Volume 19, Number 2 | Autumn 2020
Journal of Religious Leadership

The Journal
Welcome to the Fall 2020 issue of the Journal of Religious Leadership takes its theme from the preceding Conference of the Academy of Religious Leadership and is constituted largely by its presentations. As we gathered online in April 2020, we were treated to rich array of intellectual offerings that delighted our minds and challenged our hearts.
We are grateful to former ARL President Jeffrey Tribble for convening the conference around the topic, “Engaging the Prophetic Dimension of Christian Leadership.” In his call for papers, he posed several questions to stimulate and evoke our best thinking around prophetic leadership. Given the tumultuous and contested times we live in, his questions continue to guide our engagement with communities and the wider society in matters of peace and justice, especially for the “least of these”:
- How does the prophetic tradition in the Bible as well as historical and contemporary prophetic figures inform practices of compassion and justice?
- How might a “prophetic imagination” guide social action to counter the economics of inequality, the politics of oppression, and the co-opting of God’s freedom to be present and act where God chooses?
- What leadership models, theories, methods, and strategies are useful for inspiring, energizing, and sustaining prophetic leadership?
- What spiritual practices inspire faith, hope, and courage to act boldly and wisely in the face of danger and threats by dominant principalities and powers?
The essays in this issue offer powerful answers to these questions from very different perspectives. Each and all together expertly draw upon wisdom of tradition, imaginative insight, and down-to-earth practices to inform and inspire prophetic engagement.
Here’s what you’ll find in the latest issue of the JRL.
Articles
Introduction
Robert K Martin, editor
Presidential Address
Jeffery L. Tribble, Sr.
“Next [Wo]-Man Up: Examining Prophetic Leadership Transition in Moses and Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Phillip Allen, Jr.
Prophetic Leadership: What Is It And Does It Matter?
Neil J. Dougall
Voices from the Margins: A Renaissance of Black Prophetic Preaching and Leadership in Problematic Times
The Rt. Rev. Edward Donalson III
Frameworks Toward Post/Decolonial Pastoral Leaderships
Kristina I. Lizardy-Hajbi
Book Reviews
Loonshots: How To Nurture The Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, And Transform Industries
By: Safi Bahcall
Reviewed by Michael Wilson
Longing For Revival: From Holy Discontent To Breakthrough Faith
By: James Choung And Ryan Pfeiffer
Reviewed by Jessica Duisberg
Small Leadership In Christian Perspective: Biblical Foundations In Contemporary Practices For Servant Leaders
By: Justin A. Irving And Mark L. Strauss
Reviewed by Zachariah Ellis
Ecclesial Leadership As Friendship: Explorations In Practical, Pastoral, and Empirical Theology
By: Chloe Lynch
Reviewed by Uriesou Brito
White Jesus: The Architecture Of Racism In Religion And Education
By: Christine Porath
Reviewed by Jeff Clawson
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power Of Habit
By: James K. A. Smith
Reviewed by Neil Dougall
When Narcissism Comes To Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional And Spiritual Abuse
By: Chuck DeGroat
Reviewed by Lisa Withrow