{"id":22654,"date":"2019-04-11T17:13:56","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T00:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=22654"},"modified":"2019-04-11T17:13:56","modified_gmt":"2019-04-12T00:13:56","slug":"a-work-in-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/a-work-in-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"A Work in Progress"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bren\u00e9 Brown\u2019s Dare to Lead<\/em> is a practical guide-book that shows ordinary people what it looks like to be brave and lead other people. \u00a0Brown\u2019s idea of a leader is someone who reads people, sees their potential, and helps develop them. I knew I would like this book because Brown uses the \u201carmor\u201d metaphor in her description of what not to wear as a leader.[1]<\/a> Her armor metaphor is made up of a humanistic self-defense mechanism of \u201cthoughts, emotions, and behaviors\u201d used to protect the person.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

To be vulnerable, in this context, is to remove the armor and intentionally expose your heart towards people and advance their potential as an act of courage. While this might be a good strategy in developing brave leadership in the human context, I think exposing our heart and emotions in the principalities and powers context could be quite hazardous to our physical, mental, and spiritual health. I look forward to this unique opportunity to study this author while comparing her metaphorical images associated with armor, leadership, and spiritual warfare.<\/p>\n

First, I like the chart depicting Armored Leadership versus Daring Leadership.[3]<\/a> It provides 16 examples of negative versus positive attributes of leadership. I connected with Brown\u2019s viewpoint on \u201cnaming and normalizing fear and uncertainty.\u201d[4]<\/a> I really like the \u201cnaming\u201d part of her concept. Most people are afraid to \u201cname\u201d the source of their problem. I also agree there are times we must find our \u201cnew normal.\u201d Personally, for this naming and normalizing process to really work for me, I need the Holy Spirit to help me with wisdom and discernment. Otherwise, I will be fighting in the flesh, or from my human nature, and it will become a losing battle where fear and uncertainty will rule the day. For me, naming powers and principalities of evil as a possible and probable source of many conflicts is a key step in claiming the authority of Christ.<\/p>\n

Regarding Brown\u2019s reference to armor. She only mentions it as armor and does not specify any pieces like Paul does in the Ephesians 6:10-18 armor of God. I believe Brown\u2019s armor metaphor is like a helmet that retains (fears, thoughts, emotions) and maybe the breastplate that covers the (heart and soul). The armor of God, as outlined by the Apostle Paul, is 6-pieces that are put on in a precise order, that have specific functions, and serve to protect, project, and overcome the evil schemes of Satan.<\/p>\n

Second, who is this author anyway? I know Jean and a few other LGP8 members are Bren\u00e9 Brown followers, so I wanted to find out why. It looks like Brown was baptized in the Episcopal church, raised Catholic, and then abandoned the church for 20 years. She says that the church \u201cdidn\u2019t meet my needs anymore.\u201d[5]<\/a> The Gospel Coalition reviewed Brown\u2019s book Braving the Wilderness<\/em> and says she \u201cunveils and ideology of the divine self-an elixir of New Age thought, Eastern mysticism, and pop psychology.\u201d[6]<\/a> Nevertheless, I agree with Jean and others and think a deeper look at Brown is warranted. Capretto believes that if we interpret her terms, as a review on her book Rising Strong<\/em> suggests, it might help readers find a more familiar theological context to examine her humanist position with the Christian position on leadership. Another reviewer, Heather Nelson, bluntly says \u201cBrown isn\u2019t writing a primer for Christians.\u201d[7]<\/a> Nevertheless, Nelson sees a connection between Brown\u2019s \u201cTED Talk\u201d and Evangelical theology. For example, Brown\u2019s notion of \u201crumbling\u201d could be compared to the Christian idea of Biblically speaking the truth in love.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

