The Call to Follow
Hearing Jesus in a Culture Obsessed with Leadership
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Reexamining the Nature of Leadership and "Followership" in Light of Biblical Teaching
The market is flooded with books, conferences, and workshops on how to be a better leader. In most companies, leaders are noticed and applauded while followers are often viewed as weak and passive. However, Scripture tells us a different story; although leadership is valued and respected, being obedient followers of Christ is at the very heart of faith.
In The Call to Follow, Richard Langer and Joanne J. Jung teach readers that "followership" is essential to both organizational and spiritual flourishing. They argue that followership requires the development of specific skills and virtues modeled and extolled throughout Scripture. They point to examples of people from the Bible and church history who focused on following in the footsteps of their Savior rather than positions of leadership among others. This helpful book seeks to dismantle the idol of leadership that's so prevalent in our culture and points us instead to the biblical concept of followership.
Biblically Centered: Contains examples of "followership" from Scripture and church history Mission Oriented: Explains how being a follower of Jesus Christ is a missional callingCommunity Focused: Written to encourage Christ followers, in both leadership and followership positions
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this stimulating work, Biola University theology professors Langer (Winsome Conviction) and Jung (The Lost Discipline of Conversation) critique the emphasis on leadership in the Christian church. "For Christians, followership is more foundational to our spiritual lives than leadership," the authors contend, drawing from scripture and the teachings of C.S. Lewis and Brother Lawrence to outline what good followership looks like. Deference to an authority and active engagement in support of a common goal are required, otherwise one risks merely "being led or dragged along." Langer and Jung push back against misconceptions about following and suggest that, far from being the purview of the unexceptional, it demands a "high level of aptitude and depth of character." The authors highlight the benefits of followership, noting that in Jesus's parables a common reward for servants is praise from their masters and that readers should aspire to earn such approval from God. Case studies in followership, including a French town that followed Jesus's example by sheltering Jewish refugees during WWII and a 19th-century Dutch congregation whose extensive knowledge of the Bible convinced their minister to change his theology, drive home the author's persuasive appraisal of the benefits of following. The result is a fresh take on what it means to be a "follower of Christ."
