Uncorinthian Leadership [Hardcover]

Amid the torrent of books on leadership that flood the marketplace of contemporary Christianity, UnCorinthian Leadership takes a fresh, challenging, and biblical approach. David Starling examines the teaching and leadership practices of Paul in 1 Corinthians, and finds both a sharp critique of the Corinthianized practices that are endemic in much modern Western Christianity and a positive, compelling theological vision for how leadership ought to function among the people of Christ. The account of Christian leadership that emerges is grounded in careful, contextual study of 1 Corinthians, and thoughtfully applied to the circumstances and cultural pressures of our own times. Paying close attention to the situation Paul addresses and the shape of his arguments, Starling highlights the vivid relevance and enduring power of the letter. Students of 1 Corinthians will find an illuminating guide to the contemporary application of the letter; Christian leaders and students of leadership will find a refreshingly biblical account of what makes Christian leadership Christian. Many speak and write of 'Christian leaders' and 'servant leadership' as if the categories were self-evident--and certainly it is easy to bless almost any label with a few proof-texts. This little book by David Starling is a fresh antidote. By paying close attention to 1 Corinthians, he demonstrates how . . . the Apostle Paul works out a decidedly 'unCorinthian' vision that is in line with the gospel and that has the power to revolutionize our thinking and relationships. --Don Carson, author of The Cross and Christian Ministry Worldly attitudes and behavior on the part of the Corinthian congregation prompted a body of godly instruction from the Apostle Paul. David Starling mines that apostolic instruction for leadership insights, badly needed in our own Corinthian times. Thoughtful and well written, UnCorinthian Leadership will be a bracing read for Christian leaders everywhere. --Duane Litfin, autholsB