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In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
Henri Nouwen was a spiritual thinker with an unusual capacity to write about the life of Jesus and the love of God in ways that have inspired countless people to trust life more fully.
Most widely read among the over 40 books Father Nouwen wrote is In the Name of Jesus. For a society that measures successful leadership in terms of the effectiveness of the individual, Father Nouwen offers a counter definition that is witnessed by a "communal and mutual experience." For Nouwen, leadership cannot function apart from the community. His wisdom is grounded in the foundation that we are a people "called."
This beautiful guide to Christian Leadership is the rich fruit of Henri Nouwen's own journey as one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 20th century.
Most widely read among the over 40 books Father Nouwen wrote is In the Name of Jesus. For a society that measures successful leadership in terms of the effectiveness of the individual, Father Nouwen offers a counter definition that is witnessed by a "communal and mutual experience." For Nouwen, leadership cannot function apart from the community. His wisdom is grounded in the foundation that we are a people "called."
This beautiful guide to Christian Leadership is the rich fruit of Henri Nouwen's own journey as one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 20th century.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Henri J.M. Nouwen
354 books1,720 followersHenri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (Nouen), (1932–1996) was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life.
Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike. The Wounded Healer, In the Name of Jesus, Clowning in Rome, The Life of the Beloved, and The Way of the Heart are just a few of the more widely recognized titles. After nearly two decades of teaching at the Menninger Foundation Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and at the University of Notre Dame, Yale University and Harvard University, he went to share his life with mentally handicapped people at the L'Arche community of Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. After a long period of declining energy, which he chronicled in his final book, Sabbatical Journey, he died in September 1996 from a sudden heart attack.
His spirituality was influenced by many, notably by his friendship with Jean Vanier. At the invitation of Vanier he visited L'Arche in France, the first of over 130 communities around the world where people with developmental disabilities live and share life together with those who care for them. In 1986 Nouwen accepted the position of pastor for a L'Arche community called "Daybreak" in Canada, near Toronto. Nouwen wrote about his relationship with Adam, a core member at L'Arche Daybreak with profound developmental disabilities, in a book titled Adam: God's Beloved. Father Nouwen was a good friend of the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin.
The results of a Christian Century magazine survey conducted in 2003 indicate that Nouwen's work was a first choice of authors for Catholic and mainline Protestant clergy.
One of his most famous works is Inner Voice of Love, his diary from December 1987 to June 1988 during one of his most serious bouts with clinical depression.
There is a Father Henri J. M. Nouwen Catholic Elementary School in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike. The Wounded Healer, In the Name of Jesus, Clowning in Rome, The Life of the Beloved, and The Way of the Heart are just a few of the more widely recognized titles. After nearly two decades of teaching at the Menninger Foundation Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and at the University of Notre Dame, Yale University and Harvard University, he went to share his life with mentally handicapped people at the L'Arche community of Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. After a long period of declining energy, which he chronicled in his final book, Sabbatical Journey, he died in September 1996 from a sudden heart attack.
His spirituality was influenced by many, notably by his friendship with Jean Vanier. At the invitation of Vanier he visited L'Arche in France, the first of over 130 communities around the world where people with developmental disabilities live and share life together with those who care for them. In 1986 Nouwen accepted the position of pastor for a L'Arche community called "Daybreak" in Canada, near Toronto. Nouwen wrote about his relationship with Adam, a core member at L'Arche Daybreak with profound developmental disabilities, in a book titled Adam: God's Beloved. Father Nouwen was a good friend of the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin.
The results of a Christian Century magazine survey conducted in 2003 indicate that Nouwen's work was a first choice of authors for Catholic and mainline Protestant clergy.
One of his most famous works is Inner Voice of Love, his diary from December 1987 to June 1988 during one of his most serious bouts with clinical depression.
There is a Father Henri J. M. Nouwen Catholic Elementary School in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
December 31, 2017
Glad to return to this foundational book on Christian leadership. It's so simple, but so full of truth bombs.
June 18, 2014
Nouwen's writing is so powerful! Humility just drips from every word. He desires, more than anything, that Jesus would be more so he could become less. I was so impressed with this little book on leadership.
