Henri Nouwen was a spiritual thinker with an unusual capacity to write about the life of Jesus and the love of God in ways that have inspired countless people to trust life more fully. Most widely read among the over 40 books Father Nouwen wrote is In the Name of Jesus. ![]() For a society that measures successful leadership in terms of the effectiveness of the individual, Father Henri Nouwen was a spiritual thinker with an unusual capacity to write about the life of Jesus and the love of God in ways that have inspired countless people to trust life more fully. Most widely read among the over 40 books Father Nouwen wrote is In the Name of Jesus. For a society that measures successful leadership in terms of the effectiveness of the individual, Father Nouwen offers a counter definition that is witnessed by a 'communal and mutual experience.' For Nouwen, leadership cannot function apart from the community. His wisdom is grounded in the foundation that we are a people 'called.' This beautiful guide to Christian Leadership is the rich fruit of Henri Nouwen's own journey as one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 20th century. In the Name of Jesus has 6604 ratings and 332 reviews. Jay said: Nouwen's writing is so powerful! Humility just drips from every word. He desires, more. Ebook (ePUB), by Henri J. Nouwen & John S. 'If we want to be disciples of Jesus, we have to live a disciplined life, ' Nouwen asserts. Nouwen's writing is so powerful! Humility just drips from every word. He desires, more than anything, that Jesus would be more so he could become less. I was so impressed with this little book on leadership. He challenges the reader: 1. Do you want to be relevant? The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love. Do you want Nouwen's writing is so powerful! Humility just drips from every word. ![]() He desires, more than anything, that Jesus would be more so he could become less. I was so impressed with this little book on leadership. He challenges the reader: 1. Do you want to be relevant? The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love. Do you want to be popular? Minister more. It is Jesus who heals, not I; Jesus who speaks words of truth, not I; Jesus who is Lord, not I. Do you want to lead? What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. (77) This will be a book I come back to year after year to remind myself as a leader that I need to be led. One of the most powerful books I have read! As a period of consistency, and even a little bit of comfort comes to an end, I am realizing more of who I am and who I was created to be. This book helped me connect the dots, and somewhat make sense of how to navigate transitional moments and times. I often forget my call to be vulnerable and to continue to go into spaces that force me to be uncomfortable. As organized ministry may die down, having a heart for knowing Jesus more will not. Jesus is af One of the most powerful books I have read! As a period of consistency, and even a little bit of comfort comes to an end, I am realizing more of who I am and who I was created to be. This book helped me connect the dots, and somewhat make sense of how to navigate transitional moments and times. I often forget my call to be vulnerable and to continue to go into spaces that force me to be uncomfortable. As organized ministry may die down, having a heart for knowing Jesus more will not. Jesus is after all, continually after the renewal and growth of my heart. In times of not knowing, I am reminded that my identity is not in my own understanding or only what I can see. My identity is solely in the truth that I am redeemed and because of that, I am then sent as a powerful, celebrated daughter. Through the lens of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, and his commissioning of Peter at the end of John's gospel, Nouwen sets a trajectory for Christian leadership. He wrote this book after leaving academia for L'Arche and one of the best parts of the book is his description of how Bill, a developmentally disabled man, shared in Nouwen's ministry in presenting this material in Washington, D.C. Nouwen questions contemporary leadership culture and the chasing of relevance, popularity and power. Through the lens of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, and his commissioning of Peter at the end of John's gospel, Nouwen sets a trajectory for Christian leadership. He wrote this book after leaving academia for L'Arche and one of the best parts of the book is his description of how Bill, a developmentally disabled man, shared in Nouwen's ministry in presenting this material in Washington, D.C. Nouwen questions contemporary leadership culture and the chasing of relevance, popularity and power. I wonder how Nouwen would critique social media. This short book is one of my favorites from Nouwen. I had to read this for a group in my church, There are some biblical truths in this book, however nothing new or unordinary. ![]() In this book he makes some cringy/questionable statements like 'we have to be mystics' 'we have to be the incarnation' and abandons some definitions