Call number
262 NOU
Status
Available
Call number
Pages
107
Description
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 spirtiual leaders of the 20th century.… (more)
Local notes
"In the Name of Jesus is Henri Nouwen's bold, honest, and heartwarming message about Christian leadership. According to Nouwen, Christians must give up their desire to be powerful and embrace authority based on prayer and forgiveness. His emphasis on a vigorous Jesus-centered life will be helpful to ministers in training and all those wanting to live with the integrity and compassion of Christ." "There is more packed between the covers of this little book that adults will find helpful to living a Christian life than you'll find in many a volume three times its size."--Our Sunday Visitor
Publication
Crossroad (New York) (1989) 107 pages
Original publication date
1989
ISBN
0824512596 / 9780824512590
Collections
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member beanbooks
Not your typical book on leadership. This will drive a stake in the heart of most Type A, high performance, "take that hill", high D, go-getters.
LibraryThing member tgee
My favourite Nouwen book (which isn't saying very much, I'm afraid). It's a sweet, humble meditation on Christian leadership. His Scriptural support is not strong, but the basic direction of the book is biblical.
As one seminary prof used to say, "Good sermon, poor text."
As one seminary prof used to say, "Good sermon, poor text."
LibraryThing member allenkeith
Christian leadership can get tangled in the charisma of a high profile individual who has all the skills to function well and be effective within the community. Nouwen regards self-actualization -- that desire to be relevant, spectacular, heroic or powerful as temptations. The quest for
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self-direction, personal efficiency and effective leadership habits, however, still leaves many individuals empty over the long run. Effective leadership centres itself in Christ. Nouwen's wisdom is grounded in the foundation that we are a people 'called'. He acknowledges that it is the real presence of the Holy Spirit who motivates us toward a life that is lived not merely 'with' but 'for' others. According to Henri Nouwen, all principles by which we live, whether it be honesty, integrity, integrity, fairness, excellence, service, etc., pale in their capacity for effectiveness if LOVE is not at the root of them. Love is the first principle and finds its origin in what Nouwen refers to as God's first love - that creative extension of God's self into the life of the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member grande_andy
This is a powerful book (although short at only 107 pages) written by a Catholic priest on Christian leadership in the 21st century. He emphasizes that leaders can only lead if they have a living, active and intimate relationship with the One they are teaching about, Jesus Christ. It's not your
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typical "how-to lead people" but more reflections on what a godly leader should look like according to Scripture. And for all of us Protestants out there, we can learn many things from our Catholic brothers so don't automatically rule this book out because it's written by a Catholic priest. Show Less
LibraryThing member rushans
A series of reflections on the exercise ministry and what it means to be a Christian leader today. The book is based on a series of talks that Nouwen gave in Washington, DC. He attempts to use his experiences at L’Arche Daybreak to help illustrate how people who minister and lead can grapple with
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serving in our modern high-paced, success-oriented society. The message of the is based on two main accounts in the Gospels: Jesus’ temptation by the Devil (Matthew 4:1-11;Luke 4:1-13; Mark 1:12-13) and Jesus re-instating Peter after the resurrection (John 21:1-25). Nouwen identifies three main temptations which Jesus faces in the desert, which those who minister and lead likewise must wrestle with as a part of their own journey. He also illustrates three corresponding challenges and practices Jesus bids Peter to take up, giving modern applications for each. The temptations Nouwen identifies are: the temptation to be relevant, the temptation to be spectacular and seek popularity from the crowd, and the temptation to act as a ruler. Show Less
LibraryThing member dgregoryburns
This is the only book that I can say I have read so many times I cannot remember. In a day when ministry "success" is measured by pragmatism and proficiency, Nouwen reminds us that it is about Jesus. A deep little book that is easy to read and transformative to the soul. A must read for every
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believer who wishes to go forward and live "In the Name of Jesus". Show Less
LibraryThing member shdawson
Great read.
LibraryThing member saintbedefg
After spending twenty years at Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard teaching men and women preparing for ministry and leadership in the Church, and having written numerous laudable books (several on our shelves), the author became the chaplain to the mentally handicapped in the L'Arche Community in
He found that to be there "in the name of Jesus was to consistently, radically, and very concretely announce and reveal God is love, and only love, and that every time fear, isolation, or despair begins to invade the soul, this is not something that comes from God. This sounds very simple and maybe even trite, but very few people know that they are loved without conditions or limits..." April Goodnewslette
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Toronto, Canada. He says, "I was suddenly faced with my naked self, IN a way it seemed I was starting my life all over again,. Their [the residents] liking or disliking me had absolutely nothing to do with anything I'd done until then. Nobody could read my books so my books could not impress anyone, and most of them never went to school...My considerable ecumenical experience proved even less valuable." He found that to be there "in the name of Jesus was to consistently, radically, and very concretely announce and reveal God is love, and only love, and that every time fear, isolation, or despair begins to invade the soul, this is not something that comes from God. This sounds very simple and maybe even trite, but very few people know that they are loved without conditions or limits..." April Goodnewslette
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LibraryThing member empress8411
With his customary simple and passionate prose, Nouwen writes here about Christian Leadership. Nouwen takes the leadership attributes encouraged by the World and uproots them, turning them around, and showing how the Servant-Leadership of Christ Jesus is different. He illustrates this by examples
Although this book is simple and short, it is powerful. I would strongly encourage any Christian to read it – but in particular Christians who find themselves in a position of leaders, church or secular. Although written over 20 years ago, the message is still true and still needing to be heard. If leaders wish to be strong in the Kingdom of God they cannot lead the way the World does. They must lead the way Christ did. Nouwen’s book encourages this and is vital for any Christian.
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from his own failures and struggles as a leader – going from the hallowed halls of Harvard to a community for mentally and physical disabled people where all his leadership skills suddenly became pointless and useless. It is from that place of humility he speaks to the Christian Leader, encourage and admonishing. Although this book is simple and short, it is powerful. I would strongly encourage any Christian to read it – but in particular Christians who find themselves in a position of leaders, church or secular. Although written over 20 years ago, the message is still true and still needing to be heard. If leaders wish to be strong in the Kingdom of God they cannot lead the way the World does. They must lead the way Christ did. Nouwen’s book encourages this and is vital for any Christian.
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