{"id":34384,"date":"2023-11-30T17:38:48","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T01:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=34384"},"modified":"2023-11-30T17:39:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T01:39:12","slug":"girards-gaze-peering-into-the-mimetic-mysteries-of-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/girards-gaze-peering-into-the-mimetic-mysteries-of-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Girard’s Gaze: Peering into the Mimetic Mysteries of Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Intro<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 Ren\u00e9 Girard’s insights on how mimetic desire influences dynamics within religious communities. Woodward considers William Stringfellow’s concept of leadership, viewing it through the lens of prophetic, incarnational leadership[1]<\/a>. This book not only challenges conventional perspectives but also invites a profound rethinking of the role and impact of leadership within the church. When thinking of leadership, I often think of a speech by Dr. King where he states, \u201cWhat is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic.[2]<\/a>\u201d Thinking of this quote while reading Woodward\u2019s work, I came across an idea that has gripped me this week.<\/p>\n

The Idea<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before engaging with Woodward’s work, I was unfamiliar with Ren\u00e9 Girard\u2019s ‘mimetic desire theory.’ However, the more I read, the more my interest in this theory grew. In an effort to understand it better, I took some time to gain a cursory understanding of Girard’s concept. Mimetic desire, as Girard developed, suggests that human desires are not original or self-generated but are imitated or borrowed from others. This imitation extends beyond just behaviors and words. According to mimetictheory.com, \u201cWhile Plato and Aristotle and their heirs confined imitation to behaviors and words and external \u2018things\u2019, Girard realized that human powers of imitation extend into the very core of our beings\u2014to what we desire and to how we form our identities. Mimesis, then, is a constituent part of human nature.[3]<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodward’s exploration of this theory in ‘The Scandal of Leadership’ further deepens this understanding. He illustrates that \u201cAlthough there is initially a difference between the model and the imitator, such as the distinction between disciple and their pastor, eventually these differences reach a vanishing point, where the progressive and mutually reinforcing mimesis between model and imitator starts to lack any differentiation, making them doubles of each other.[4]<\/a>\u201d\u00a0 He continues with Girard\u2019s observations that \u201cgenius novelists reveal truths about human nature better than do present-day social and human scientists.[5]<\/a>\u201d which leads to a reflection on how mimetic desire, the imitation of our models\u2019 desires, shapes leadership.<\/p>\n

The Mimetic and Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mimetic theory’s implications are evident in the church leadership landscape. We’ve seen how well-known leaders like Carl Lentz[6]<\/a> fell into a scandal that mirrored issues he had critiqued in others, a clear illustration of mimetic desire in action. Similarly, the rise and fall of megachurch pastors like Mark Driscoll[7]<\/a> and Bill Hybels[8]<\/a> can be viewed through this lens, their leadership styles seemingly imitating and amplifying both the positive and negative traits of their predecessors or contemporaries.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Woodward’s discussion about the ‘falling’ of Christian leaders resonates with the notion of leaders being drawn to domineering power, as seen in various scandals. These situations echo Woodward’s assertion that ‘Leaders are falling to the lure of domineering power in epidemic proportions.[9]<\/a>\u201d does not stop with Christian leaders of churches. The cases of leaders like Jerry Falwell Jr.[10]<\/a>, who strongly aligned with political ideologies, show how mimetic desire can extend beyond the church walls, influencing leaders’ stances and actions.<\/p>\n

The Question<\/strong><\/p>\n

This begs the question: who are Christian leaders mimicking? If Girard\u2019s theory is accurate, and leaders within the Christian context continue to fall, we must acknowledge a more significant issue in Christian leadership than initially thought. It\u2019s not just individual failures but a systemic pattern, a reflection of the mimetic desire at play. Woodward’s insights should push us to examine our leadership models and their influence on our actions and decisions. It challenges us to be mindful of whom we are imitating and the consequences of these imitations in our leadership journey. Ultimately as Woodward says, \u201cWe become what we love, and ultimately, what we love is what we worship.[11]<\/a>\u201d, more leaders (myself at the top of that list) need to mimic Christ so that we can embody true leadership.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u00a0\u201cScandal of Leadership (JR Woodward) Review.\u201d n.d. Www.youtube.com. Accessed November 30, 2023. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=C1Uo97Tkz24.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> \u00a0Libro.fm. 2015. \u201cA Call to Conscience by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Audiobook Excerpt).\u201d YouTube. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rBXxYMEMLPs.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> \u00a0\u201cMimesis versus Imitation.\u201d 2019. Mimetic Theory. September 9, 2019. https:\/\/mimetictheory.com\/articles\/mimesis-versus-imitation\/#:~:text=While%20Plato%20and%20Aristotle%20and.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> \u00a0J.R. Woodward, The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church (Cody, WY: 100 Movements Publishing Academic, n.d., 2023). p240<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> J.R. Woodward, The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church (Cody, WY: 100 Movements Publishing Academic, n.d., 2023). p238<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/05\/us\/carl-lentz-hillsong-pastor.htmlGraham,%20R.%20(2020,%20December%205).%20The%20rise%20and%20fall%20of%20Carl%20Lentz,%20the%20celebrity%20pastor%20of%20Hillsong%20Church.%20The%20New%20York%20Times.%20https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/05\/us\/carl-lentz-hillsong-pastor.html<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> \u201c\u2018The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill\u2019: The Abuses of a Superstar Pastor and Megachurch Ruins Left Behind.\u201d n.d. Www.wbur.org. https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/hereandnow\/2022\/01\/20\/mars-hill-mark-driscoll-podcast. \u200c<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Smietana, Bob. 2018. \u201cWillow Creek Elders and Pastor Heather Larson Resign over Bill Hybels.\u201d News & Reporting. August 8, 2018. https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/news\/2018\/august\/willow-creek-bill-hybels-heather-larson-elders-resign-inves.html.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> J.R. Woodward, The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church (Cody, WY: 100 Movements Publishing Academic, n.d., 2023). p53<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Gabriel Sherman, G. L. (2022, January 24). Inside Jerry Falwell Jr.\u2019s unlikely rise and precipitous fall at Liberty University. Vanity Fair. https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2022\/01\/inside-jerry-falwell-jr-unlikely-rise-and-precipitous-fall<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> J.R. Woodward, The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church (Cody, WY: 100 Movements Publishing Academic, n.d., 2023). P226<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 Ren\u00e9 Girard’s insights on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"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":[2347,2846],"class_list":["post-34384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp01","tag-woodward","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34384","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\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34384"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34386,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34384\/revisions\/34386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}