He challenges the reader:
1. Do you want to be relevant? Pray more.
The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love. (30)
2. Do you want to be popular? Minister more.
It is Jesus who heals, not I; Jesus who speaks words of truth, not I; Jesus who is Lord, not I. (60)
3. Do you want to lead? Be led more.
What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. (77)
This will be a book I come back to year after year to remind myself as a leader that I need to be led.
He challenges the reader:
1. Do you want to be relevant? Pray more.
The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love. (30)
2. Do you want to be popular? Minister more.
It is Jesus who heals, not I; Jesus who speaks words of truth, not I; Jesus who is Lord, not I. (60)
3. Do you want to lead? Be led more.
What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. (77)
This will be a book I come back to year after year to remind myself as a leader that I need to be led.
January 29, 2022
This is definitely a book I will come back to again and again. I’m so thankful for the reminder to seek to be a humble and vulnerable leader rather than a powerful and popular one. As always, Henri Nouwen’s beautiful words and stories brought me to tears.
January 20, 2023
I had to force myself to not read this in one sitting, but give it a few days to absorb all the goodness in this book. Pretty much every sentence is an excellent quote, but this one stood out to me last night;
"It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life"
I need to invest in my own copy because I feel this will be a book I need to re read throughout the years.
"It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life"
I need to invest in my own copy because I feel this will be a book I need to re read throughout the years.
June 2, 2022
Still tears in my eyes from this one. More needed than ever in the church today. Very quick read, but savor it. Will return to it again as I am tempted to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful…instead of irrelevant, repentant, and weak for Jesus.
May 23, 2023
Read this one in an hour and half, gonna be absorbing it and revisiting it’s truths for SURE… Highly highly recommend for anyone in church leadership or who interacts closely with church leadership
August 10, 2022
Update: August 10, 2022
Fourth visit to the well: still refreshing.
"I am convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self" (29-30).
"The question is not: how many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show me some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?" (37).
"It is not enough for the priests and ministers of the future to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow humans, and able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time…The central question is, Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God's presence, to listen to God's voice, to look at God's beauty, to touch God's incarnate Word, and to taste fully God's infinite goodness?" (43).
"Dealing with burning issues without being rooted in a deep personal relationship with God easily leads to divisiveness because, before we know it, our sense of self is caught up in our opinion about a given subject" (45).
"When you look at today's church, it is easy to see the prevalence of individualism among ministers and priests...Stardom and individual heroism, which are such obvious aspects of our competitive society, are not at all alien to the church" (55-6).
"We keep forgetting that we are being sent out two-by-two. We cannot bring good news on our own...whenever we minister together, it is easier for people to recognize that we do not come in our own name, but in the name of the Lord Jesus who sent us" (58-9).
"Ministry is not only a communal experience, it is also a mutual experience... [Jesus] wants Peter to feed his sheep and care for them, not as professionals who know their clients' problems and take care of them, but as vulnerable brothers and sisters who know and are known, who care and are cared for, who forgive and are being forgiven, who love and are being loved" (60-1).
"How can we lay down our life for those with whom we are not even allowed to enter into a deep personal relationship? Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life" (61).
"Confession and forgiveness are the concrete forms in which we sinful people love one another... Often I have the impression that priests and ministers are the least confessing people in the Christian community...How can priests or ministers feel really loved and cared for when they have to hide their own sins and failings from the people to whom they minister and run off to a distant stranger to receive a little comfort and confilation?" (64-5).
"Ministers and priests are also called to be full members of their communities, are accountable to them and need their affection and support, and are called to minister with their whole being, including their wounded selves" (69).
"One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power... Even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are. The temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest of all" (76).
"What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life...The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led" (78-9).
"Jesus has a different vision of maturity [than independence]: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go" (81).
"The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross... [Not passive or weak leadership] but leadership in which power is constantly abandoned in favor of love" (81-2).
"Most Christian leaders today raise psychological or sociological questions even though they frame them in scriptural terms...it is essential to be able to discern from moment to moment how God acts in human history and how the personal, communal, national, and international events that occur during our lives can make us more and more sensitive to the ways in which we are led to the cross and through the cross to the resurrection" (86-7).
"The task of future Christian leaders is not to make a little contribution to the solution of the pains and tribulations of their time, but to identify and announce the ways in which Jesus is leading God's people out of slavery, through the desert to a new land of freedom. Christian leaders have the arduous task of responding to personal struggles, family conflicts, national calamities, and international tensions with an articulate faith in God's real presence" (87).
