On May 8th I presented a paper entitled, "What Would Jesus Lead?: Identity Theft, Leadership Evolution, and Open Systems" to scholars.

The occasion was the inaugural meeting of the "Biblical Perspectives in Leadership Research" Roundtable hosted by Dr. Corne Bekker, faculty of the School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship, at Regent University,

Representing the multidisciplinary fields of biblical, social-science, historical and leadership studies, the "Biblical Perspectives in Leadership Research" Roundtable explores engages and extends the field of knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of leadership as found within the contexts of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.

Here is a summary of my paper, and its abstract. I have submitted this paper for publication to the new Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership (JBPL).

If you are a leadership scholar working in this area, I welcome critique on this approach both before and after publication. Please contact me.

Abstract

Recent discussions of 'What would Jesus drive?' by environmental groups have raised the issue of whether Jesus of Nazareth would embrace the industrial growth paradigm. This paper evaluates this Jesus and public policy debate by examining various leadership typologies that have been used to study Jesus. Drawing upon Daft's four-cell evolutionary theory of leadership studies, this paper lays out an open systems and post-industrial research agenda for leadership scholars as they examine Jesus' actions within the first-century context.

Introduction

On November 20, 2002 in Detroit the Evangelical Environmental Network launched a public relations campaign. Their director, Jim Ball turned the popular question, "What Would Jesus Do?" into the now famous retort, "What Would Jesus Drive?" Six months later Ball and his wife Kara drove a Toyota Prius from Austin, TX to Washington, DC to dramatize how creation care was a biblical mandate and not just "liberal claptrap cooked up by enviros to wreck the economy" (Bell, as cited in Lane, 2006).

Riding a wave of criticism about rising gas prices, the 'gas-guzzling' Sport Utility Vehicle (SUVs) became demonized as "Axles of Evil," in part responsible for American addiction to foreign oil, and driving the Middle East conflict. Sales of SUVs began to plummet from their highs in the 1990s (Webster, 2006).

Not all Evangelicals embrace Ball's campaign and the core of its supporters in the National Evangelical Association. As recent as March 2007, traditionalists like James Dobson and Gary Bauer warned this association that their climate change initiative would distract America from conservative pro-life issues, such as opposing abortion and same-sex marriage (Goodstein, 2007).

In a recent pre-Easter CNN Special entitled, "What Would Jesus Do?" Pastor Frederick Douglas Haynes III expressed a parallel charge. Speaking against the organized Christian Right, he claimed, "Jesus has been crucified on a cross of identity theft..." Haynes claims Jesus "has been de-radicalized, sanitized, to the point where he is totally divorced from the social, political and economic realities of his day." Haynes then warns we should not "con ourselves into limiting Jesus to certain pet moral issues." As a leader, Haynes sees Jesus would be concerned about the budget deficit of the United States, the war in Iraq and providing health care to 9 million uninsured children (Martin, 2007).

Whether among liberals or conservatives, Blue states or Red states, the question of leadership has never been more important. The debate over climate change, fuel economy, pro-life issues and identity theft reminds us that Jesus of Nazareth will continue to animate our discussion of post-industrial leadership (Pelikan, 1985; Rost, 1991). In today's pluralistic religious context, even among Evangelicalism, we may not be able to develop consensus of "What would Jesus drive?" or even "What would Jesus lead?" But we should be able to answer the question, "How would Jesus lead?"

Despite this opportunity Evangelical scholarship is seriously deficient today in its purported "worldview analysis" (Ebertz, 2006). Both outsiders and insiders recognize it is deaf, mute and dumb in regards to constructively shaping the future of U.S. society (Gerzon, 1996; Noll, 1994). Furthermore, most business leadership books that appeal to Jesus (Jones, 1995; 2001; 2004; Tamasy, 1995; Wilkes, 1998) are so derelict in understanding his first-century context that they tempt us to agree with Haynes' charge of identity theft.

To fill this void, this paper draws upon Daft's evolutionary model of leadership studies to examine various ways in which scholars have understood Jesus' leadership. An 'open systems' research agenda is proposed to examine Jesus' actions within the context of Second Temple Judaism and correlate this to 21st century leadership issues of industry transformation, high performance management, and public policy.

