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J-Term Book Ideas
For J-term I’m taking a course at Columbia Seminary called Integrations. It’s supposed to integrate all we’ve learned at seminary so far, especially with our internships and alternative context experiences in mind, and facilitate group discussions that help us claim our own identity as church leaders of some sort. Should be interesting. Definitely very difficult to do well.
The two main texts are Lief Enger’s Peace Like a River and Bass and Volf’s Practicing Theology: Beliefs and Practices in Christian Life.
I’m supposed pick one of the following books to read from the supplemental list.
Have you read any? Would you recommend one?
Integrations Supplemental Reading:
- Hagberg, Janet, Real Power: Stages of Personal Power in Organizations, Third Edition (Sheffield Publishing, 2002). ISBN 978-1879-215467
- Friedman, Edwin H., A Failure of Nerve (Seabury Books, 2007). ISBN 978-1596-270428
- Adams, Richard, Watership Down (Scribner, 2005). ISBN 978-0743-277709
- Goleman, Daniel, et al, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business School Press, 2002). ISBN 1-57851-486-X
- Heifetz, Ronald & Linsky, Marty, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading (Harvard Business School Press, 2002). ISBN 1-57851-437-1
Or, heck, just any good books to recommend?
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Oh, for heaven’s sake, read Watership Down. It’s a novel and probably more engaging than the others. I’ve read other books by the other authors and they all write well, IMHO.
Last year I read Primal Leadership and really enjoyed it. It felt like a continuation of my pastoral leadership independent study from the fall semester … the book, definitely not the class.
As this challenge — finding ways to integrate across a curriculum — is a hugely pressing one at Luther, I’ll be eager to hear what your experience is like. As to the books, the only one that’s had much resonance for me is Heifetz’s. Given that that’s the one on the list, I’m surprised your professor didn’t offer the choice of Scott Cormode’s recent book “Making Spiritual Sense” which draws on Heifetz’s work in a pastoral setting, and would be a great read for this set of goals…
I had a failure of nerve highly recommended multiple times. I have not read it, but I would like to. Let me know what you think if you choose it.
A Failure of Nerve is my favorite ministry book ever. It made working in a congregation and living with humans in a home much more pleasant and life-giving.
Thanks, folks. We’ve got quite a contest going here. I’ll mention Cormode’s book to the profs, Mary. Heck, maybe Steve is reading this
I should have said I’ve read “Please Like a River” before and LOVE it.
Leadership on the Line – very good, though a bit expensive. The final chapter is titled “Sacred Heart”. Both are faculty at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Heifetz has been a lecturer in Public Policy.
I appreciate the book covering “Adaptive Change” in significant depth, including the necessity for a Holding Environment.
I think you will appreciate the many things you will be introduced to in this book. In a chapter titled “Hold Steady”, there is a section called “Take the Heat”. This is something people don’t often think about – receiving people’s anger (in regard to change). Taking the heat gracefully is important to avoid undermining necessary interventions. So many simple but profound statements: “Silence is a form of action” (in regard to keeping your cool).
“Losing yourself in your role is a sign that you depend on the institution or community for meeting too many of your personal needs…”
“Managing one’s grandiosity means giving up the idea of being the heroic lone warrior who saves the day. People may bet you to play that role; don’t let them seduce you. It robs them of the opportunity to develop their own strengths and settle their own issues. Don’t begin to believe that the problem is yours to carry and solve.” p171.
“Seek Sanctuary…a place of reflection and renewal…where you can reaffirm your deeper sense of self and purpose…Once a week is not enough.”
“the human enterprise is an experiment in love and connection. As we learn to tolerate and then enjoy so much diversity, we strive to create communities in which more and more of our members can thrive together.”
“the fact that love lies at the core of what makes life worth living is undeniable. Love gives meaning to what you do…We take risks for good reason: We hope to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Some might think this is a book about business, since it is published by Harvard Business School Press. But don’t let that fool you. It’s a very excellent guide to leadership. It’s a book about sociology, faith, common sense, and so much more. I read it in my final J-term – four years ago. And I recommend it to you.
Thanks, Dennis. Sounds like Harvard is good for more than their divinity school
Good words. Thanks.
Real Power was originally published in 1984.
Friedman has been dead 10 years, so his book is published by a couple of editors trying to pull together some ideas.
Watership Down is 30 years old.
Emotional Intelligence was published in 1997, so Primal Leadership is EI updated to 5 years later – so it might be a close second behind “Leadership on the Line”.
BTW – sounds like a great class. I enjoy anything by Volf.
I can’t vouch for much on the list, but I can recommend Watership Down without hesitation. It’s exquisitely written, and gave me a deep appreciation for what it might take to lead a group of people on pilgrimage.
“Leadership on the Line” is a very good book. I had to read it at Duke Div for a Town and Country Church Class I took. It has very useful information about leadership and adaptation, etc.
For leadership in any situation I recommend:
“The Godfather” by Mario Puzo
It is especially useful in congregational care. Learning to make offers that cannot be refused, decisive decision-making, and the art of negotiation are all covered.
My second recommendation is:
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
and lastly:
“Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai” by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, published by Kodansha International.
These are much more useful indeed.
Keep sharp,
G-dog
If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously devoting one’s body and soul to his master.
Hagakure
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
The Gospel of Mark
Need I say more?
I read “Primal Leadership” and liked it. Had to push through the first part where they set up the emotional intelligences, but appreciated the second and third parts where they connect ei to leadership styles.
Will have to read “A Failure of Nerve.” Sounds interesting…