Host: Six New Roles of Engagement for Teams, Organizations, Communities, Movements, by Mark McKergow & Helen Bailey. Solutions Books, 2014, xiii + 237pp, ISBN 978-0-95499749-8-5, £11.99. Purchase here Reviewed by Julie Couchman-Boor I awaited the arrival of this book with excitement and wasn’t disappointed. It is that rare mixture of easy read, practical ideas and…

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The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age, by Archie Brown. The Bodley Head, 2014, x + 466pp, ISBN 978-1-847-92175-8, £25.00. Reviewed by Vaughan S Roberts Archie Brown is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford and a prolific author, particularly on the political culture of the Soviet Union…

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The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership: A Critical Perspective, by Dennis Tourish Routledge, 2013, x + 252pp, ISBN 978-0-56428-1, £24.99. Purchase here Reviewed by Vaughan S Roberts As leadership has become an arena of debate and argument in secular organizations, the same is true in religious bodies including churches. Dennis Tourish is a Professor of…

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Managing Clergy Lives: Obedience, Sacrifice, Intimacy, by Nigel Peyton & Caroline Gatrell. Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2013, 200pp, ISBN 978-1-4411-2125-7, £17.99 Purchase here Reviewed by Richard Steel This book ‘explores the commitment [of Anglican Parish Clergy]…. Affirms their positive staying power… [and how] they pay the price of lost intimacies and sacrifice their own needs and…

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Moving on in Ministry: Discernment for Times of Transition and Change, edited by Tim Ling. Church House Publishing, 2013, 169pp, ISBN 978-0- 7151-4329-2,£16.99. Purchase here Reviewed by Jane Charman To say that the Church is in a time of transition and change almost feels like an understatement. Many people would want to choose still stronger…

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Creating the Future of the Church: A Practical Guide to Addressing Whole-System Change, by Keith Elford. SPCK, 2013, 128pp, ISBN 978-0-281-07077-0, £10.99. Purchase here Reviewed by John Carlisle and Norman Speirs The author is both a successful priest and successful businessman. Now this is no doubt a somewhat controversial description, i.e. a successful priest?? That…

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Spirituality and Business: A Christian Viewpoint. An Open Letter to Christian Leaders in Times of Urgency, by Philippe de Woot. GSE Research, 2013, 102pp, ISBN 978-1-909201-09-5, £9.99. [French orig. 2009] Purchase here Reviewed by David Beech Philippe de Woot draws deep on the wellsprings of western humanism and Christianity to offer a profound reflection on…

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Mindful Ministry: Creative, Theological and Practical Perspectives by Judith Thompson & Ross Thompson. SCM Press, 2012, 224pp, ISBN 978-0-334-04375-1, £19.99. Purchase here Reviewed by Rowena Francis. I experienced this book as two in one. This led to it being quite a dense read and perhaps neither theme being given the full treatment each deserved. The…

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The Spirit of Project Management, by Judi Neal and Alan Harpham. Gower, 2012, 177 pages, ISBN 978-1-4094-0959-5. £26.50. Purchase here Reviewed by John Kay In writing this book, the authors remind us of the long-forgotten and vital spiritual component of business life, and how to get a better balance into our management methods – one…

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Church for Every Context: An Introduction to Theology and Practice, by Michael Moynagh. SCM Press, 2012, 490pp, ISBN 978-0-334- 04369-0, £30.00. Reviewed by Tim Harle This is a significant book, but perhaps not for the reason that the author or publisher expected. Moynagh has been closely involved in the so-called Fresh Expressions initiative. He has…

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