B.H. Carroll’s Pastoral Theology
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 58, No. 2 – Spring 2016
Managing Editor: W. Madison Grace II
Edited by John S. Burns, John R. Shoup, and Donald C. Simmons, Jr. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014. 287 pages. Paperback, $26.00.
This book is designed to address the issue of leadership from a Christian worldview. The editors have compiled articles around five key themes: communication, negotiation, decision-making, financial stewardship, and personal development. The authors attempt to outline principles for individuals seeking to “conduct leadership from all kinds of formal and informal positions in organizations” (9).
The book is organized around 3 sections: theological foundations, theoretical foundations, and key skills and practices. The first section addresses the calling to leadership. The first chapter is foundational to the entire work. In it, the author outlines primary and secondary callings of God. He emphasizes the need for a genuine relationship with the Lord and also shows the value of all work as part of the calling to God. He talks about how to discern one’s calling of God and concludes with some general character traits necessary for leadership. The other two chapters in this section address some general principles on a Christian worldview and the theological foundations of leadership.
The second section addresses theoretical foundations for Christian leadership. The first chapter in this section is a complex extended metaphor on leadership theories that have been proposed throughout history. The other chapter in this section conveys the general principle of faith informing our life journey.
The final section is a detailed look at the five selected key themes related to Christian leadership. While the importance of these themes is obvious and wellsupported, an explanation for the selection these themes as opposed to others would have strengthened this section. Additionally, while the general principles related to them are addressed, it would have been helpful here to more specifically address: how the Bible influences our communication, biblical principles for conflict and negotiation, how our Christian faith informs our decision making, how God’s Word teaches financial stewardship, and how spiritual disciplines impact our personal development.
The book is an interesting read and establishes a worthy goal of leading according to biblical principles. At times, the book overcomplicates somewhat simple truths, while at other times left this reader wishing for more practical, biblical tips for organizational leaders. The section on theological foundations would be a beneficial read for anyone interested in leading according to God’s truth.