"Theological reflection is reflecting on the painful and joyful realities of every day with the mind of Jesus and thereby raising human consciousness to the knowledge of God's gentle guidance" (88).
------------
Update: April 11, 2019
After reading this book for the third time I had to bump my rating from four stars to five. This book always gets me where I need to be got. Reading it is like a drinking deep from a cup of crisp, cool water.
------------
August 11, 2018
Nouwen is the man. Super helpful book for anyone in any form of Christian leadership.
Fourth visit to the well: still refreshing.
"I am convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self" (29-30).
"The question is not: how many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show me some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?" (37).
"It is not enough for the priests and ministers of the future to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow humans, and able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time…The central question is, Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God's presence, to listen to God's voice, to look at God's beauty, to touch God's incarnate Word, and to taste fully God's infinite goodness?" (43).
"Dealing with burning issues without being rooted in a deep personal relationship with God easily leads to divisiveness because, before we know it, our sense of self is caught up in our opinion about a given subject" (45).
"When you look at today's church, it is easy to see the prevalence of individualism among ministers and priests...Stardom and individual heroism, which are such obvious aspects of our competitive society, are not at all alien to the church" (55-6).
"We keep forgetting that we are being sent out two-by-two. We cannot bring good news on our own...whenever we minister together, it is easier for people to recognize that we do not come in our own name, but in the name of the Lord Jesus who sent us" (58-9).
"Ministry is not only a communal experience, it is also a mutual experience... [Jesus] wants Peter to feed his sheep and care for them, not as professionals who know their clients' problems and take care of them, but as vulnerable brothers and sisters who know and are known, who care and are cared for, who forgive and are being forgiven, who love and are being loved" (60-1).
"How can we lay down our life for those with whom we are not even allowed to enter into a deep personal relationship? Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life" (61).
"Confession and forgiveness are the concrete forms in which we sinful people love one another... Often I have the impression that priests and ministers are the least confessing people in the Christian community...How can priests or ministers feel really loved and cared for when they have to hide their own sins and failings from the people to whom they minister and run off to a distant stranger to receive a little comfort and confilation?" (64-5).
"Ministers and priests are also called to be full members of their communities, are accountable to them and need their affection and support, and are called to minister with their whole being, including their wounded selves" (69).
"One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power... Even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are. The temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest of all" (76).
"What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life...The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led" (78-9).
"Jesus has a different vision of maturity [than independence]: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go" (81).
"The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross... [Not passive or weak leadership] but leadership in which power is constantly abandoned in favor of love" (81-2).
"Most Christian leaders today raise psychological or sociological questions even though they frame them in scriptural terms...it is essential to be able to discern from moment to moment how God acts in human history and how the personal, communal, national, and international events that occur during our lives can make us more and more sensitive to the ways in which we are led to the cross and through the cross to the resurrection" (86-7).
"The task of future Christian leaders is not to make a little contribution to the solution of the pains and tribulations of their time, but to identify and announce the ways in which Jesus is leading God's people out of slavery, through the desert to a new land of freedom. Christian leaders have the arduous task of responding to personal struggles, family conflicts, national calamities, and international tensions with an articulate faith in God's real presence" (87).
"Theological reflection is reflecting on the painful and joyful realities of every day with the mind of Jesus and thereby raising human consciousness to the knowledge of God's gentle guidance" (88).
------------
Update: April 11, 2019
After reading this book for the third time I had to bump my rating from four stars to five. This book always gets me where I need to be got. Reading it is like a drinking deep from a cup of crisp, cool water.
------------
August 11, 2018
Nouwen is the man. Super helpful book for anyone in any form of Christian leadership.
May 19, 2021
1. The Christian leader eagerly enters into mutually transforming relationships of co-suffering love with those she leads. This relational model is distinctly Christian, because it would otherwise be inappropriate for, say, a psychologist and her client to have this sort of mutual vulnerability—even though both the Christian minister and psychologist intend to provide forms of healing.
2. The Christian leader actively resists the temptations of becoming relevant, spectacular, and powerful. She resists these temptations by contemplative prayer, confession and forgiveness, and theological reflection.
