Servants and Fools: A Biblical Theology of Leadership

by Arthur Boers, Eugene Peterson (Foreword)

Leadership is a much-discussed topic. What does it actually mean for us as Christians? Does Christian leadership have its own distinctive shape and character? In Servants and Fools, A Biblical Theology of Leadership, Arthur Boers examines Jesus’s pattern of leadership. Boers shows how this pattern is rooted in service and sacrifice, is cautious about power and hierarchies, and prioritizes the vulnerable. In other words, it often reverses what we expect of leadership, and is different from what we read in most leadership literature. Servants and Fools is a unique resource for students and practitioners across denominations. It offers a foundational perspective on leadership and guidance for practical application in the reader’s daily life and ministry.


Arthur Boers has at last written the book we have sorely needed, a book that is destined to become the main text in my seminary courses in church leadership, a book that is sure to be enthusiastically received by thousands of contemporary Christian leaders. Boers energetically underscores the joyful peculiarity of specifically Christian leadership. His book is a biblically based, Christologically grounded defense of leadership in the name of Christ.
--Will Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, United Methodist Bishop, retired, and author of The Theology and Practice of Ordained Leadership

Servants and Fools is a brilliant and essential contribution to any serious study of Robust, faithful, insightful biblical teaching. A judicious, knowledgeable harvest of the best contributions from leadership theorists and practitioners. Plus humor, in-the-trenches experiences, and practical applications. I cannot imagine ever teaching another class on leadership without assigning and discussing Arthur Boers’s book!
--David W. Gill, Mockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace Theology & Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

In Servants and A Biblical Theology of Leadership, Arthur Boers deconstructs the contemporary cult of “leadership” and serves up a refreshingly Biblical alternative. It is a great cautionary tale for today’s churches, seminaries, and Christian non-profits. At the same time, it offers great insight for secular organizations and leaders as well.
--John Suk, author, former editor of The Banner, and pastor of Lawrence Park Community Church, Toronto, Canada.

One of Hearts & Minds Bookstore's BEST BOOKS OF 2015!

Genres: Leadership

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Arthur Paul Boers holds the R. J. Bernardo Family Chair of Leadership at Tyndale Seminary (Toronto, Canada). He is an ordained Mennonite minister and Benedictine oblate. He served for over sixteen years as a pastor in rural, urban, and church-planting settings in the USA and Canada.

Boers is an author. His newest book is Living into Focus: Choosing What Matters in an Age of Distractions. (Brazos, 2012). His other books are The Way is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago (InterVarsity, 2007) The Rhythm of Gods Grace (Paraclete, 2003); Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior (Alban, 1999); Lord, Teach Us to Pray: A New Look at the Lord's Prayer (Herald, 1992); Justice that Heals: A Biblical Vision for Victims and Offenders (Faith and Life, 1992); On Earth as in Heaven: Justice Rooted in Spirituality (Herald, 1991); He is co-editor of Take Our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayer Book (Herald, 2007).

Boers earned the following degrees: D. Min. with distinction in worship and spirituality (Northern Baptist Theological Seminary), M. Th. in Pastoral Counseling (Waterloo Lutheran Seminary), M. Div. (McCormick Theological Seminary), M.A. in Peace Studies (Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary), B.A. (University of Western Ontario). He is Book Review Editor for Conrad Grebel Review. For many years he served as columnist and editorial advisor for Christian Ministry, The Builder and as contributing editor to The Other Side. His articles and reviews have been published in Biblical Preaching Journal, Catholic New Times, Christian Century, Christianity Today, Congregations, Leadership, St. Anthony Messenger, and Sojourners.

Hobbies include hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing. In 2005, he walked the 500 mile pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the experience which formed the basis for his newest book. He is also an Indiana Master Naturalist. Boers is a Canadian, the oldest son of Dutch immigrants. He is married to Lorna McDougall, a nurse practioner. They are the parents of two young adult children."

Reviews

[Andrew Kaiser]

My go to book on Christian “leadership.” Boers reveals the true sacrificial Servanthood of Jesus, exposing the contemporary cultural assumptions that lie behind our construction of “servant-leaders.” A paean to the fundamental call to humility and service.