[This paper is now published in .pdf format. Please contact me if you can give me critical feedback]

References

Allen, C. (1998). The human Christ: The search for the historical Jesus. New York: Free Press.
Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (1991). The full range of leadership development: Basic and advanced manuals. Binghamton, NY: Bass, Avolio & Associates.
Aune, D. E. (1983). Prophecy in early Christianity and the ancient Mediterranean world. Grand Rapids, MI Geneva [SZ]: Eerdmans.
Hughes, R. L., & Beatty, K. C. (2005). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization's enduring success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Blake, R. R., & Mouton, J. S. (1964). The managerial grid: Key orientations for achieving production through people. Houston, TX: Gulf.
Blanchard, K. H., Hybels, B., & Hodges, P. (1999). Leadership by the book: Tools to transform your workplace. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook.
Briner, B., & Pritchard, R. (1997). The leadership lessons of Jesus: A timeless model for today's leaders. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.
Bruce, A. B. (1877). The training of the twelve or, Passages out of the Gospels, exhibiting the twelve disciples of Jesus under discipline for the apostleship (6th ed.). Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
Bryman, A. (1992). Charisma and leadership in organizations. Newbury, CA: Sage.
Bueno, C. M., & Tubbs, S. L. (2004, September). Identifying global leadership competencies: An exploratory study. Journal of American Academy of Business, 5(1/2), 80 - 87.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
 Chilton, B. (2000). Rabbi Jesus: An intimate biography. New York: Doubleday.
Choi, Y., & Mai-Dalton, R. R. (1998, Winter). On the leadership function of self-sacrifice. Leadership Quarterly, 9(4), 475-501.
Coleman, R. E. (1964). The master plan of evangelism. Westwood, NJ: F. H. Revell Co.
Conger, J. A., & Kanungo, R. N. (1987, October). Toward a behavioral theory of charismatic Leadership in organizational settings. The Academy of Management Review, 12(4), 637-647.
Cooperrider, D. L., & Dutton, J. E. (1999). Organizational dimensions of global change: No limits to cooperation. (Human dimensions of global change). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Crossan, J. D. (2007). God and empire: Jesus against Rome, then and now. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Crossan, J. D., & Reed, J. L. (2001). Excavating Jesus: Beneath the stones, behind the texts. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Dansereau, Fred, "A Dyadic approach to leadership: Learning and nurturing this approach under fire. Leadership Quarterly, 6(4) 1995, 479-490.
Dent, E. B. (2003, December). Reconciling complexity theory in organizations and Christian spirituality. Emergence: A Journal of Complexity Issues in Organizations and Management, 5(4), 124-140.
Dodd, C. H. (1947). The fall of Jerusalem and the 'Abomination of Desolation.' Journal of Roman Studies, 37, 47-54.
Ebertz, R. P. (2006, Fall). Beyond worldview analysis: Insights from Hans-Georg Gadamer on Christian scholarship. Christian Scholar's Review, 36(1).
Faulkner, N. (2002). Apocalypse: The great Jewish revolt against Rome, AD 66 - 73. Charleston, SC: Tempus Publishing Ltd.
Finkelstein, S., & Hambrick, D. C. (1996). Strategic leadership: Top executives and their effects on organizations. (West's strategic management series). Minneapolis/St. Paul: South-Western.
Fletcher-Louis, C. H. T. (1997). The destruction of the temple & the relativization of the old covenant: Mark 13:31 & Matthew 5:18. In K. E. Brower & M. W. Elliott (Eds.), Eschatology in Bible & theology: Evangelical essays at the dawn of a new millennium (pp. 145-170). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.
Ford, L. (1991). Transforming leadership: Jesus' way of creating vision, shaping values & empowering change. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.
Fry, L. W. (2003, December). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 693-727.
Gary, J. E. (2006). The future of business as mission: An inquiry into macro-strategy. In T. Steffen & M. Barrett (Eds.), Business as mission: From impoverishment to empowered (pp. 253-273). Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.
Gerzon, M. (1996). A house divided: Six belief systems struggling for America's soul. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Goodstein, L. (2007, 3 March). Evangelical's focus on climate draws fire of Christian Right. New York Times (New York).
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist.
