Variety and Complexity of Religious Development: Perspectives for the 21st Century

Streib H. Variety and Complexity of Religious Development: Perspectives for the 21st Century. In: Roelofsma P, Corveleyn J, van Saane JW, eds. One Hundred Years of Psychology of Religion. Issues and Trends in a Century Long Quest. Amsterdam: Free University Press; 2003: 123-138.Hundred years after William James' famous book, the question of the variety of religious orientations deserves new reflection. The rapid changes in the religious landscape in our Western societies require a methodological response in psychology of religion research. A challenging example is the new type of religious socialization which I have called 'accumulative heretic' and for which some research results report a generational accumulation. We expect results from research on new religious fundamentalist deconverts to speak to this question also. Has religion become a question of style, of life-style? It appears that our perspectives for understanding and our instruments in empirical research need an adjustment. Based upon James Fowler's faith development theory, but with reference to recent proposals in structural-developmental and life-span developmental psychology, I propose a model of religious styles which, in the first place, is the attempt to better account for the complexity of religious development, including its psychodynamic, interpersonal, life-history and life-world related dimensions. In this way, not only research in faith development could venture more out of its niche and contribute its gift for investigating the variety of religious orientations in religious communities and milieus, but more specifically, new developments in the religious landscape can be taken into account

Personality traits of church planters and other church leaders in Europe (II)

In search of a renewal of their mission in the secularized West, an increasing number of (Protestant) churches have embarked on the creation of new faith communities with a strong missionary purpose. This entrepreneurial approach of mission raises a number of questions, among which the issue of leadership is paramount. Currently, however, very little reliable empirical research has been done among faith entrepreneurs, or 'church planters', in Europe. In this article the personality dimensions of 215 church planters are compared with 307 'regular' church leaders (pastors), based on the so-called 'Big Five' personality test. Independent samples t-tests showed that church planters are significantly more extravert, open to new experiences, and conscientious than 'regular' pastors, and significantly less neurotic, while scores on agreeableness are more or less similar. These results are discussed with a view to existing literature on church planting and entrepreneurship in the West

Public leaders in accelerated times:a qualitative study on their reflective practices in the Netherlands

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to phenomenologically explore the reflective practices of leaders in public organisations amidst a complex societal context in combination with rapid changes. In this article, the authors specifically explore the lived experiences of public leaders to generate new hypotheses concerning their reflective practices. Design/methodology/approach: The phenomenological methodology consists of analysing the lived experiences of 13 public leaders, collected in an in-depth interview and written reflections. Findings: The thick data offer new and up-to-date insights into the daily experiences of public leaders concerning their challenges, the effect of the addictive and alienating forces, their reflex to withdrawal when facing emotional incidents and the effects of their contradictory mindsets. Practical implications: The practical implication is a critical approach towards reflective practices of public leaders. The risk is that reflectivity is approached as a socially desirable instrumental ritual. Considering the needs and desires the public leaders shared, the authors wonder: Is there a growing importance of reflective time and space – or, above all, meaningful relations and resonant moments amidst the alienation forces? Originality/value: The phenomenological exploration offers concrete insights into the daily experience of public leaders', as opposed to the often-abstract theory. The new hypotheses provide a new starting point for further critical phenomenological research.</p

Leadership reflective practices: Adaptive challenges, slow questions and meaningful relations in fluid and accelerated times

In recent times of volatility and acceleration, leaders in organisations at a strategic level are facing increasingly complex adaptive challenges accompanied with a growing body of information, as for example seen with the COVID-19 pandemic. They are increasingly challenged by an uncontrollable dynamic. This review explores what the role is of reflective practices considering these challenges. The background of the study is the observation that likewise business research is accelerated in a tremendous speed, thereby remaining fragmented and interdisciplinary. Therefore, this study analyses the content of literature on leadership and reflectivity in current times. The aim is to investigate the main key-concepts and to create an agenda for further research. This review demonstrates that addressing slow questions and creating meaningful relations could play a critical role for leaders experiencing adaptive challenges and ‘shrinking time’. The meta-reflection in this review revealed two dimensions of reflective practices relevant for future investigation: firstly, intrapersonal, intuitive, and embodied reflection on the experiences of leaders; and secondly, dialogical ‘sense-making’ with others. This review shows that reflective practices have primarily been studied among professionals, and not among leaders. This raises the question: Is the general assumption that professionals ‘reflect’ and that leaders mainly ‘act’

Leadership reflective practices: Adaptive challenges, slow questions and meaningful relations in fluid and accelerated times

In recent times of volatility and acceleration, leaders in organisations at a strategic level are facing increasingly complex adaptive challenges accompanied with a growing body of information, as for example seen with the COVID-19 pandemic. They are increasingly challenged by an uncontrollable dynamic. This review explores what the role is of reflective practices considering these challenges. The background of the study is the observation that likewise business research is accelerated in a tremendous speed, thereby remaining fragmented and interdisciplinary. Therefore, this study analyses the content of literature on leadership and reflectivity in current times. The aim is to investigate the main key-concepts and to create an agenda for further research. This review demonstrates that addressing slow questions and creating meaningful relations could play a critical role for leaders experiencing adaptive challenges and ‘shrinking time’. The meta-reflection in this review revealed two dimensions of reflective practices relevant for future investigation: firstly, intrapersonal, intuitive, and embodied reflection on the experiences of leaders; and secondly, dialogical ‘sense-making’ with others. This review shows that reflective practices have primarily been studied among professionals, and not among leaders. This raises the question: Is the general assumption that professionals ‘reflect’ and that leaders mainly ‘act’

Personal leadership as form of spirituality

In theories on leadership a paradoxal development can be perceived. The growth of social constructionist theories on leadership with a strong focus on both leaders and followers goes hand in hand with a call for strong leadership with a focus on skills and traits of the leader. Situational and reciprocal theories on leadership flourish as much as theories on effectiveness of leadership in relation to personality traits and leadership skills. This paradoxal development can be overcome when the paradigms of spirituality are taken into account. In this chapter three perspectives are discussed: the impact of spiritual concepts on leadership, the contemporary developments within religious leadership, and the connection between leadership and learning in the concept of personal leadership. Spiritual concepts open the domain of leadership to growth and values. Contemporary developments in religious leadership reveal the redefinition of traditional forms of religion and the impact on leadership. Personal leadership brings in the notion of learning, and offers a promising way of connecting contemporary needs in a complex world to sources of spirituality