A New Model of Christian Leadership: Insights from the Job Demands–Resources Model and Trinitarian Theology

Abstract

Much secular research into leadership examines the traits and behaviors of leaders towards valued organizational goals. Similarly, biblical approaches to Christian leadership examine the traits and activities of biblical figures towards God’s kingdom ends. However, these and relational theories of Christian leadership such as the incarnational approach of servant leadership and the motivational approach of transformational leadership have been criticized. In this article we review research findings based on the Job Demands–Resources model of organizational behavior, in which personal resources of the leader interact with job characteristics in order to increase valued outcomes of work engagement, reduced turnover, and other indicators of healthy functioning. Spiritual resources, such as a secure attachment relationship with God, are examined as a subcategory of personal resources. We consider the results in terms of a trinitarian approach to relational leadership and propose a Trinitarian Resources Model of leadership. We suggest that questions such as “How do I best express my faith in my leadership?” (orthopraxy) can be partly answered in terms of trinitarian theology (orthodoxy) that highlights the relational nature of God, God’s creation of a relational universe, the centrality of kenosis, and the work of the Holy Spirit to embrace and empower humans at work for God’s kingdom ends.

A Multicultural, Social Justice, and Peace Intervention for Interpersonal Violence

“…Study participants reported receiving peace from God and attributed this to the Holy Spirit bearing the fruit of peace through Incarnational Leadership and within the context of Christian Community. Their perceptions of receiving the peace of God corroborate with those of Miner and Bickerton (2020), who presented a Trinitarian Resources Model of leadership that highlights the work of the Holy Spirit to empower people through a leader abiding in Christ. Likewise, the finding that the components of CCAPG (Anchoring, Psychoeducation, Intervention, Group work) promoted inner and interpersonal peace extends findings from the study we replicated (Sosin et al, 2021) and addresses a gap in the field for further research and scholarship to develop culture-specific adaptions of CAPG.…”

“…Study participants unanimously expressed the significance of PE in the RTE, echoing the sentiments of Miner and Bickerton (2020).…”