Living with Paradox: Religious Leadership and the Genius of Double Vision

The book opened my eyes to contradictions which I was aware of yet were blind towards. This book is an eye opener for anyone involved in church administration. We do not want to think that we should look at the two sides of every situation in religious interaction but the truth remains there are two sides to every story. The book encourages us to identify both entities and realize that we cannot think it is "either or" but rather "both and".

This is one of the finest books on leadership in a congregational environment. The book deals with numerous paradoxes that the minister experiences in leadership. In most leadership books from the business culture, the application and transference is not applicable because of the difficult contexts of these cultures. The minister's world is special because of special circumstances. I have felt these paradoxes for some time in the role of a minister, but after this book I have gained valuable wisdom in dealing with these situations properly. The book deals with congregation expectations, the multiple roles of the minister, developing inclusive and exclusivity communities, the role of money in preaching, the concept of individualism and organization in community, and the product and process dynamic. This book should be read by every full-time minister in the church. The insight is deep and needed. It would solve some of the confusion that ministry brings to a person's life. This book taught me numerous lessons for productive ministry in the future. Read this book preachers! You will be blessed and thankful that you did.

In "Living with Paradox," H. Newton Malony seeks to take religious leaders from "the tyranny of the OR to the genius of the AND." He explores eight paradoxes of religious organizations and religious leadership. The table of contents gives a sense of the book's scope:1. Religious leadership and paradoxPart One: Paradoxes in the Religious Leader's Role2. Person and position: being true to oneself and to congregational expectations3. Prophet, priest, and king: playing three roles that become confoundedPart Two: Paradoxes of Perspective4. Inclusivity and exclusivity: appreciating both uniqueness and universality in faith convictions5. Timely and timeless: applying the Bible's eternal truths to present circumstancesPart Three: Paradoxes Built into the Structure of Religious Congregations6. For-profit and not-for-profit: balancing the books while serving a larger purpose7. Person and organization: running an efficient organization in which people feel deeply recognizedPart Four: Paradoxes of Congregational Mission8. Product and process: valuing ends and means equally9. Mission and maintenance: moving the congregation toward achieving its goals while fostering goodwill and group cohesion10 Conclusion: Leading others to double visionTrue to its paradoxical theme, this book defies easy categorization. Part one focuses on the nature of ministry and ministers. The chapter on "timely and timeless" takes up the subject of preaching, while the next chapter, "for-profit and not-for-profit," moves on to financial issues. Many of the book's subjects tend to be issues for church conflict, and chapter seven is partly about the process of church conflict. You will not find a comprehensive treatment of any single subject in Living with Paradox, but I'm certain the book will spark some new ideas for reflection.As someone who is preparing for ministry, I found the book very helpful. I would easily recommend it to any minister or ministry student. I also think Living with Paradox would be of interest to board members, committee chairs, or other lay leaders in a church.