3. The Christian leader does not minister alone, though she may hold a distinct, singular office. Jesus always sends us to minister “two by two” (Luke 10:1), which ensures mutual accountability and encouragement. Take Jesus at his word, Nouwen says: if you have a speaking engagement, or your presence is requested in any way — try to invite a friend to accompany you. You may be surprised at the fruit it bears.
——
My two takeaways:
- Jesus asks us to be fruitful, not successful (to borrow from Nouwen)
When my affections are sanctified and properly aligned, I do not desire notoriety or power, though both may come, as was Nouwen’s case. My task is to actively resist the seductions of the world—which are now only exasperated by social media. I have no doubt that Nouwen would not be on Twitter. It is only getting harder to follow Jesus faithfully and to establish Christian credibility.
- Water seeks the lowest place (to borrow from Rohr)
When my affections are sanctified and properly aligned, my life will tend toward the poor in spirit. Poverty, to Nouwen, is a fruit of Christian leadership. The Christian leader carries only a staff — for in Christ she forfeits all of her bread, bags, and money (Mark 6:8). And only after forfeiting the world is she able to open her hands and receive the gifts God wants to give her. What am I holding onto that Jesus is asking me to give up, so that he may give me something better?
2. The Christian leader actively resists the temptations of becoming relevant, spectacular, and powerful. She resists these temptations by contemplative prayer, confession and forgiveness, and theological reflection.
3. The Christian leader does not minister alone, though she may hold a distinct, singular office. Jesus always sends us to minister “two by two” (Luke 10:1), which ensures mutual accountability and encouragement. Take Jesus at his word, Nouwen says: if you have a speaking engagement, or your presence is requested in any way — try to invite a friend to accompany you. You may be surprised at the fruit it bears.
——
My two takeaways:
- Jesus asks us to be fruitful, not successful (to borrow from Nouwen)
When my affections are sanctified and properly aligned, I do not desire notoriety or power, though both may come, as was Nouwen’s case. My task is to actively resist the seductions of the world—which are now only exasperated by social media. I have no doubt that Nouwen would not be on Twitter. It is only getting harder to follow Jesus faithfully and to establish Christian credibility.
- Water seeks the lowest place (to borrow from Rohr)
When my affections are sanctified and properly aligned, my life will tend toward the poor in spirit. Poverty, to Nouwen, is a fruit of Christian leadership. The Christian leader carries only a staff — for in Christ she forfeits all of her bread, bags, and money (Mark 6:8). And only after forfeiting the world is she able to open her hands and receive the gifts God wants to give her. What am I holding onto that Jesus is asking me to give up, so that he may give me something better?
May 25, 2022
A short book. A simple message.
As Nouwen puts it, “What I have said is, obviously, nothing new, but I hope and pray that you have seen that the oldest, most traditional vision of Christian leadership is still a vision that awaits realization in the future. I leave you with the image of the leader with outstretched hands, who chooses a life of downward mobility.”
This book is catered towards “leaders in the church” and while he may be speaking to ministers, it is applicable to anyone because we can all be leaders in the church. Well done Nouwen.
As Nouwen puts it, “What I have said is, obviously, nothing new, but I hope and pray that you have seen that the oldest, most traditional vision of Christian leadership is still a vision that awaits realization in the future. I leave you with the image of the leader with outstretched hands, who chooses a life of downward mobility.”
This book is catered towards “leaders in the church” and while he may be speaking to ministers, it is applicable to anyone because we can all be leaders in the church. Well done Nouwen.
June 11, 2021
This book is a great reminder about keeping your eyes out for the temptations found in leadership: relevance, popularity, and power. It provides great action steps to take when facing these temptations, and is a really humbling reminder that most of what Jesus asks of us is simply “do you love me?”
February 2, 2021
brb, crying at the love of Jesus.
September 29, 2021
I’ve been talking about being a mystic wonderer since I first read this book four years ago. Re-reading it now, I am so struck by Nouwen’s exhortation to embrace a life of “insignificance.” The content of this book originally served as a talk given in DC, and living here now, I can only imagine how the call to insignificance must’ve felt to so many of the recipients. When I first moved here, a co-worker told me that the city operates off of power as currency. To that context, Nouwen talks about Jesus releasing divine power to become like us, with nothing to prove, and he says things like, “Dare to claim your irrelevance to enter into deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success.” It’s challenging and convicting.
