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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian institutions & organizations > Christian spiritual & Church leaders
A seminal figure in late antique Christianity and Christian
orthodoxy, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus published a collection of
more than 240 letters. Whereas these letters have often been cast
aside as readers turn to his theological orations or
autobiographical poetry for insight into his life, thought, and
times, Self-Portrait in Three Colors focuses squarely on them,
building a provocative case that the finalized collection
constitutes not an epistolary archive but an autobiography in
epistolary form-a single text composed to secure his status among
provincial contemporaries and later generations. Shedding light on
late-ancient letter writing, fourth-century Christian
intelligentsia, Christianity and classical culture, and the
Christianization of Roman society, these letters offer a
fascinating and unique view of Gregory's life, engagement with
literary culture, and leadership in the church. As a single unit,
this autobiographical epistolary collection proved a powerful tool
in Gregory's attempts to govern the contours of his authorial image
as well as his provincial and ecclesiastical legacy.
Leadership is a growing preoccupation of the contemporary church,
but for some of the most inspiring examples of good leadership we
need to go back, not forwards. Archbishop William Temple is widely
regarded as one of the most influential church leaders of the
twentieth century. In this book Stephen Spencer unpacks Archbishop
Temple's life and legacy, and the ways in which his leadership
transformed society in remarkable ways. From education to politics,
and from spiritual direction to leading the church through national
crisis, this book draws on Temple's biography to offer a unique and
profound portrait of the kind of servant leadership the church
needs today.
Most books about Celtic saints are based on their legendary
medieval lives. This book, however, is based upon our earliest
surviving information: an examination of the sites where these
early Christians lived and worked. Archaeology, combined with the
study of place names, inscribed stones and early texts, offers us
important clues which help us to piece together something of the
fascinating world of early Irish Christianity. Elizabeth Rees, an
acknowledged authority on Celtic Christianity, has produced this
insightful history which is the first in an exciting new series.
Illustrated throughout with her own evocative photographs of where
these saints resided and worked, the reader is drawn into the
beautiful world which these men and women inhabited.
If I had known the Enneagram earlier in my ministry, I would have
been a much better pastor. When this thought came to Todd Wilson,
he had already served as a pastor in several churches for the
better part of fifteen years and was successfully leading a large,
historic, and diverse congregation. He'd started out in ministry
with a strong education in everything from biblical exegesis and
homiletics to organizational development and Christian education.
However, at its root, pastoral ministry is about shepherding,
serving, leading, and loving people, and Todd realized that what he
lacked was wisdom about how people work. He says, "When it came to
empathetically shepherding people and sensitively engaging their
manifold personalities and diverse ways of seeing the world, I was
an amateur." Whether you are on a church staff or leading a small
group, you will find that the insights from the Enneagram that have
helped many grow in self-awareness can be applied to life in our
faith communities. The Enneagram can help us to become better
teachers. It can influence how we develop worship and Christian
education. And it can guide us in building and leading teams. It's
time to take the Enneagram to church-and to allow it to shape our
life together.
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