By: Richard Volzke on October 31, 2014
How many times have you heard the phrase “lets just all get along”? This is a common saying or theme that many businesses and church leaders are propagating. It seems that the art of leadership is has given way to allowing everyone to have equal say and vote in the workplace. While it is important…
By: Ashley Goad on October 30, 2014
Edwin H. Friedman wrote one of the frankest, no-nonsense books I have ever read. A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix caused me to wrinkle my forehead, squint my eyes, and stare off into space for minutes at a time as I pondered his thoughts. I was reminded of real…
By: Dawnel Volzke on October 30, 2014
Alister E. McGrath’s Christian Theology: An Introduction provides an overview of the history and development of Christian theology. He traces the development of theology through history, by sectioning it off a chunk at a time. I appreciate his approach as “there is no need to read every chapter in this book, nor need you read…
By: Brian Yost on October 30, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister E. McGrath. This is a great book for both the novice as well as the scholar. McGrath “assumes that its readers know nothing about Christian theology.”[1] He thus creates a tool that can be placed in the hand of a student, but at the same…
By: Travis Biglow on October 30, 2014
The Quadrilateral of Christian Theology October 30, 2014 The renewal of my love for Theology has come full circle again. Studying Christian Theology this week has renewed my interest and pointed me to a point of theology that I believe is timeless in its nature, the quadrilateral. Before I get into that I…
By: John Woodward on October 30, 2014
In our information inundated, computerized world, there is the strong temptation to find quick-fixes, easy answers, new techniques, and advice from a plethora of experts ready to solve whatever issues or problems you might have. For this reason, my heart goes out the legions of small church pastors and the mothers of over-active children who…
By: Liz Linssen on October 30, 2014
I can’t remember the number of times I’ve heard my husband tell me how difficult it is to coach people who either do not want to be coached, or who are not ready to be coached. That’s why at the start of any potential coaching engagement, he asks clients to do a ‘coachability’ test. My…
By: Dave Young on October 30, 2014
My posts have been reflecting upon ways in which theological thinking can be a meeting place, a place to ask important questions. I’ve been attempting to adopt a learning posture, being curious without having to be ‘the answer guy;’ communicating a broader vision, which goes beyond my comfort level, going beyond what I had described…
By: Nick Martineau on October 30, 2014
Who Needs Theology, followed by, A Very Short Introduction to Theology, followed by a 500+ page student textbook on theology is enough to make me cry for mercy! I’m not sure where to even start with Alister McGrath’s Christian Theology: An Introduction. While yes, this is an introduction to theology, McGrath chose the comprehensive approach…
By: Deve Persad on October 30, 2014
Make no mistake, despite my relaxed (some would say barely alive) exterior there is a deep desire to change the way people view the world. Having been involved in ministry for about 25 years and now having served in full time ministry for almost fourteen years, that desire has met with both external and internal…
By: Jon Spellman on October 30, 2014
Put Down Those Matches! Christian theology, at any level much any deeper than just below the surface, should not be attempted without also studying its developmental arc down through the history of the church. To more fully embrace the theological thoughts and conversations found within the available corpus of theological work, it is important…
By: Mary Pandiani on October 30, 2014
After teaching Western Civilization to 15-16 year olds for a number of years, I learned that history, like theology, can easily cause a syndrome called, “Roll-the-eyes-back-into-the-head because I can’t take it anymore” which usually resulted in this question, “Besides, what relevance does it have in my life?” While they, like so many today referencing theology,…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on October 29, 2014
In theory, being a student and teacher of Christian theology ought to be one of the most dynamic and exciting fields of study. However in the words of Alister McGrath in his text, Christian Theology: An Introduction, “In practice, both student and teacher often find the teaching of the subject to be difficult , and…
By: Stefania Tarasut on October 29, 2014
When picking a leader God says to Samuel, “you know what Samuel, people look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” I wonder if at the end of the day, the heart matters more than we would realize. It’s the heart that gives birth to motives, ideas, understanding, and ultimately, it’s the…
By: Travis Biglow on October 25, 2014
Theology and Jesus Thinking October 25, 2014 For this to be an introduction it covered a broad range of theological topics. And since we are faced with so many world religions and dogmas, exploring other religions is not bad just to understand ours. I like how David F. Ford explained the concepts surrounding why we…
By: Richard Volzke on October 25, 2014
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries is a world known expert in the area of leadership development and organizational change. He has worked with organizations in many countries, so brings great wisdom when looking at leadership from a global perspective. In his book, The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise, he looks at a…
By: Carol McLaughlin on October 25, 2014
If there is one thing (and there is more than just one) to take away from reading Manfred Kets De Vries, The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise it is that the path to the end game should have a different road. I am not a business person; yet I recognize that as…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on October 25, 2014
Manfred Kets de Veries‘ book The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise is full of insights from a real life leadership experiences helpful for leaders seek to be effective in leadership positions. In the preface, de Veries highlights the conspicuous neglect in the research for human factors, instead specialists in this field give…
By: Stefania Tarasut on October 24, 2014
I have to be honest and say that ministry is hard! Working with people is hard! There are times when I daydream about the perfect exit from ministry. I imagine what that would look like and sometimes, I play the scenario in my head, but if I want to have a voice in the immigrant…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on October 24, 2014
This is my first read of any of Manfred Kets De Vries 20 some books. I braced myself for another economic or psychological intense reading on the same level as Taylor or Polyani, but I was pleasantly surprised as I began The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise. My interest was aroused at…
