Looking for a book giving the evangelical perspective

On another platform, I had a eureka moment in which I realized that I have an assumption regarding the Christian leaders/teachers' behavior that is not universally shared. Since my early twenties I and several of my friends assume that serious Christians (in contrast to social/cultural Christians) show growth in characteristics such as equanimity, patience, wisdom, humbleness . . . In fact, we observed this growth to apply across most faiths. [Yes, this group of friends had several interested in perrenial philosophy and mysticism.] We agreed that while one might learn theory and language from people without these characteristics, that people without them were unqualified to teach us how to live the faith. In that context, I am looking for something that will tell me what evangelicals expectations of a teacher/preacher/leader are. It might be something along the lines of how not to be sucked in by a charismatic false teacher or a more positive how to judge a teacher. Any suggestions?

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Bob

I’m not sure if this is what you are looking for, but my first thought was “Christianity in Crisis” by Hank Hannegraff.

Bob

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191894#Comment_1191894

Not quite what I am looking for but it looks interesting so I picked it up.

Bob

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191901#Comment_1191901

Nice. Let us know, after reading it, if it helped any on your initial questions.

Bob

Kiyah

I did a quick search in my library on tag:leadership and this looks to be along the lines of what you might be looking for:

https://www.logos.com/product/121507/calling-christian-leaders-rediscovering-radical-servant-ministry

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191901#Comment_1191901

Book ... book. I wonder what a book would tell you. You know my background. Basically, the people up front are supposed to do what the people sitting down think ... else the elders meet, and if not that, then 'a split'. In other words, the traditions are the perspective ... theology is descriptive, not proscriptive.

Then, a couple days back, a writer suggested there was really 2 evangelicals ... attend church, versus just identify (presumably growing up). That surprised me ... like you, I assumed an orderly behavioral progression. But maybe not.

Then, yesterday, a well known protestant leader (who I forget), said protestant pastors don't teach a 'catachism' ... instead, each weak, an attractive sermon or such. Our pastor tried that ... organized Biblical ... but chatting privately, the members blew it off ... his opinions. Half of 'church' is on the web.

A book for 'should' ... or 'is', I wonder ... I'm at a loss to understand.

Kiyah

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191901#Comment_1191901

I'm not a fan of John Piper but he is an evangelical:

https://www.logos.com/product/4075/brothers-we-are-not-professionals

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191914#Comment_1191914

I'm not a fan of John Piper but he is an evangelical:

https://www.logos.com/product/4075/brothers-we-are-not-professionals

I'm truly sorry, but I smile everytime about that title. I suppose I'll be roasting really soon.

Kiyah

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191915#Comment_1191915

I'm not a fan of John Piper but he is an evangelical:

https://www.logos.com/product/4075/brothers-we-are-not-professionals

I'm truly sorry, but I smile everytime about that title. I suppose I'll be roasting really soon.

I almost didn't suggest it but she wants a different perspective so...

Of course some Evangelicals are egalitarian. I just didn't see anything in my library with the very quick and dirty search I did. I'm sure there's something buried in there somewhere.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191916#Comment_1191916

Thank you for the suggestions so far- I've got them all on my reading list. However, I am also interested in those people one might choose as a Christian mentor/guide/teacher - more likely a volunteer than a paid staff member. You know the elderly lady who has spent her time knitting in serious prayer and has become very wise and very skilled in listening.

Ken McGuire

Probably not the definition of Evangelical that you are looking for, but for Continental Evangelical (usually Lutheran) Christianity, check out the following...

Arndt: True Christianity - Better notes, Full Text.

Spener: Pia Desideria

Wesley: A Plain Account of Christian Perfection - I have it in https://www.logos.com/product/30337/the-works-of-john-wesley-vol-11 , but there are other editions - and from what little I know of Wesley scholars, there are much better editions... From Wesley you can either go back to authors that he cites, like William Law and various Carolinian Divines, as well as those he influenced - like the whole Methodist/Wesleyan movement and how that has influenced Anglo-American Evangelicalism in general.

I would recommend J. I Packer's studies of the Puritans, like A Quest for Godliness for a prominent Evangelical voice...

Kiyah

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1191918#Comment_1191918

I read a different book by Bill Hull a while back but this one seems to be about more generic Christian leadership, not just pastors.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Leader-Rehabilitating-Addiction-Leadership-ebook/dp/B010R3HHH8/ref=sr_1_12?crid=27Q8L51GOC7KO&keywords=bill+hull&qid=1641430837&sprefix=bill+hull%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-12

Logos only has the audiobook for some reason:

https://www.logos.com/product/214172/christian-leader-rehabilitating-our-addiction-to-secular-leadership

Bill Hull writes more broadly on Christian discipleship so his writing should apply to laypeople as well.

Mattillo

https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/9789/macarthur-pastors-library-on-pastoral-ministry

https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/56650/the-shepherd-as-leader-guiding-others-with-integrity-and-conviction

https://ebooks.faithlife.com/product/50442/the-shepherd-as-preacher-delivering-gods-word-with-passion-and-power

Those are a series of essays in one book... maybe of interest to your topic

David Thomas

From my undergrad Pastoral preparation at Moody Bible Institute, one of our Pastoral Theology texts was https://www.logos.com/product/180164/the-preachers-portrait-five-new-testament-word-studies

A more contemporary option would be Jason K. Allen's https://www.logos.com/product/151088/portraits-of-a-pastor-the-9-essential-roles-of-a-church-leader or https://www.logos.com/product/178135/letters-to-my-students-volume-1 , https://www.logos.com/product/208355/letters-to-my-students-volume-2-on-pastoring

Mike Tourangeau

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1192014#Comment_1192014

John Frame in "The Doctrine of the Christian Life" has an appendix on "Gentleness in the Pastorate"

Came to my mind because I read it last night.......

GregW

The term “evangelical” is used differently in different cultures and places. In my evangelical world, something like The Contemplative Pastor sets out aspiration and example - https://www.logos.com/product/1609/the-contemplative-pastor

Also by Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity - https://www.logos.com/product/37529/working-the-angles-the-shape-of-pastoral-integrity is worth looking at.