Emerging Trends in Leadership and Spirituality

Bringing together an interdisciplinary line up of scholars from across the social sciences and theology, this book explores emerging discourses in leadership and spirit that are rooted in theoretical, epistemological, and empirical scholarship.

This book examines the motivations and invisible forces that shape organizations and communities by taking a dual approach to the study of spirituality: the “Spirit” of religion and theological impulses and the human “spirit” in teams and communities. Contributors pursue narratives and theories both grounded in a reflective epistemology and enlightened by fresh theological as well as social scientific insights into lived experience and actual leadership practice. In so doing, they offer considered perspectives that address the gap between leadership studies generally and leadership studies in more religious settings and envision new practices that contribute to human, economic, and ecological flourishing.

Emerging Trends in Leadership and Spirituality will be of interest to researchers and postgraduate students across leadership studies, theology, and organizational science, as well as to practitioners and leaders across business, public, and religious settings.

Jack Barentsen is Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology and senior researcher at the Institute of Leadership and Social Ethics, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium, and extraordinary researcher in Practical Theology at the Faculty of Theology of North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Patrick Renz is Professor at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Theology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland. He was National Director of Pastoral matters of Migrants and Refugees in the Swiss Bishops' Conference.

Steven C. van den Heuvel is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium, Director of ETF’s Institute of Leadership and Social Ethics, and Chairman of the Working Group Theological Ethics of the Dutch Research School of Philosophy.

Christian Preidel is Professor for Pastoral Theology at the Faculty of Theology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Head of the Institute for Religious Education, and member of the synodal committee of the Catholic Church of Switzerland.