Nouwen is writing to those in vocational ministry, but I still find his words so compelling. It rubs up against so much of me that is drawn to a culture drowning in ambition and success. And certainly these things are good and right in their place: I’m constantly inspired by how people in DC, specifically, leverage their passions to do great things. But to the weariness, to the parts of me that get tired of striving, this book is like a sweet salve.
In Nouwen’s writing, the role of the Christian is simple. It’s about “power constantly abandoned in favor of love” and falling into a humility that isn’t overly concerned with personal contribution. It stands in stark contrast to a world bent on self, and Nouwen knows this. But he also knows that something in our spirits wants to be small, and release a bit of the striving to just be beloved. The book serves as a challenge and invitation to just be small and loved, and to lead by modeling that release.
Nouwen is writing to those in vocational ministry, but I still find his words so compelling. It rubs up against so much of me that is drawn to a culture drowning in ambition and success. And certainly these things are good and right in their place: I’m constantly inspired by how people in DC, specifically, leverage their passions to do great things. But to the weariness, to the parts of me that get tired of striving, this book is like a sweet salve.
In Nouwen’s writing, the role of the Christian is simple. It’s about “power constantly abandoned in favor of love” and falling into a humility that isn’t overly concerned with personal contribution. It stands in stark contrast to a world bent on self, and Nouwen knows this. But he also knows that something in our spirits wants to be small, and release a bit of the striving to just be beloved. The book serves as a challenge and invitation to just be small and loved, and to lead by modeling that release.
February 26, 2020
Through the lens of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, and his commissioning of Peter at the end of John's gospel, Nouwen sets a trajectory for Christian leadership. He wrote this book after leaving academia for L'Arche and one of the best parts of the book is his description of how Bill, a developmentally disabled man, shared in Nouwen's ministry in presenting this material in Washington, D.C.
Nouwen questions contemporary leadership culture and the chasing of relevance, popularity and power. I wonder how Nouwen would critique social media. This short book is one of my favorites from Nouwen.
Nouwen questions contemporary leadership culture and the chasing of relevance, popularity and power. I wonder how Nouwen would critique social media. This short book is one of my favorites from Nouwen.
July 20, 2012
The single greatest book on leadership I have ever read!
March 19, 2023
My dad and I were browsing through the books on his bookshelf, talking about them, and he found one little book that he called probably the best book on Christian leadership he's read (he's a pastor).
I aspire to be an author. In some ways, authors are leaders and influences. Many authors like to hide away from the limelight, which is something easier for an author than a politician or musician. Some authors do stand in the spotlight, if they're activists or pastors, for example.
Either way, if I'm going to be an author, that would make me in some ways a leader. And I'm a Christian. I may not write "Christian" books, but my prayer is that my leadership and books radiate my faith.
And that basically would make me a Christian leader. Which I had already thought about, so I picked up this book from his bookshelf.
Now to talk about the book. It was _really_ good. Henri Nouwen brought his thoughts from the three temptations the devil presented to Jesus while he fasted and the three times Jesus asked "Do you love me?" and gave Peter a command after he'd resurrected and cooked fish on the beach.
Nouwen goes to the roots, the fundamentals, the base of [the] three great 1) temptations of Christian leaders, 2) challenges Jesus gives to Christian leaders, and 3) disciplines Christian leaders need to develop.
On my dad's bookshelf, there are many non-fiction books on theology, a hundred or more pages in most; and then there's this little almost-booklet among them all. A humble, honest book that doesn't boast many pages but is so powerful. That doesn't say a lot, but does say a lot.
This is not a visually hard read. But for Christian leaders, it should be a very hard spiritual, emotional read.
I'd recommend it to any Christian leader.
I aspire to be an author. In some ways, authors are leaders and influences. Many authors like to hide away from the limelight, which is something easier for an author than a politician or musician. Some authors do stand in the spotlight, if they're activists or pastors, for example.
Either way, if I'm going to be an author, that would make me in some ways a leader. And I'm a Christian. I may not write "Christian" books, but my prayer is that my leadership and books radiate my faith.
And that basically would make me a Christian leader. Which I had already thought about, so I picked up this book from his bookshelf.
Now to talk about the book. It was _really_ good. Henri Nouwen brought his thoughts from the three temptations the devil presented to Jesus while he fasted and the three times Jesus asked "Do you love me?" and gave Peter a command after he'd resurrected and cooked fish on the beach.
