In my postgraduate research, I uncovered an interesting thing: Christian leadership authors, as if systematically, stripped out the role of God in Biblical leadership. Some examples: Roxburgh and Romanuk speak of the courage of Moses in delivering his people -- yet do not mention God's involvement in what he did. Engstrom portrays Nehemiah as a great man, but do not mention that God had a role in his success. Gibbs notes that the great men and women of Hebrews 11 were characterised by sacrificial service -- yet does not mention faith in God (the chapter is on faith). And so on. My examples filled seven pages of a thesis. OBSERVATION: It makes one wonder how much the average Christian leader does the same, and to what extent this alters the perception of what Christian leadership is. My analysis was that the absence of God greatly increases the leader's own sense of responsibility -- and burden.
3 comments:
I find it interesting in my academic world at the moment that God is often stripped off. As if he is not academically acceptable. Academics is about 'real' stuff. I'm sure that it is a subconscious thing, but it is a pity!
If God is "often stripped off", this may well have to do with the theological presuppositions of the academics. It is not always easy, however, to discover what those are.
Charles Hodge famously defined theology as "the science of the facts of Divine revelation so far as those facts concern the nature of God and our relation to Him, as His creatures, as sinners, and as the subjects of redemption."
Hey Jenny, that's sad.
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