of words similar to Rob Bell. Like bad definition of what a mystic actually is or what theology is. He also claims theologians find it hard to pray. If you want an excellent book on Christian leadership I would not recommend t I had to read this for a group in my church, There are some biblical truths in this book, however nothing new or unordinary. In this book he makes some cringy/questionable statements like 'we have to be mystics' 'we have to be the incarnation' and abandons some definitions of words similar to Rob Bell. Like bad definition of what a mystic actually is or what theology is. He also claims theologians find it hard to pray. If you want an excellent book on Christian leadership I would not recommend this book, he seems very confused on what terms mean, different denominations, etc. Perhaps pick up an Albert Mohler book on leadership. After reading Henri Nouwen's The Way of the Heart recently during some times of fasting, I decided to move on to another book by Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus. I liked it perhaps even more than The Way of the Heart. The book is a version of an address Nouwen gave to an event in Washington, D.C., sometime in the 1980s. It's written specifically to Christian leaders, but the content is relevant to any Christian. Nouwen gazes into the future and imagines what will be most significant for Christian le After reading Henri Nouwen's The Way of the Heart recently during some times of fasting, I decided to move on to another book by Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus. I liked it perhaps even more than The Way of the Heart. The book is a version of an address Nouwen gave to an event in Washington, D.C., sometime in the 1980s. It's written specifically to Christian leaders, but the content is relevant to any Christian. Nouwen gazes into the future and imagines what will be most significant for Christian leaders in the 21st century. In answer, he contemplates three shifts in focus for Christ-centered leadership: from relevance to prayer; from popularity to ministry; and from leading to being led. Along the way, Nouwen considers his own life, and especially the big change from teaching at Harvard to caring for the mentally ill at L'Arche. He also wrestles with simply getting older, and wondering if he has become the person he thinks he should be: After twenty-five years of priesthood, I found myself praying poorly, living somewhat isolated from other people, and very much preoccupied with burning issues. Everyone was saying that I was doing really well, but something inside was telling me that my success was putting my own soul in danger.... In the midst of this I kept praying, 'Lord, show me where you want me to go and I will follow you, but please be clear and unambiguous about it!' (20, 22)Any book that opens with something like that is going to make me take notice, since that's basically how I feel these days myself. In the first section, 'From Relevance to Prayer,' Nouwen expresses his frustration that seeing the needs of the world is never enough. Of course there are people who need to be fed, but it's not possible for me to do it all! He relates this to the devil's temptation of Jesus to turn stones to bread. Our temptation is to do market research to identify exactly what people need, and then make it happen—thus making ourselves, our ministry, 'relevant' by meeting people exactly where they are. Nouwen proposes instead that Jesus's first question was not 'Have you solved all the world's problems today?' But 'Do you love me?' Our goal, then, isn't figuring everything out and fixing it, but seeking 'union with God in prayer' (the original meaning of the word 'theology'). The challenge for Christians is to reaffirm through contemplative prayer, again and again, the answer to Jesus's question: Yes, Lord, I love you. We move ourselves away from dogmatic, political, us-vs.-them rhetoric, and toward simple love and devotion and real conversation—as Nouwen says, 'a movement from the moral to the mystical' (47). Writing about 'From Popularity to Ministry,' Nouwen looks at the second temptation of Jesus, to throw himself down from the top of the temple and be rescued by angels. For Christians today, that is the temptation to be spectacular, to be a superstar. This isolates us, removing us from situations in which we might satisfy our ever-present need to share confession and forgiveness with others. It's true that Jesus then told Peter to 'Feed my lambs'—but he sent the disciples out in pairs, not alone. The final section of the book, 'From Leading to Being Led,' is about giving up control. Nouwen says he became 'aware of the extent to which my leadership was still a desire to control complex situations, confused emotions, and anxious minds' (74). He continues, One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power—political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power—even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are.... Every time we see a major crisis in the history of the church... We always see that a major cause of rupture is the power exercised by those who claim to be followers of the poor and powerless Jesus. (76-77)The answer is leadership guided more by theological reflection than by psychology. 