Nouwen goes to the roots, the fundamentals, the base of [the] three great 1) temptations of Christian leaders, 2) challenges Jesus gives to Christian leaders, and 3) disciplines Christian leaders need to develop.
On my dad's bookshelf, there are many non-fiction books on theology, a hundred or more pages in most; and then there's this little almost-booklet among them all. A humble, honest book that doesn't boast many pages but is so powerful. That doesn't say a lot, but does say a lot.
This is not a visually hard read. But for Christian leaders, it should be a very hard spiritual, emotional read.
I'd recommend it to any Christian leader.
February 17, 2022
“It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life” GEEEEEEEEEEEEESHHHHH
May 17, 2023
Every Christian leader should read. Short and powerful. Epilogue may have made me tear up 🥲
April 30, 2017
One of the most powerful books I have read! As a period of consistency, and even a little bit of comfort comes to an end, I am realizing more of who I am and who I was created to be. This book helped me connect the dots, and somewhat make sense of how to navigate transitional moments and times. I often forget my call to be vulnerable and to continue to go into spaces that force me to be uncomfortable. As organized ministry may die down, having a heart for knowing Jesus more will not. Jesus is after all, continually after the renewal and growth of my heart. In times of not knowing, I am reminded that my identity is not in my own understanding or only what I can see. My identity is solely in the truth that I am redeemed and because of that, I am then sent as a powerful, celebrated daughter.
July 4, 2019
I actually read this book twice as I sat with it on the beach these past couple of days. I would read each little chapter (probably 4-6 pages each of large type in my version) first just to get a sense of it and let it hit me in the ways it needed to, then go through again to underline, meditate, and rest with what Nouwen was saying. This was an excellent book and a wonderful experience - both affirming and convicting, daunting and welcoming. It's strange to say this, but this little book overwhelmed me more than anything else I've read this year. Though short, it packs a powerful punch, and I strongly recommend it to all, but especially those in positions of ministry or other Christian leadership.
This is the second book of Nouwen's I've read, and I'm excited to add to that total several Nou titles over the coming months.
(Get it? Did I do good? Can I sleep inside today, father?)
-Sam
This is the second book of Nouwen's I've read, and I'm excited to add to that total several Nou titles over the coming months.
(Get it? Did I do good? Can I sleep inside today, father?)
-Sam
July 12, 2021
Re-read, and I cried again. This is such a beautiful, concise, and revolutionary sermon/reflection on the heart of Christian leadership (or, really, just Christian life in general). Nouwen is brilliant, but his interactions with Bill leave the lasting mark (as Nouwen fully acknowledges!).
The Christian leader, Nouwen asserts, must reject the temptations of relevance, individual heroism, and power, and instead embrace the sacrificial love of Jesus as a way of life. The temptations are battled through the disciplines of contemplative prayer, confession and forgiveness, and true theological reflection (discerning the guiding hand of God in all our affairs). This is the hope of an irrelevant leader that Nouwen has, and it's a beautiful, convicting vision.
The Christian leader, Nouwen asserts, must reject the temptations of relevance, individual heroism, and power, and instead embrace the sacrificial love of Jesus as a way of life. The temptations are battled through the disciplines of contemplative prayer, confession and forgiveness, and true theological reflection (discerning the guiding hand of God in all our affairs). This is the hope of an irrelevant leader that Nouwen has, and it's a beautiful, convicting vision.
May 20, 2016
I had to read this for a group in my church, There are some biblical truths in this book, however nothing new or unordinary. In this book he makes some cringy/questionable statements like "we have to be mystics" "we have to be the incarnation" and abandons some definitions of words similar to Rob Bell. Like bad definition of what a mystic actually is or what theology is. He also claims theologians find it hard to pray. If you want an excellent book on Christian leadership I would not recommend this book, he seems very confused on what terms mean, different denominations, etc. Perhaps pick up an Albert Mohler book on leadership,
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December 12, 2014Fr. Nouwen is masterful. He presents a version of Christian faith that is very different than the evangelical American brand I learned. It is rich and true to Jesus. His advice for leaders in this century is profound. The only slight thing that bothered me was the notion that Nouwen was sacrificing much by living among the profoundly disabled. The rewards of such a leading always outweighs the cost.
