By: Laura Fleetwood on January 29, 2023
Whoever coined the phrase, “there are two sides to every story,” never studied systems theory or emotional triangles. Based on chapter seven of Edwin Friedman’s book A Failure of Nerve, it seems there are actually three sides to most relational issues–the perspective of the two parties at the root of the struggle and that of…
By: Mary Kamau on January 28, 2023
We are living in interesting times, and I often find myself trying to reconcile my mind with things that are hard to believe are happening because they defy logic and convention. Where are they coming from, this is a question I find myself asking many times as I look at the trends in our world…
By: Kally Elliott on January 28, 2023
For the next eight weeks I get to teach a Family to Family Course for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). The Family to Family Class is an education program for family members and caregivers of individuals living with mental illness. The program is designed to provide family members and caregivers with the tools and…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on January 27, 2023
Edwin Friedman, in his book, A Failure of Nerve, Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix, offers groundbreaking and challenging insights into successful leadership. In my first reading of Friedman’s book, I was struck by his emphasis on the importance of leaders to show up with a strong sense of self, an ability to…
By: Chad McSwain on January 27, 2023
There is no better masterclass in leadership than Failure of Nerve. It brilliantly diagnosis the problem of modern society and the lack of leadership, only to invite the leader to look at themselves to understand where the problems truly lies. This is the unique and timeless perspective that Friedman offers in the ubiquitous leadership environment…
By: Jonathan Lee on January 27, 2023
In this book, The Genesis of Gender, Dr. Abigail Favale presents her current Christian position on the question of gender by bringing her personal experiences and professional expertise in a theological framework that is written in a style of using and weaving many personal stories together. Favale writes to tell many real stories of different…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on January 27, 2023
Edwin H. Friedman’s book A Failure of Nerve “Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix” is excellent; Friedman’s unique experience and observation on leadership took him to different essential spheres of our society, including family, church, and politics. There are several lessons; I want to look at some and will reference some other resources…
By: Shonell Dillon on January 27, 2023
Anxiety Disorder: Separation anxiety (f93.0) Developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to whom the individual is attached. Selective mutism (f94.0) Consistent failure to speak in specific social situations in which there is an expectation for speaking despite speaking in other situations. Specific phobia (f40.248) Marked fear or anxiety about a…
By: Becca Hald on January 27, 2023
Somewhere in the midst of storms, voluntary evacuation, and quick trips back to our property to grab what we needed, I grabbed the wrong book. I did my reading and wrote my blog post on our flight home. I went to post last night and realized that the book I grabbed was Thinking, Fast and Slow…
By: Elmarie Parker on January 27, 2023
One of the theology students recently visiting Lebanon shared this concept from one of her professors: “read and listen with critical generosity.” What I took from her explanation is the invitation to listen and read with a critical posture rooted in scholarship and a generous application of the famous prayer of St. Francis—one line of…
By: Dinka Utomo on January 27, 2023
A year ago, my son and daughter (9 and 7 years old) asked me, daddy is there any portal in this world for us to go to another dimension? Then the next question that surprised me quite a bit was, daddy, is there any portal in the world for us to go to heaven and meet…
By: Jana Dluehosh on January 26, 2023
Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee, WI is known as one of the “happier” airports in the USA. Why you ask? Well Barry Bateman the former airport director who retired in 2020, Bateman made up the word and suggested the signage in order to add some comic relief to what can be a tense aspect of air travel. …
By: Kristy Newport on January 26, 2023
Stephen King has provided a personal reflection on the art of writing in his book: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. King’s book is 316 pages long and the content is jam packed with great advice for beginning writers. His advice spanned the depths of creating plot and character to simple suggestions of having…
By: Nicole Richardson on January 26, 2023
The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory written by Dr. Abigail Favale engages the subject of gender theory and its impact on one’s identity from a historical, biological, and philosophical perspective while applying a narrow theological construction. Her agenda is, “analyzing the genealogy of gender, providing an account of how the gender paradigm emerged and…
By: Tonette Kellett on January 26, 2023
This book, Failure of Nerve, by Edwin Friedman, was compiled from writings ten years after the author had passed away. It was Friedman’s opinion in these writings that under pressure, most leaders will give in to the weakest member of the organization because of fear of retaliation. [1] Their giving in to these people causes…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on January 26, 2023
I was not looking forward to preparing for this week’s blog. I didn’t know why but I suspect it was because I elected not to purchase the book but to download it. I knew that it probably was not a good decision because I have never been a fan of e-books, I am old school.…
By: Michael O'Neill on January 26, 2023
I do not believe in coincidence. I often smile when puzzle pieces emerge uniquely by the Spirit though. There is something that is so incredibly cool and fulfilling when the fingerprint of the Spirit is all over you or the things you come in contact with. Whether it’s being assigned a book at the perfect…
By: Audrey Robinson on January 26, 2023
While preparing to write the third Syntopical Essay last semester, I was reviewing notes collected from Friedman’s book Failure of Nerve. Chapter Seven, titled Emotional Triangles, caught my attention, and aroused my curiosity. However, due to time constraints, I had to ‘file that one away,’ as my husband would say, so I could return later.…
By: Adam Harris on January 26, 2023
After reading this week’s material and watching Robert Coven’s TED talk on threshold concepts, I can’t help but share my personal journey of struggling through certain thresholds regarding my faith, and in particular Scripture in higher education. I have a deep love and respect for the Bible. I couldn’t always say this, but I appreciate…
By: Troy Rappold on January 26, 2023
Dr. Abigail Favale is an outstanding writer and she focuses her sparkling prose intensely on the issues of feminism and the gender paradigm. Dr. Favale is also a fellow Bruin: she earned her B.A. in Philosophy from Geoge Fox University only to return many years later to teach in the Humanities Department. A conversion from…
