By: Laura Fleetwood on December 7, 2023
It’s ironic to post about Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book Antifragile during a time when I am very fragile health wise. Over the past 5 weeks, I have battled a treatment-resistant sinus infection that just developed a secondary infection this past week. After days spent in bed with swollen lymph nodes, pain and anxiety attacks, I’ve…
By: Russell Chun on December 7, 2023
Опір даремний, Opir daremnyy, Resistance is Futile (Ukrainian) Part 1 – What my Peers are saying. Part 2 – What Others are Saying Part 3 – What I learned from Word of Art Part 4 – Epilogue Steven Pressfield’s War of Art [1]provided a welcomed message for the cohort struggling to finish papers and live…
By: Pam Lau on December 7, 2023
At this strange time in the world in which we are marching towards a New Year, it is a comfort to look back at this semester at the words we have read, the questions we have asked and the prayers we have prayed. After writing three papers and 11 blogs this year (not counting outside…
By: David Beavis on December 7, 2023
As a youth pastor, my work involves being in the world of students and witnessing firsthand numerous parenting styles. There is a great spectrum of hands-off and helicopter parents. But on the far end of the helicopter parent spectrum is a man named Henry. Henry has one son. His name is Benny. Henry is very…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on December 7, 2023
Introduction: Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder are another great one to explore. Frankly, this book is uneasy to read; I always love it when Blinkist has a summary book version that brings the entire book to a manageable and easy-to-read format. The fragile, the robust, and the antifragile. Everything around the world, as seen…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on December 5, 2023
“Antifragility” has been tumbling through my conscious and unconscious mind for the last few days. I pondered it this morning at the gym: is my workout antifragile, strengthening my muscles beyond the load I’m placing on them or fragile, because the movements are repetitive and unnatural?[1] “Antifragile” also led to some interesting conversations with friends…
By: Kally Elliott on December 5, 2023
“It’s about ten-thirty now. I sit down and plunge in. When I start making typos, I know I’m getting tired. That’s four hours or so. I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns. I wrap up for the day.”[1] I read this book, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, on the heels of completing the…
By: Kim Sanford on December 5, 2023
The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle sounds like an intense and intimidating read. The author, Steven Pressfield, is clearly passionate and experienced as a creative professional. While parts of the book felt reminiscent of Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, this book’s main idea was more clearly defined. Basically, successful artists discipline…
By: Tim Clark on December 4, 2023
Finishing a semester feels like finishing a Sunday. Every week on Sunday I get up much earlier than usual and prayerfully enter the space where for the next few hours I’m going to be in the ring and fighting for lives, sometimes my own. The battle isn’t against flesh and blood and I’m building people…
By: Becca Hald on December 3, 2023
After thirty-eight days migraine free, I am on day seven of this migraine. I am at least past the “someone please give me a guillotine” phase, but the horrific head pain is not the only symptom. Nausea, exhaustion, tinnitus, stiff neck, struggling to concentrate, and sensitivity to light, sound, and smell… these are my current…
By: Becca Hald on December 3, 2023
“She’s a pastor? But she is too nice to be a pastor.” That is what the receptionist at the kennel said to my husband. He was dropping off our kitties before heading out of town with me for a conference. The receptionist asked where we were going this time and he told her he was…
By: Laura Fleetwood on December 2, 2023
Dr. JR Woodward set out to write a book that “would offer theological immunity to the disease of domineering leadership in the church.” [1] In The Scandal of Leadership, Woodward dives into the heart of failures and scandals among male church leaders who become corrupted by the power they wield. In this academic and theological…
By: Daron George on December 1, 2023
Introduction In “Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault,” Stephen R.C. Hicks navigates the historical and philosophical evolution of postmodernism, tracing its roots from the Enlightenment critiques by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant to its manifestation as a critical lens in modern thought[1]. Hicks critically examines how postmodernism, often cast as a rebellion…
By: Chad McSwain on December 1, 2023
“As you read, you will discover that each of us will either follow the scandalous way Jesus led or become a scandal. There is no neutral ground.”[1] There is truly no neutral ground to leadership. It is no surprise that leadership books, blogs, email list and water-cooler-conversations persist the way they do. We all participate…
By: Daron George on December 1, 2023
Introduction “Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief” by Jordan B. Peterson is a fascinating book that digs deep into how our beliefs, the myths we hear, and our everyday lives are connected. Peterson shows us that myths are not just old stories but more like an ancient tool. He presents these narratives (myths) as…
By: Jana Dluehosh on November 30, 2023
Leadership by Peter Northouse is the text book I was waiting for in this Doctorate of Leadership. Not because it has the cutting edge of leadership theory, but because it gives a practical chapter on 15 styles of leadership. I have been playing around with becoming a leadership coach once this doctorate is over and…
By: Daron George on November 30, 2023
The Intro In ‘The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church,’ J.R. Woodward offers a compelling theological exploration of church leadership. Woodward delves deeply into Walter Wink’s ‘Theology of the Principalities and Powers,’ examining the spiritual forces at play in leadership contexts. He also engages thoughtfully with René Girard’s insights on…
By: David Beavis on November 30, 2023
Young, Ambitious, and Anxious My first few years of serving in local church ministry was at an “influential megachurch.” This was a big deal for me. I was eager to have my “big break” and become a successful leader within this institution. But I was not the only one with such ambitions. In fact, when…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on November 29, 2023
Identifying the Scandal and Offering Prevention JR Woodward, in his book, The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church, addresses the downfall of church leaders through their abuse of power. He addresses this problem by looking at the roots deep below power abuse, “naming the Powers of domination in order to…
By: Kally Elliott on November 29, 2023
In prepping for this blog post I asked Chatgpt to write a critique of Peter Northouse’s book, Leadership: Theory and Practice in the voice of the Reverend Kally Elliott. What follows is the introductory paragraph: Greetings, dear readers, and blessings upon your journey! Today, let us embark on a reflective journey into the realms of…
