Spiritual Preparation for Christian Leadership

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre At Best...
Review: In this book, Hinson attempts to answer a missing piece in the lives of his seminary students. It seems that his experience as a professor in that kind of atmosphere, probably accurately, suggests that very few of his students bothered to read much at all in spirituality. In response, he tries to give his readers a taste of his spiritual reading experience, all the while dealing with how this spirituality connects with issues that most every Christian leader will have to deal with. All of the themes dealt with in this book are tremendously valid for the Christian leader's attention. However, these are themes that have been visited many times before, as Hinson's extremely frequent footnotes suggest. Hinson's writing style is mediocre at best, and simply a slue of other people's thoughts haphazardly slapped together at worst. There is hardly a page in the book which does not reference another thinker or writer. Thomas Merton and Douglas Steere are cited so often and in depth you might be tempted to think this is a dual biography on the men.

With the depth that Glenn Hinson himself goes into, *without* referencing another author, his main points could be condensed into much shorter form (perhaps a page or two). If you are looking for a well-written and thought-out spiritual volume with the depth Hinson was aspiring to, read either Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water or his Celebration of Discipline. Also, frankly, as much as I love to read about Thomas Merton, it would have been much more beneficial to read Merton himself. If you're looking for a good spiritual master to read, Merton might be a good place to begin, or perhaps Henri Nouwen. But I don't think it would be a worthwhile endeavor to begin with Hinson's book.

Rating:
Summary: Recipe against spiritual burnout !
Review: Many Christian Leaders, lay or ordained, professional or volunteer, want to enrich their Spiritual Lives, but do not know how. They read books and attend seminars, but are still hungering for a complete answer to their questions, whether formulated or still lingering at the unconscious level. E. Glenn Hinson's new book " Spiritual Preparation for Christian Leadership" seems to have satisfied this void. In his usual simple but very profound style, Hinson faces Christian Leadership's main problem squarely in the eye: a problem of leadership burnout, a spiritual exhaustion due to a very stressful vocation, and extremely high expectations imposed on them as well as by them. His miracle remedy: Be attentive to God, develop a relationship with God, and learn to know God, not just about God. An encompassing view of Church History teaches us how the Church has previously dealt with this issue. Hinson then goes on to the issue of misuse, under-use and over-use of time and the need for collectedness in order to maintain a balance of experiential, intellectual, social, and institutional elements. Hinson insists on the dire need to be sustained spiritually because "by not paying enough attention to self-care, you may become a casualty of wounds self-inflicted from your dedication". The first step towards the sustenance of spiritual life is made by being accountable of its progress. He explains the many rewards of keeping a journal. He devotes three chapters to the sustenance of the spiritual life per se. One explains the sustenance through `spiritual reading, listening and seeing'. Grace, he explains, is much more than the traditional Protestant view of unmerited favor. It is "God's gift of Godself, God's presence, the Holy Spirit" which first can be found in the Scriptures but also in various Spiritual classics, which he lists. Grace can also be found through the mediums using `seeing' such as art, architecture and contemporary movies, or in mediums using `touching, tasting and smelling'. Another sustaining option is retreats of which he describes the various possibilities, as well as a retreat plan he himself practices. The last offered sustenance method is through spiritual friendship, or the sharing of one's journey. His concluding chapter states that what the world and the church need most are Saints: Those `persons whose lives have been irradiated by Grace'. Merton once stated that books could "speak to us like God, like men or like the noise of the city we live in". This book is about Grace, the one that leads you home!

Rating:
Summary: Recipe against spiritual burnout !
Review: Many Christian Leaders, lay or ordained, professional or volunteer, want to enrich their Spiritual Lives, but do not know how. They read books and attend seminars, but are still hungering for a complete answer to their questions, whether formulated or still lingering at the unconscious level. E. Glenn Hinson's new book " Spiritual Preparation for Christian Leadership" seems to have satisfied this void. In his usual simple but very profound style, Hinson faces Christian Leadership's main problem squarely in the eye: a problem of leadership burnout, a spiritual exhaustion due to a very stressful vocation, and extremely high expectations imposed on them as well as by them. His miracle remedy: Be attentive to God, develop a relationship with God, and learn to know God, not just about God. An encompassing view of Church History teaches us how the Church has previously dealt with this issue. Hinson then goes on to the issue of misuse, under-use and over-use of time and the need for collectedness in order to maintain a balance of experiential, intellectual, social, and institutional elements. Hinson insists on the dire need to be sustained spiritually because "by not paying enough attention to self-care, you may become a casualty of wounds self-inflicted from your dedication". The first step towards the sustenance of spiritual life is made by being accountable of its progress. He explains the many rewards of keeping a journal. He devotes three chapters to the sustenance of the spiritual life per se. One explains the sustenance through 'spiritual reading, listening and seeing'. Grace, he explains, is much more than the traditional Protestant view of unmerited favor. It is "God's gift of Godself, God's presence, the Holy Spirit" which first can be found in the Scriptures but also in various Spiritual classics, which he lists. Grace can also be found through the mediums using 'seeing' such as art, architecture and contemporary movies, or in mediums using 'touching, tasting and smelling'. Another sustaining option is retreats of which he describes the various possibilities, as well as a retreat plan he himself practices. The last offered sustenance method is through spiritual friendship, or the sharing of one's journey. His concluding chapter states that what the world and the church need most are Saints: Those 'persons whose lives have been irradiated by Grace'. Merton once stated that books could "speak to us like God, like men or like the noise of the city we live in". This book is about Grace, the one that leads you home!

Rating:
Summary: Great Book on Spirituality
Review: This book by Dr. E. Glenn Hinson is a must for church leaders seeking to develop a spiritual life. It is especially good for those of us not coming from a Catholic background. Dr. Hinson is keenly aware of how Protestants look upon spiritual formation, and he gives a good discussion of this in his book. He does a great job of weaving Thomas Merton and Douglas Steer into chapter after chapter. This book deserves our attention if we are interested in developing a strong spiritual life. As Dr. Hinson writes, "The spiritual formation of Christian leaders has been a matter of prime importance throughout the history of Christianity, but it has not always received the kind of conscious consideration it is getting today." Having been a student of Dr. Hinson a number of years ago, I am happy to recommend an excellent book for your reading and consideration. It is a book you will read more than once.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book on Spirituality
Review: This book by Dr. E. Glenn Hinson is a must for church leaders seeking to develop a spiritual life. It is especially good for those of us not coming from a Catholic background. Dr. Hinson is keenly aware of how Protestants look upon spiritual formation, and he gives a good discussion of this in his book. He does a great job of weaving Thomas Merton and Douglas Steer into chapter after chapter. This book deserves our attention if we are interested in developing a strong spiritual life. As Dr. Hinson writes, "The spiritual formation of Christian leaders has been a matter of prime importance throughout the history of Christianity, but it has not always received the kind of conscious consideration it is getting today." Having been a student of Dr. Hinson a number of years ago, I am happy to recommend an excellent book for your reading and consideration. It is a book you will read more than once.