November 1, 2019
Everything you’d expect if you’ve read Nouwen before. And in just that way, it is fresh and vibrant with the Spirit of God.
May 5, 2020
I try to read this book at least once a year. Essential for all those in Christian ministry.
June 20, 2022
The subtitle of this book, "Reflections on Christian Leadership" says more about its contents than its main title. Leadership. Bookshop shelves sag under the weight of books on leadership, but this one, I suspect is rarely in stock. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it has never been on any bestseller list, even within the niche market of contemplative Christianity. If you skip ahead to the concluding pages you might begin to see why. Nouwen asserts that being relevant, popular and powerful are not ingredients of an effective ministry: "The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations" (emphasis mine). He flies in the face of contemporary expectations of successful and effective leadership and offers three essential disciplines for the Christian leader: contemplative prayer, confession, and theological reflection.
This short, gentle book is excellent fodder for a personal retreat for anyone engaged in Christian ministry or leadership. It is full of gentle yet provocative wisdom. I recommend you read it slowly and prayerfully with a pen and journal on hand.
One of the most startling reflections concerns Jesus' words to Peter at the close of the Fourth Gospel: "... when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go" (John 21:18). These were the words that enabled Henri Nouwen to leave his stellar academic career at Harvard to a life of chaplaincy among the disabled in Toronto. These words "touch the core of Christian leadership and are spoken to offer us ever and again new ways to let go of power and follow the humble way of Jesus." They encapsulate a different vision of maturity and of leadership: "a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest."
Inspiring. Challenging. Probably not so popular.
This short, gentle book is excellent fodder for a personal retreat for anyone engaged in Christian ministry or leadership. It is full of gentle yet provocative wisdom. I recommend you read it slowly and prayerfully with a pen and journal on hand.
One of the most startling reflections concerns Jesus' words to Peter at the close of the Fourth Gospel: "... when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go" (John 21:18). These were the words that enabled Henri Nouwen to leave his stellar academic career at Harvard to a life of chaplaincy among the disabled in Toronto. These words "touch the core of Christian leadership and are spoken to offer us ever and again new ways to let go of power and follow the humble way of Jesus." They encapsulate a different vision of maturity and of leadership: "a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest."
"I leave you with the image of the leader with outstretched hands, who chooses a life of downward mobility. It is the image of the praying leader, the vulnerable leader, and the trusting leader. May that image fill your hearts with hope, courage and confidence ..."
Inspiring. Challenging. Probably not so popular.
September 7, 2021
Simple and deeply impactful if taken to heart.
"In the Name of Jesus" describes the temptations every Christian leader faces, argues that they are indeed temptations and not assets, then gives practices for combating those temptations.
"God asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership n which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people."
What Nouwen asks of his readers is deeply contrasted against a culture that tells us over and over again if we aren't "relevant" or popular, we won't be heard. And if we aren't heard, we won't be effective. Nouwen knows this, but doesn't shy away from the truth. The book is only 100 pages, but it is ministry and life altering.
I'm going to keep "In the Name of Jesus" in the commonly reread stack. Probably once a year. It's that important and also that hard to remember in our noisy world.
Any and all Christians should read this book, whether in vocational ministry or not. Nouwen speaks to anyone who wants to follow Jesus well and love His children well.
"In the Name of Jesus" describes the temptations every Christian leader faces, argues that they are indeed temptations and not assets, then gives practices for combating those temptations.
"God asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership n which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people."
What Nouwen asks of his readers is deeply contrasted against a culture that tells us over and over again if we aren't "relevant" or popular, we won't be heard. And if we aren't heard, we won't be effective. Nouwen knows this, but doesn't shy away from the truth. The book is only 100 pages, but it is ministry and life altering.
I'm going to keep "In the Name of Jesus" in the commonly reread stack. Probably once a year. It's that important and also that hard to remember in our noisy world.
Any and all Christians should read this book, whether in vocational ministry or not. Nouwen speaks to anyone who wants to follow Jesus well and love His children well.
