Called and Chosen: Toward a Spirituality for Lay Leaders
Edited by Zeni Fox and Regina Bechtle, SC
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Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. www.rowmanlittlefield.com $21.95 paper [0-7425-3200-3] |
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That lay women and men increasingly serve as leaders of institutional ministries in the Church is nothing new. Yet, until now, these lay leaders have longed for theological resources and formational training to help them in their vocation and ministry. Called and Chosen: Toward a Spirituality for Lay Leaders is designed especially for women and men who, in collaboration with vowed religious and the ordained, shepherd Church ministries and touch the lives of countless people.
Written by leading authorities in biblical studies, theology, spirituality, church history, and ecclesial leadership, the book is broken into four parts: Part one invites lay leaders to claim their own call and commitment by reflecting on the Catholic vision of spirituality, vocation, mission and ministry, and the experiences of other leaders. Part two grounds their work in the larger story of our institutional ministries by examining their biblical, theological, and historical roots. Part three probes the work of the Spirit in communities and institutions, against the backdrop of contemporary cultural realities, to help leaders develop the capacity to discern the Spirit's workings. Part four focuses on issues central to the role of a spiritual leader: the spirituality of administration, the task of building community, the use of power and authority and work of forming and mentoring others. Questions at the end of each chapter invite further reflection on the themes explored.
As Ms. Fox and Sr. Regina explain in their introduction, their hope for this book is "t hat lay leaders recognize themselves, their spirituality, their hopes for the institutions they shepherd, the individuals they serve, in the descriptions and stories here. That lay leaders are challenged to make the language of the tradition more fully their own, to be nourished by it, and to draw upon it to assist a common vision and to feed the spirituality of those they lead."
List of Contributors
Regina Bechtle, S.C. H., Margaret Benefiel, Michael Downey, H. Richard McCord, Elinor Ford, Zeni Fox, Doris Gottemoeller, R.S.M, Monika K. Hellwig, Richard M. Liddy, Dolores Leckey, Brian McDermott, S.J., John Nelson, Sean Peters, C.S.J., Mary Daniel Turner, S.N.D. de N.
About The Authors
Zeni Fox, Ph.D., is Professor of Pastoral Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Seton Hall University , South Orange , N.J. She is the author of New Ecclesial Ministry: Lay Professionals Serving the Church (Sheed & Ward, 2002) and serves as an advisor to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops Subcommittee on Lay Ministry.
Regina Bechtle, S.C., Ph.D., is Director of Charism Resources for the Sisters of Charity of New York. She researches, writes about and offers retreats and programs on Vincentian spirituality, religious life, and leadership.