'Theological reflection is reflecting on the painful and joyful realities of every day with the mind of Jesus and thereby raising human consciousness to the knowledge of God's gentle guidance' (88). This is a wonderful book, which I'm sure I'll return to, and hopeful that I will incorporate into my actual life. I respect Nouwen a lot. There aren't many people in the world I respect so highly, and most of them, like Nouwen, are dead. Which would be even more disappointing if some of those people hadn't left traces of their thoughts through words on the page. I'm grateful for those pages and those thoughts. This is just a brief (one hour) reflection written because Nouwen was asked to speak about Christian leadership 'in the Twenty-First Century.' It's a puzzling assignment given to a priest who lived in a community of people with disabilities for the last decade of his life (he got the assignment about year 3 of that decade). I related to the author because the book is about caring for people over other agendas, and it is focused on Jesus, using the two stories of the temptation of Christ and Jesus This is just a brief (one hour) reflection written because Nouwen was asked to speak about Christian leadership 'in the Twenty-First Century.' It's a puzzling assignment given to a priest who lived in a community of people with disabilities for the last decade of his life (he got the assignment about year 3 of that decade). I related to the author because the book is about caring for people over other agendas, and it is focused on Jesus, using the two stories of the temptation of Christ and Jesus reinstating Peter by asking 'Do you love me?' Rightly, Nouwen points out that Jesus passed by a lot of what we call leadership today, and love and mercy were key to all His interactions. On the one hand, I found the book a little frustrating. When I was younger, I would have embraced the point of this book as a justification for my lack of leadership -- 'I'm just busy loving and taking care of people.' That's a core part of Christian sanctification, but if you are called to lead, you have responsibilities that if neglected will harm either the people you love or exclude people that should have been served. At a key time in my life I kept asking people what it is to be a leader and many Christians were unable to answer that question, yet I could see that where a Christian leader actually led, more ministry occurred. Not just activity, but ministry. More occurred, for one thing, because a leader 'equips' people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12). Jesus equiped His disciples for works of service and look what happened! Nouwen doesn't deal with some key parts of Christian leadership. On the other hand, Nouwen's experience is a true antidote to the tendency to define leadership in terms the world can understand. I've seen groups of Christians 'leading' with their strategies, long range plans, and statistical analysis that leaves everything truly 'Jesus' out -- in fact, they weren't into the Word and didn't take a lot of time for prayer. Nouwen embraces being 'irrelevant' by the world's standards while being sure to follow Jesus. It may not be leadership in all its fullness, but it helps keep a Christian from the very leadership that Jesus forbad His people when He said, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.' (Luke 22:25-26). I really did enjoy this book, and I believe some of the insights were real jewels. However, I had little to no background on Nouwen before reading this book. For that reason, I was a little fuzzy on what he meant in some of his terminology. I was also left a little unsure why the exhortations were directed specifically at Christian leaders, unless by 'leadership' he means something much more broad than I do. Most of his (generally very biblical) insights could be applied to any disciple of Chris I really did enjoy this book, and I believe some of the insights were real jewels. However, I had little to no background on Nouwen before reading this book. For that reason, I was a little fuzzy on what he meant in some of his terminology. I was also left a little unsure why the exhortations were directed specifically at Christian leaders, unless by 'leadership' he means something much more broad than I do. Most of his (generally very biblical) insights could be applied to any disciple of Christ. Criticism aside, this was a very useful little book for gaining some perspective in what it means to follow after Christ and to live by the authority of his name. It can be read in under an hour, and its concepts are very simple. However, there is a maturity in that simplicity that got my attention. He emphasizes living out a Christianity that does not make power plays or assume to be more essential to the body than any other part. He challenges his educated listeners/readers to live as equals and brothers with God's people, choosing to share life and ministry rather than to pursue popularity