Grenz, S. J., & Franke, J. R. (2001). Beyond foundationalism: Shaping theology in a postmodern context. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Guinness, O. (1993). The American hour: A time of reckoning and the once and future role of faith. New York: Free Press.
Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2000). Management of organizational behavior: Leading human resources (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Henrichsen, W. A. (1974). Disciples are made-not born. Wheaton, IL: Victor.
Horsley, R. A., & Hanson, J. S. (1999). Bandits, prophets & messiahs: Popular movements in the time of Jesus. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press.
Jones, L. B. (1995). Jesus, CEO: Using ancient wisdom for visionary leadership. New York: Hyperion.
Jones, L. B. (2001). Jesus, Inc., The visionary path: An entrepreneur's guide to true success. New York: Crown Business.
Jones, L. B. (2004). Jesus, life coach: Learn from the best. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Kerr, S., & Jermier, J. (1978). Substitutes for leadership: Their meaning and measurement. Organization Behavior and Human Performance, 22, 375-403.
Kim, K., Dansereau, F., Kim, I. S., & Kim, K. S. (2004). A multiple-level theory of leadership: The impact of culture as a moderator. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 11(1), 78-92.
Lane, A. (2006, 12 February). Evangelist: What would Jesus drive? Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), Final ed., sec. News, p. 19.
Lichbach, M. I. (1995). The rebel's dilemma. (Economics, cognition, and society). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Malina, B. J. (1984). Jesus as charismatic leader? Biblical Theological Bulletin, 14, 55-62.
Manz, C. C. (1998). The leadership wisdom of Jesus: Practical lessons for today. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Manz, C. C., & Sims, H. P. (1980, July). Self-management as a substitute for leadership: A social learning theory perspective. Academy of Management Review, 5(3), 361-367.
Martin, R. (CNN Anchor). (2007, 8 April). Encore presentation: What would Jesus do? (TV No. 040801CN.V54) (Frederick Douglas Haynes, Jerry Falwell, Paula White, T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, Shmuley Boteach et al.). CNN Live Event. Cable News Network.
Noll, M. A. (1994). The scandal of the evangelical mind. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
O'Hara-Devereaux, M. (2004). Navigating the badlands: Thriving in the decade of radical transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Patterson, K. A. (2003). Servant leadership: A theoretical model (Diss, School of Leadership Studies, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, 2003). Dissertation Abstracts International, 64, 570 (UMI No. 3082719).
Pelikan, J. J. (1985). Jesus through the centuries: His place in the history of culture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Reed, J. L. (2000). Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus: A re-examination of the evidence. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity.
Rost, J. C. (1991). Leadership for the twenty-first century. New York: Praeger.
Slaughter, R. A. (2004). Futures beyond dystopia: Creating social foresight. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
Schweitzer, A. (1968). The quest of the historical Jesus: A critical study of its progress from Reimarus to Wrede. (W. Montgomery, Trans.). New York: Macmillan.
Scott, W. R. (2003). Organizations: Rational, natural, and open systems (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Stegemann, E., & Stegemann, W. (1999). The Jesus movement: A social history of its first century. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
Tamasy, R. (1995). Jesus works here. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.
Tushman, M. L., & Romanelli, E. (1985). Organizational evolution: A metamorphosis model of convergence and reorientation. Research in Organizational Behavior, 7, 171-222.
Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (Guenther Roth & Claus Wittich, Trans.). Berkeley: University of California Press.
Webber, R. (2002). The younger evangelicals: Facing the challenges of the new world. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Webster, S. A. (2006, 1 May). SUV sales teeter at turning point with mixed signals from buyers. Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI), sec. Business and Financial.
Weick, K. E. (2001). Making sense of the organization. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Wright, N. T. (1992). The New Testament and the people of God. (Vol. 1). Christian origins and the question of God). Minneapolis: Fortress.
Wright, N. T. (1996). Jesus and the victory of God. (Vol. 2). (Christian Origins and the Question of God). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.