Making Spiritual Sense: Christian Leaders as Spiritual Interpreters

by Scott Cormode

Everyone agrees that congregational leadership is important; few agree on exactly what it is. Some claim it has to do primarily with vision casting; others say it's about effective administration; for others, serving as a change agent is most important. Yet all of these definitions forget that leadership in the church differs from leadership in other groups and organizations in one essential The congregational leader's first calling is to help his or her parishioners see the world, and their place in it, through God's eyes. God calls Christians to live transformed lives in a world in need of grace. God calls their leaders to help them adopt a set of perspectives, attitudes, and habits that make living as a Christian possible. This book will aid those leaders as they help Christians make spiritual sense of their lives.
Scott Cormode is the Hugh De Pree Associate Professor of Leadership Development at Fuller Theological Seminary and the De Pree Leadership Center. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister and the founder of both the Academy of Religious Leadership and the Journal of Religious Leadership.

139 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2006

Reviews

[Tim Floyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

To summarize, from page 138

Spiritual meaning making , means “creating a Christian way of seeing the world that enables and encourages people to take new action. It means providing vocabulary and theological categories. It means pointing people toward new theological interpretations, new ways of framing their values, and new goals. And it means weaving new stories that hold all of these cultural resources together. In the end, leaders who make spiritual meaning invite their congregations to live in a new interpretive world.”

[Filip De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cormode appropriates Argyris' framework of espoused theory and theory-in-use with regards to how leadership sets the conditions for offering a meaningful change. Must read.