April 3, 2018
This was an okay book, 2.5 stars I'd give it. It started off with me bracing myself to roll my eyes because my last outing with Henri Nouwen went pretty horribly (see my Life of the Beloved review). After getting over my initial trepidation, I actually got my hopes up that this book would be a catalyst for some deep soul work after reading a very thought-provoking and challenging chapter! Unfortunately, the next chapter put a damper on that hope, and for the most part a lot of my issues with Nouwen's style did end up rearing their flowery, unclear, well-intentioned-but-ultimately-unhelpful-and-impractical heads. Nothing in the book made me want to rage-quit it or need to take breaks this time, so that was a plus. Even still, there were just too many passages where Nouwen would triumphantly make a claim like he thought he had just proved or revealed something amazing that left me wanting. Also, he's not a researcher and doesn't claim to be, but he kind of pretends to be. He made sweeping generalizations about the state of affairs of the church and leadership that were clearly his own personal experience and then go on to state something to effect of, "So you see, the Christian leader of the future must become like such and such." Dude, your generalization wasn't even (in my experience) generally true! An example of a similar problem is when he asserts that "the original meaning of theology was union with God in prayer." Uh....WHAT?! Unless everything I or anyone I've ever talked to has been lied to about the way words and etymology work, that's not at all the original meaning of "God-study." You can't (or shouldn't) just be making things up to make your point, even if it does match your flowery, unclear, well-intentioned-but-ultimately-unhelpful-and-impractical aesthetic.
Anyways, I'm giving it 1 star for not saying anything so profoundly unhelpful/borderline heretical that it made me want to rage-quit too often, 1 star for the really good chapter that got my hopes up, and .5 stars for the scattering of good thoughts in the other chapters. Also, it was a super quick and easy read, so that's a plus too.
I'm writing this review off of my memory of the book, so I may come back and edit this later.
Anyways, I'm giving it 1 star for not saying anything so profoundly unhelpful/borderline heretical that it made me want to rage-quit too often, 1 star for the really good chapter that got my hopes up, and .5 stars for the scattering of good thoughts in the other chapters. Also, it was a super quick and easy read, so that's a plus too.
I'm writing this review off of my memory of the book, so I may come back and edit this later.
August 30, 2022
A short but powerful book. You could read it in less than an hour.
I have a lot of issues with the term “leadership” especially the way it’s used in Christian circles. It often masks or sanctifies a bunch of qualities that might be good and useful for business but would likely make Jesus look like a bad ‘leader.’
While Nouwen does use the term “Christian leadership,” his exposition and challenge to Christians (particularly those coming out of seminaries) is spot on and much needed. His three principles and practices will not contribute to more influence, or success in converting others, nor even “to make a little contribution to the solution of the pain and tribulations of their time” but rather aim to draw you into an intimate, mutual, sacrificial way of service and love that is in line with the heart of Jesus’s own life and ministry.
I have a lot of issues with the term “leadership” especially the way it’s used in Christian circles. It often masks or sanctifies a bunch of qualities that might be good and useful for business but would likely make Jesus look like a bad ‘leader.’
While Nouwen does use the term “Christian leadership,” his exposition and challenge to Christians (particularly those coming out of seminaries) is spot on and much needed. His three principles and practices will not contribute to more influence, or success in converting others, nor even “to make a little contribution to the solution of the pain and tribulations of their time” but rather aim to draw you into an intimate, mutual, sacrificial way of service and love that is in line with the heart of Jesus’s own life and ministry.
July 19, 2021
After literal decades of hearing and seeing Henri Nouwen quoted, referenced, and read out loud, I am glad that I have now actually read one of his books! This book did focus pretty specifically on leadership, so I think I would have even more takeaways from a longer or broader text, but I really appreciated the insight shared, and I can easily see why his thoughts and words are so foundational to the modern Christian movement. I especially liked his focus on the temptations of Jesus, as it was a new but revealing examination for me.
December 29, 2020
I try to read this yearly - and something different jumps out at me every time. After a year of struggle this quote is haunting takeaway:
“Powerlessness and humility in the spiritual life do not refer to people who have no spine and who let everyone else make decisions for them. They refer to people who are so deeply in love with Jesus that they are readymade to follow him wherever he guides them, always trusting that, with him, they will find life and find it abundantly.”
“Powerlessness and humility in the spiritual life do not refer to people who have no spine and who let everyone else make decisions for them. They refer to people who are so deeply in love with Jesus that they are readymade to follow him wherever he guides them, always trusting that, with him, they will find life and find it abundantly.”
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