The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus: Relational Smarts for Religious Leaders

Faith leaders are surrounded by people, constantly navigating mazes of different personalities, emotional levels, and individual characteristics. Working with committees, individuals, and other leaders is critical to successfully moving an organization forward and representing a congregation with credibility and effectiveness. Not every leader, however, is born with the inherent ability to effectively communicate and relate with others. That ability is called Emotional Intelligence―perceiving, controlling, and evaluating emotions.

Emotional Intelligence is widely studied in the business world to help improve leader effectiveness. The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus introduces readers to the ways emotional intelligence can enhance their work in faith settings. Authors Roy M. Oswald and Arland Jacobson highlight the emotional intelligence of Jesus, illuminating the remarkable ways he related to a diverse array of people, then show how these lessons can enrich the ministry of faith leaders today.

The book walks readers through five key principles of emotional intelligence―self-awareness, empathy, assertiveness, optimism, and stress management―illustrating these principles in the life of Jesus and offering practical applications for leaders today. The authors address emotional intelligence with both individuals and groups of all sizes. The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus is an essential resource for anyone looking to enhance their relationship and leadership effectiveness in a faith setting.

Roy M. Oswald is the executive director of the Center for Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Skills (EQ-HR) www.eqhrcenter.org. He is one of the founding EQ-HR Center board members, where he runs workshops and consults on the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, with a focus on religious organizations. An Alban consultant for thirty-one years, he is an ordained Lutheran minister and author of numerous books.

Arland Jacobson is an ELCA pastor, and a retired professor and administrator at Concordia College. He has a PhD in New Testament and Early Christianity from Claremont Graduate University in California.