learning, development and education. We suggest that paying attention to the trickster tale draws attention to the romanticization of leadership development and its facilitation as based on a response to crisis that leads to a further enhancement of the leader as a hero. Hence, it also offers ways to problematize leadership learning by uncovering the shadow side of facilitation and underlying power relations. We therefore contribute by showing how, as facilitators, we can use the trickster archetype to think more critically, reflectively and reflexively about our role and practices as educators, in particular, the ethical and power-related issues. In our conclusions, we make recommendations for research, theory and practice and invite other facilitators to share with us their trickster tales.

scholarly journals Curriculum design in theology and development: Human agency and the prophetic role of the church

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverley Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
The Social ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

The field of theology and development is a relatively new sub-discipline within theological studies in Africa. The first formal post-graduate programme was introduced at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa during the mid-1990s. In the early years it was known as the Leadership and Development programme and since 2000, as the Theology and Development programme. Over the past twenty years, this programme has graduated over 160 BTh Honours, 100 MTh, and 15 PhD students. This article outlines the history of the programme, addresses its ideological orientation, its pedagogical commitments and preferences in curriculum design. It further argues that theological reflection on “development” must seek to understand the prophetic role of the church in responding to the complexities of the social issues facing the African continent.  Key to this discussion is the contested nature of “development” and the need for theological perspectives to engage this contestation through a social analysis of the global structures of injustice. This requires an engagement with the social sciences. It is this engagement of the social sciences with theological reflection, the essay argues, that has enabled the students who have graduated from the Theology and Development Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal to assist the church and faith-based organisations to become effective agents of social transformation.

scholarly journals The Essential Role of Leadership Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (18) ◽  
pp. 2272-2275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Freeman ◽  
Rosanne Nelson ◽  
Shashank S. Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Essential Role

Reflections from the field (mountain, cityscape and park): walking for management development and links to being-in-the world, belonging and “Ba”

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur F. Turner ◽  
Gareth Edwards ◽  
Catherine Latham ◽  
Harriet Shortt
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Management Development ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Story ◽  
The World ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper, based on reflections from practice, is to shed light on the realities of using walking as a tool for learning and development. This is done through an initial analysis of longitudinal reflective data spanning seven years and connecting these reflections to the concepts: being-in-the-world, belonging and Ba.Design/methodology/approachThis research takes a practice based phenomenological and reflective approach. The value of this approach is to seek a new understanding, through three distinct conceptual frames, of the effective use of walking within management development.FindingsThe findings connect three conceptual approaches of being-in-the-world, belonging and “Ba” to the practicalities of delivery, thus encouraging practitioners and designers to deeply reflect on the role of walking in management development.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation is that this is largely a personal story exploring the impact of an intuitively developed set of interventions. Despite this, the paper represents a unique and deep interpretation of walking as a mechanism for management development.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes with three recommendations to practitioners wanting to use walking in management development programmes. These are: facilitators need to be familiar with their surroundings; they should look for spaces and places where participants can connect and build relationships; and organisers and sponsors need to recognise how walking not only consolidates knowledge but can help create knowledge too.Originality/valueThis is a unique, seven-year longitudinal study that broadens the theoretical focus of walking as a mechanism for management and leadership development that combines the theoretical lenses of being-in-the-world, belonging and “Ba”, the authors believe, for the first time in research on management development.

How does daily family-supportive supervisor behavior relieve subordinates' job stress? The effect of ethical leadership and positive emotions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chongrui Liu ◽  
Cong Wang ◽  
Hongjie Wang ◽  
Donghua Xu
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Job Stress ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Indirect Relationship ◽  
Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors

PurposeRelying on a multilevel approach, this paper investigates the day-to-day variations in family-supportive supervisor behaviors influencing subordinates' job stress, as well as the mediating role of positive emotions and the moderating role of ethical leadership.Design/methodology/approachUsing the experience-sampling methodology, the study collected the data from 137 civil servants in China who responded to one daily survey for 10 working days.FindingsWith a total of 1,370 surveys, results supported the hypothesized model linking daily family-supportive supervisor behaviors to daily job stress via subordinates' daily positive emotions. In addition, the study found a moderating effect for ethical leadership positively in the indirect relationship between family-supportive supervisor behaviors and job stress.Practical implicationsThe findings in this study serve practitioners in organizational and leadership development. On the one hand, this study contributes to raising awareness about the importance of improving family-related support in the workplace, in generating subordinates' positive emotions and relieving their job stress. On other hand, the findings highlight the necessity of cultivating ethical leadership for leaders.Originality/valueThis study fulfills an identified need to clarify how and when daily family supportive supervisor behaviors influence subordinates' daily job stress. This study moves beyond previous research by adopting the experience sampling method and demonstrating important cross-level effects of ethical leadership on the within-individual relationship between family supportive supervisor behaviors and job stress.

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