Understanding
Christian Leadership

Author Ian Parkinson
Publisher SCM £19.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780334058748

Ian Parkinson teaches leadership at several theological colleges. In this book he combines academic and Christian thought on leadership to ‘serve as … a leadership primer, especially for those embarking on or engaging in Christian leadership’. The result is a substantial, comprehensive and academically rigorous volume, organised in two parts: Understanding Leadership and the Work of Leadership. Part 1 attempts a definition of leadership and includes a look at leadership in the Christian tradition as well as a critical reflection on the practice of leadership. In Part 2, Parkinson mines secular thinking and shows how it can be utilised for leadership in the context of religious organisations before presenting a blueprint for an authentically Christian understanding of leadership. His case studies are challenging and inspiring in turn. For Readers who are seeking to live the CRC vision as ‘leaders in church and society’, there is much that is of relevance. I found the chapter on leadership in the New Testament particularly interesting and thought-provoking, not just for what it says about leadership, but also for how we ‘do church’. A demanding read, recommended for Readers who find themselves with significant leadership responsibility.

GERTRUD SOLLARS

Leadership