I tend to agree with Nelson, the best way to digest Brown\u2019s narrative is to translate her context and substitute \u201cour hope in Christ\u201d into her phrases like \u201caligned with our values\u201d and \u201cliving our truth.\u201d[9]<\/a> Translating her language of shame, vulnerability, courage, and worthiness into a hope in Christ and her faith that she calls \u201cthe organizing principle of my life\u201d gives me the reader a better perspective of where she came from, what she went through, and where she trying to go with her personalized, life-experienced theology.[10]<\/a> So, thanks Jean. I think I have a better understanding why you and others are drawn to Brown\u2019s narrative. However, being the armor of God guy, I think me, and Ms. Brown would have a good discussion about armor. While she uses it in a negative context in her metaphorical examples, I believe she has the literary space and flexibility to also use it in the positive context, especially when she brings the Christ factor into her future works. Unfortunately, secular sells. I have read many Christian authors who do not name their demons, remain soft on spirituality, and promote a humanistic approach to brave leadership. Thankfully, Brown is like a voice in the wilderness that is calling people toward Christ and their seat at the table of faith.<\/p>\n

Here are a few reviews on Brown\u2019s Brave Work<\/em> book. First, Mary Albright says Brown\u2019s work is \u201can absorbingly actionable handbook on creating a space for better work and more fulfilled people.\u201d[11]<\/a> Next, Gayle Brazeau reports that Brown\u2019s research into \u201cvulnerability, courage and leadership\u201d provides a foundation of resilience that helps people understand life\u2019s challenges.[12]<\/a> There is no doubt, Brown\u2019s work gets noticed and is a valuable addition and resource to my dissertation bibliography.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, I wish Brown had contextualized her work more towards Christian revelation and application, but if you apply the Nelson translation theme, her book inspires theological reflection and challenges leaders to act. I am glad to see Brown engaged in the body of Christ again working to create community space where she can write and speak about her faith. I like the book.<\/p>\n

Stand firm,<\/p>\n

Mike<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Bren\u00e9 Brown. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.<\/em> (London: Vermilion, 2018) 24.<\/h6>\n
[2]<\/a> Ibid.<\/h6>\n
[3]<\/a> Ibid., 99.<\/h6>\n
[4]<\/a> Ibid., 138.<\/h6>\n
[5]<\/a> Lisa Capretto, \u201cWhy Bren\u00e9 Brown \u2018abandoned\u2019 the Church \u2014 and Why She Went Back,\u201d Huffpost, accessed April 11, 2019, https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/brene-brown-church_n_56200e7be4b069b4e1fb6e7a.<\/h6>\n
[6]<\/a> \u201cBren\u00e9 Brown and the Lie of the Divine Self,\u201d TGC, accessed April 11, 2019, https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/reviews\/braving-the-wilderness\/.<\/h6>\n
[7]<\/a> Heather Nelson, \u201cBren\u00e9 Brown On Rising Strong,\u201d The Gospel Coalition, accessed April 11, 2019, https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/reviews\/brene-brown-on-rising-strong\/.<\/h6>\n
[8]<\/a> Ibid., and speaking truth in love, Eph. 4:15.<\/h6>\n
[9]<\/a> Ibid.<\/h6>\n
[10]<\/a> Ibid.<\/h6>\n
[11]<\/a> Mary Beth Albright. “Brene Brown Knows What Makes a Great Leader — and Most Politicians Wouldn’t Make the Cut.” Washingtonpost.com, 2018, Washingtonpost.com, Oct 15, 2018.<\/h6>\n
[12]<\/a> Gayle Brazeau. \u201cShare All Your Stories.\u201d American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, vol. 82, no. 10, 2018, pp. 1146.<\/h6>\n

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Bren\u00e9 Brown\u2019s Dare to Lead is a practical guide-book that shows ordinary people what it looks like to be brave and lead other people. \u00a0Brown\u2019s idea of a leader is someone who reads people, sees their potential, and helps develop them. I knew I would like this book because Brown uses the \u201carmor\u201d metaphor in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[241,35,1039],"class_list":["post-22654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brene-brown","tag-leadership","tag-spiritual-warfare","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22654"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22656,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22654\/revisions\/22656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}