The Phenomenon of Power in the Church: an Investigation and Analysis of the Relational Dynamics Experienced in the Context of the Assertion of Authority
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research 2004 The Phenomenon of Power in the Church: an Investigation and Analysis of the Relational Dynamics Experienced in the Context of the Assertion of Authority Steven R. Walikonis Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Recommended Citation Walikonis, Steven R., "The Phenomenon of Power in the Church: an Investigation and Analysis of the Relational Dynamics Experienced in the Context of the Assertion of Authority" (2004). Dissertation Projects DMin. 143. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/143 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertation Projects DMin by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary THE PHENOMENON OF POWER IN THE CHURCH: AN INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONAL DYNAMICS EXPERIENCED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ASSERTION OF AUTHORITY A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Steven R. Walikonis July 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3159983 Copyright 2004 by Walikonis, Steven R. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3159983 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE PHENOMENON OF POWER IN THE CHURCH: AN INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONAL DYNAMICS EXPERIENCED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ASSERTION OF AUTHORITY A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Steven R. Walikonis APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: ^Advis^Y""SkipBell Directoi'ofD.Min. Program Professor of Church Leadership Skip Bell S. Joseph Kidder Dean, SD Seminary Associate Professor of Christian Ministry John Mcvay Miroslav Kis D^fte approved Professor of Ethics Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.......................................................................................................v Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT ......................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................1 Justification of the Dissertation ....................................................................................5 Description of the Dissertation Process ....................................................................... 8 Limitations of the Dissertation .................................................................................. 10 Expectations of the Dissertation ................................................................................11 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................................12 Introduction ..................................................................................................................12 Definitions of Power ...................................................................................................13 Five Bases of Power ...................................................................................................17 Expert Power ..................................................................................................... 18 Referent Power ................................................................................................ 23 Reward Power ...................................................................................................26 Coercive Power .................................................................................................30 Legitimate Pow er.............................................................................................. 34 Effects of Different Bases of Power ......................................................................... 38 Further Rationale for Study of Bases of P o w e r ........................................................ 40 3. A THEOLOGY OF POWER .................................................................................42 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 42 God, The Ultimate Power .......................................................................................... 45 The Ideal of Power in the Old Testament .................................................................48 The Ideal of Power in the New Testament ...............................................................54 Power: A Word With Meaning ..................................................................................62 Institutional vs. Theological Understandings of Power ..........................................68 Power Over .......................................................................................................68 Power Within .....................................................................................................70 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Power With .......................................................................................................72 The Power of the Last Place: Servanthood ...............................................................75 Love, The Greatest Power .......................................................................................... 82 4. PROCESS OF THE DISSERTATION ......................................................................... 86 Survey Instrument .......................................................................................................86 Sample Description .....................................................................................................88 Research Results .........................................................................................................88 Research Analysis .......................................................................................................90 The Hispanic Sam ple ...................................................................................................95 5. PRESENTATION OF SEMINARS ................................................................................97 “Power and the Christian” Sem inar ........................................................................... 98 “PastorPower” Seminar.............................................................................................. 99 Seminar Objectives ...................................................................................................100 6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.........................................................103 Power vs. A uthority................................................................................................... 103 Developing Power/Losing Power ..........................................................................107 Recommendations .....................................................................................................117 Appendix A. PASTORAL POWER INVENTORY ............................................................... 126 B. POWER CHARTS .............................................................................................130 C. SEMINAR LECTURES .................................................................................... 156 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................181 VITA .................................................................................................................................... 201 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Recognition and appreciation are to be given to the many who helped to bring this project into being. There are those professors along the way in my educational career who inspired me to study and pursue excellence, who didn’t even realize the effect their lives were having on me. Their lingering influence