African and Western approaches to the moral formation of Christian leaders: The role of spiritual disciplines in counteracting moral deficiencies

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title African and Western approaches to the moral formation of Christian leaders: The role of spiritual disciplines in counteracting moral deficiencies
 
Creator Kretzschmar, Louise
 
Subject Theology; Theological Ethics; Christian Leadership Spiritual formation; Moral formation; Formation in Africa; Formation in the West; Christian leaders; Spiritual disciplines; Moral deficiencies; Pride; Vainglory (narcissism); Greed
Description This article begins with a brief outline of current African and Western contexts, and the moral predicaments in which leaders in South Africa find themselves. The research problem addressed is how the spiritual maturity and moral excellence of Christian leaders can be advanced. The methodology employed draws on African and Western cultural and Christian traditions of moral formation. Whilst some common means of moral formation are discussed, particular attention is given to the role of spiritual disciplines. The article aims to address the following question: ‘how do leaders become the kind of people who will make good and right decisions, live moral lives, contribute to the life and work of the church, care for others and the environment, and pursue social justice?’ Three clusters of moral deficiencies are discussed, including pride, vainglory (self-glorification or narcissism) and greed, together with the spiritual disciplines that can counteract them. The central argument is that spiritually mature and morally excellent leaders can address more effectively the moral challenges facing the church and South African society.Contribution: This transdisciplinary article contributes to the HTS’s theological research by combining the academic disciplines of Christian Spirituality and Theological Ethics with particular reference to leadership formation. It further contributes to academic contextual discourse by evaluating African and Western traditions of moral formation and advancing practical means of addressing leadership deficiencies.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor n/a
Date 2020-08-27
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Literary and cultural analysis; Spiritual-ethical analysis
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v76i2.5913
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 76, No 2 (2020); 10 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/5913/15649 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/5913/15648 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/5913/15650 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/5913/15647
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa 20th and 21st Century Christianity in Africa and the West —
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Louise Kretzschmar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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