By: Brian Yost on October 16, 2015
While it is true that a good leader will have a clear vision for the future, it is important to recognize that our past will inform our present as we move into the future. A leader does not just arrive onto the scene. A leader and each person with whom the leader works will function…
By: Dawnel Volzke on October 16, 2015
In his book, The Leadership Mystique, Manfred Kets De Vries states, “effective business leadership is never limited to the acts of one “heroic” individual; rather, it operates in a context of employees and of the business, industry, and larger social environment. Leaders who recognize the nuances of that context and guide their followers accordingly provide…
By: Garfield Harvey on October 16, 2015
Interestingly enough, Grenz/Olsen revealed that Bethany College vowed never to have a theology department. This speaks to the complexity with how we interact with the understanding of theology. The bias (or ignorance) against theology understands theology to be superstitious, boring and irrelevant to real life. The authors state, “It is not a question of whether…
By: Kevin Norwood on October 15, 2015
Introduction Who needs theology? I do! I accept the invitation to the study of God. The only problem I have with accepting this invitation is that I am not so sure about the foundation. What is theology? “A revival of sound theological interest and reflection among God’s people.” What is the fear? Christianity may be…
By: Mary Pandiani on October 15, 2015
A number of years ago, I asked my Organizational Dynamics teacher in seminary which book and/or author would she recommend as one of the best on leadership. Perhaps because of her influence under Dr. Bobby Clinton, especially with his work Making of a Leader, she claimed that he provided the most significant practical information on…
By: Phil Goldsberry on October 15, 2015
Introduction The word “theology” invokes a wide range of emotions and arguments. To some it is a substitution for just “knowing Jesus” for others it is the ability to proof text what you really believe. Stanley Grenz and Roget Olson in their work, “Who Needs Theology?” addresses holistically the true…
By: Pablo Morales on October 15, 2015
Introduction Who needs theology? This question is not only the title of the book I just read, but it is also a personal question that I must answer. Summary Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson eloquently argue that every thinking person is a theologian, but not every theologian has good theology. In order to become a…
By: Aaron Cole on October 15, 2015
Introduction: Who Needs Theology by Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson is a basic overview of what theology is and is not. The essence of the book for me is summed up in two words: theological exploration. Grenz and Olson state: “…they (Christians) would do well to explore the meaning of God and try…
By: Anthony Watkins on October 15, 2015
Who Needs Theology? Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson in their book “Who Needs Theology?” show that there are popular and pervasive misunderstandings of theology. During the years that they taught theology, they recognized some of the students had a hunger for a deeper understanding of God and God’s ways. However, they also discovered that both…
By: Colleen Batchelder on October 15, 2015
Pens tapped and kept time with the endless mantra of the ticking clock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The white walls closed in and the professor stood at full height above the class. “What is your theology?” He waited expectantly – peering into their soul and past their façade. They held their breath and grasped onto…
By: Jason Kennedy on October 15, 2015
Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson open their book with a fundamental question. They state, “Many Christians today not only are uninformed about basic theology, but even seem hostile to it. What has brought about this appalling lack of interest and frequently open hostility to theology among Christian laypeople, students and even pastors (Kindle Loc 27…
By: Aaron Peterson on October 15, 2015
My tribe has a favorite slogan, “Everyone gets to play.” This means, as the priesthood of believers, all are equipped to do the things Jesus does. Who Needs Theology by Grenz and Olson, is not just an introduction to theology, but a combination of a theology primer and manifesto declaring that everybody gets to do…
By: Claire Appiah on October 15, 2015
What kind of theologian are you? Who Needs Theology: An Invitation to the Study of God by Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson Introduction The key theme of the book is that every thinking person is a theologian because universally all thinking people are reflecting on and asking the same ultimate questions about life. Is there…
By: Marc Andresen on October 14, 2015
In one word, that’s the answer to the book title: Who Needs Theology? One could say “everyone” is the answer because the Bible teaches that humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26,27) therefore how can we help but to DO theology? The authors, Stanley Grenze and Roger Olson, state “Our decision to…
By: Nick Martineau on October 14, 2015
Last Fall at the Vanderblomen, Next: Succession conference, I was somewhat jokingly told there were two circumstances that can best help an incoming pastor hoping to replace a founding pastor…either the Founding pastor suddenly dies or he/she has a major moral failing. In Manfred Kets de Vries, The Leadership Mystique, I am given equally encouraging…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on October 14, 2015
Deep, Interior Leadership Thanks to the help of Manfred Kets de Vries, I have been set free in my true leadership identity. With de Vries semi-clinical, psychoanalytical angle on leadership and the powerful tools and diagnostics provided in “Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise,” I can now self-identify as a cyclothymic, passive-aggressive, masochistic,…
By: Dave Young on October 13, 2015
Manfred Kets De Vries, in “The Leadership Mystique,” contends that emotional intelligence (EQ) is actually more substantial in higher levels of leadership than IQ. He writes: “And people who possess emotional intelligence are more effective at motivating themselves and others. Such individuals also do better when placed in a leadership position, because they’re better equipped…
By: Rose Anding on October 12, 2015
Are you a theologian? Do you Know God? Introduction If you ask someone, what theology is today and possibly its necessity in individual lives, many would react negatively towards the word. As a matter of fact many will balk at it with negative remarks. The way we think about God defines the way we…
By: Anthony Watkins on October 12, 2015
The book starts out announcing that Social Geography is an inherently ambiguous and eclectic field to research. From the beginning of time as we know it, there has been a social grouping, a social scale. This scale basically separates the “haves” and the “have-nots.” People were labeled based on geographic locations. Although this basic look…
By: Dawnel Volzke on October 10, 2015
In his book Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Response to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States, Albert O. Hirschman discusses the reasons for people’s decline in loyalty to today’s organizations. When people are dissatisfied, they leave, voice objections or become disloyal.[1] These behaviors give us valuable insight into the level of satisfaction of the people we…