or what the world considers success. He rightly challenges the notion that ambition (as the world considers it) to have a place in the life of the believer or Christian leader. Very nice little read. I intend to read more by Nouwen soon, and I rather expect my opinion of this book to be lifted. No trouble recommending it, however. A short but incisive read, Henri Nouwen calls to account those currently in or striving towards Christian leadership today. Using the Gospel stories of the temptations of Jesus and Peter's call to be a shepherd as his reference points, Nouwen points out that Christian leaders are constantly tempted to be relevant, popular and powerful. To act alone, and be seen as 'the hero.' However, Nouwen emphasizes that to truly act in the name of Jesus requires almost the opposite: being ready to stand amid A short but incisive read, Henri Nouwen calls to account those currently in or striving towards Christian leadership today. Using the Gospel stories of the temptations of Jesus and Peter's call to be a shepherd as his reference points, Nouwen points out that Christian leaders are constantly tempted to be relevant, popular and powerful. To act alone, and be seen as 'the hero.' However, Nouwen emphasizes that to truly act in the name of Jesus requires almost the opposite: being ready to stand amidst what's 'relevant' and discern God's actions there, turning to prayer, being vulnerable to those you serve. There is a lot of evidence today for how much pastors have to hide themselves-- Nouwen calls them not to do so. Nor to feel driven to be spectacular. But rather to truly love Jesus, and thereby have his servant-heart. I think this is an important message for Christian leaders- and all Christians. Nouwen shares his own experiences working with the mentally handicapped which led to the reflections and insights in this book. Certainly in a time and place where individualism is championed, his message may feel counter-intuitive to our culture. But this divergence only makes the message more important. 'The leaders of the future will be those who dare to claim their irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation that allows them to enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success, and to bring the light of Jesus there.' As usual, Nouwen is concise and brief yet ever-profound, filling his deceptively short chapters with insight that are worth continual thought and reflection long after the book is closed. In this book, Nouwen's wisdom helps us to evaluate the way in which we engage our leadership responsibilities and perceive subtle temptations and obstacles that prevent us from growing. He then offers Biblical insight into ways that we can find spiritual life in our ministry, allowing us (and those we serve) to As usual, Nouwen is concise and brief yet ever-profound, filling his deceptively short chapters with insight that are worth continual thought and reflection long after the book is closed. In this book, Nouwen's wisdom helps us to evaluate the way in which we engage our leadership responsibilities and perceive subtle temptations and obstacles that prevent us from growing. He then offers Biblical insight into ways that we can find spiritual life in our ministry, allowing us (and those we serve) to grow. This book is essential for anyone who is serving or leading in ministry, and it is helpful for anyone who truly wants to follow Christ and love others. 'My movement from Harvard to L'Arche made me aware in a new way how much my thinking about Christian leadership had been affected by the desire to be relevant, the desire for popularity, and the desire for power.' Nouwen reflects on the three desert temptations of Jesus as he considers his own temptations. In this short book he explores what it means to be in community, confessing our sins, sharing our brokenness, invested in contemplative prayer that we might proclaim and share in the love of J 'My movement from Harvard to L'Arche made me aware in a new way how much my thinking about Christian leadership had been affected by the desire to be relevant, the desire for popularity, and the desire for power.' Nouwen reflects on the three desert temptations of Jesus as he considers his own temptations. In this short book he explores what it means to be in community, confessing our sins, sharing our brokenness, invested in contemplative prayer that we might proclaim and share in the love of Jesus. Highly recommended by the president of Regent college, this book was not a disappointment. A short, simple manuscript of an address by Henri Nouwen at the Center for Human Development in Washington D.C. He offers three points - which amount to three corrections of our perception of Christian leadership. Like Jesus in Matthew 4, leaders of today face three temptations. They must resist them and respond to Jesus's words to Peter in John 21. These involve three disciplines. 