The Bible as source for leadership models: a considered No and a careful Yes

Abstract

In this contribution, earlier research by the author on the topic of leadership and the Bible is expanded upon, here to evaluate the usage of the Bible in publications on leadership. By means of Weberian ideal-type analysis, some traits of such usage are indicated, and thereupon evaluated. This is done by theologically characterisation, from the perspective of theological realism (post-secularism). Not a less evangelical, but a more evangelical approach is argued for, in which the natures of Bible, faith and believers are taken more seriously than their wished-for alternatives. The latter includes the oft-found confession to taking the Bible seriously, which however too often plays out as an empty assertion. This, because the realities of the historical coming-into-being of the biblical texts and corpora, are in such cases not given their due attention. The Bible confessed to is, then, a document that never existed. This implies that leadership insights derived on such a basis, leave much room for criticism as to their implied relation to reality.