Joanne J. Jung (PhD, Fuller Seminary) is a professor of biblical and theological studies and the associate dean of online education and faculty development at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.
She is the author of Knowing Grace; Character Formation in Online Education; and The Lost Discipline of Conversation.
She and her husband, Norman, attend Harvest Community Church in Irvine, California.
Richard Langer (PhD, University of California, Riverside) is a professor of biblical and theological studies and director of the Office for the Integration of Faith and Learning at Biola University.
He is an ordained minister with over twenty years of pastoral experience and a coauthor of Winsome Persuasion and Winsome Conviction.
He and his wife, Shari, are members at Fullerton Free Church in Fullerton, California.
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Joanne J. Jung, Richard Langer, and Amber discuss our never changing call to follow Jesus and how to pursue that in a world that views following as weakness. They also discuss the West’s obsession with leadership.
Richard: “We’re not writing an anti-leadership book, we’re trying to write a book that helps leadership be in its proper place.”
Richard: “If you want to be a leader, the key is to cultivate virtue. Well, you fast forward 120 years and pick up a leadership book and you have chapters on how to assert yourself, how to find your identity, how to…work with others to achieve your goals, how to win friends and influence people. The incredible shift from virtue to self centered self expression is striking over the 20th century.”
Joanne: “Jesus says, ‘I only do what I see My Father doing’….I sat with that…Jesus right here is saying, he follows. He’s following the Father. So if we’re going to be Christ followers, if we’re going to be Christ disciples, it only makes sense that we too would be followers.”
Richard: “The way to be the best leader you can be is to be the best follower.”
Joanne: “We would argue that being a faithful follower is not easy work. It takes intention, it takes purpose, it takes a compelling mission. And so we incorporate these things in our followership, so that if and when we are ever called to a leadership role, we would be most prepared by being a good follower.”
Joanne: “In order to be a healthy, faithful follower, we must be connected with God in His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the direct agent for our transformation, our becoming more and more like Christ.”
Joanne: “Leadership can become an idol. And as I explore this idol language a little bit more discovering that control is the master idol and fear is the master cause.”
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