1.) Resist relevance, love Highly recommended by the president of Regent college, this book was not a disappointment. A short, simple manuscript of an address by Henri Nouwen at the Center for Human Development in Washington D.C. He offers three points - which amount to three corrections of our perception of Christian leadership. Like Jesus in Matthew 4, leaders of today face three temptations. They must resist them and respond to Jesus's words to Peter in John 21. These involve three disciplines. 1.) Resist relevance, love Jesus, practice prayer. This one was powerful - a reminder that the work of a Christian leader flows from his/her relationship with Christ. Prayer is the work. 2.) Resist popularity, feed His sheep, engage in mutual confession and forgiveness. Ministry must be mutual and communal. 3.) Resist power, follow Christ's lead, and spend time reflecting for discernment. This is a good reminder that we're not pursuing our own ends, but following our Lord. It's the second time I've read it; the first time was about 12 or 13 years ago. It's a great read. There are a lot of issues regarding Christian leadership that Nouwen doesn't address, wouldn't think to address, or couldn't address given the occasion that framed his lecture or the circumstances in which he normally served. I think it's best read as an overview of how the general attitude of Christian leadership is given guidance and kept in Christ-centered check. Considering what he set out to d It's the second time I've read it; the first time was about 12 or 13 years ago. It's a great read. There are a lot of issues regarding Christian leadership that Nouwen doesn't address, wouldn't think to address, or couldn't address given the occasion that framed his lecture or the circumstances in which he normally served. I think it's best read as an overview of how the general attitude of Christian leadership is given guidance and kept in Christ-centered check. Considering what he set out to do, Nouwen's contribution here, as with his other writings, is a helpful reminder of what keeps leaders steady in their service and is very much appreciated. A must-read text for every leader and every aspiring leader. In The Name of Jesus is on my RY list (Read Yearly). It is a great book made better by Nouwen's experiences. 'At the top' of the academic pyramid, Nouwen stepped into serve at the L'Arche Communities. He has lived his admonitions. 'My own thinking about Christian leadership had been affected by the desire to be relevant, the desire for popularity, and the desire for powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry. The truth, however, A must-read text for every leader and every aspiring leader. In The Name of Jesus is on my RY list (Read Yearly). It is a great book made better by Nouwen's experiences. 'At the top' of the academic pyramid, Nouwen stepped into serve at the L'Arche Communities. He has lived his admonitions. 'My own thinking about Christian leadership had been affected by the desire to be relevant, the desire for popularity, and the desire for powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry. The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations.' Nouwen champions the praying leader, the vulnerable leader, and the trusting leader. Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (Nouen), (1932–1996) was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life. Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike.,,,, and are just a few of the more widely recognized titles. After nearly two decades of Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (Nouen), (1932–1996) was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life. Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike.,,,, and are just a few of the more widely recognized titles. After nearly two decades of teaching at the Menninger Foundation Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and at the University of Notre Dame, Yale University and Harvard University, he went to share his life with mentally handicapped people at the L'Arche community of Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. After a long period of declining energy, which he chronicled in his final book,, he died in September 1996 from a sudden heart attack. His spirituality was influenced by many, notably by his friendship with Jean Vanier. At the invitation of Vanier he visited L'Arche in France, the first of over 130 communities around the world where people with developmental disabilities live and share life together with those who care for them. In 1986 Nouwen accepted the position of pastor for a L'Arche community called 'Daybreak' in Canada, near Toronto. Nouwen wrote about his relationship with Adam, a core member at L'Arche Daybreak with profound developmental disabilities, in a book titled. Father Nouwen was a good friend of the late. The results of a Christian Century magazine survey conducted in 2003 indicate that Nouwen's work was a first choice of authors for Catholic and mainline Protestant clergy. One of his most famous works is, his diary from December 1987 to June 1988 during one of his most serious bouts with clinical depression. There is a Father Henri J. Nouwen Catholic Elementary School in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
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