The Significance of Crucible Experiences in the Development of a Selection of Northern Irish and Other Evangelical Christian Leaders Item Type Thesis or dissertation Authors Wilson, John S. A. Citation Wilson, J. S. A. (2016). The Significance of Crucible Experiences in the Development of a Selection of Northern Irish and Other Evangelical Christian Leaders (Doctoral dissertation). University of Chester, United Kingdom. Publisher University of Chester Download date 28/09/2021 19:59:18 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10034/620752 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CRUCIBLE EXPERIENCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SELECTION OF NORTHERN IRISH AND OTHER EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN LEADERS Submitted in accordance with the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Ministry. By John Samuel Alan Wilson BA(Hons); PGCE; PGDip To the Faculty of Humanities Department of Theological and Religious Studies University of Chester October 2016 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ vii Declaration ...................................................................................................................... viii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 1.1 The shaping of leaders ................................................................................................... 1 1.2 ‘Crucibles’ ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Purpose of the study ..................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Research questions ....................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Nature of the study and methodological approach ...................................................... 4 1.6 Outline of the thesis ...................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2: THE MAKING OF A LEADER ................................................................ 6 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Interest in the study of leadership ................................................................................ 6 2.3 The complexity of leadership ....................................................................................... 7 2.4 Approaches to understanding leadership ..................................................................... 8 2.4.1 Christian leadership .......................................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Defining Leadership .................................................................................................... 10 2.5.1 Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 10 2.5.2 Definitions from a Christian perspective ........................................................................................... 11 2.6 Voices of caution ......................................................................................................... 12 2.6.1 Critique of the leadership industry ................................................................................................... 12 2.6.2 Christian voices ............................................................................................................................... 12 2.7 The making of a leader ................................................................................................ 13 2.7.1 Are leaders born or made? .............................................................................................................. 13 2.7.2 Learning from experience ................................................................................................................. 14 2.7.2.1 The crucible ........................................................................................................................ 16 2.7.2.2 Resilience ............................................................................................................................. 19 2.7.2.3 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 19 2.8 Christian leadership development ............................................................................... 19 2.8.1 Burnout and resilience ..................................................................................................................... 20 2.8.2 Leader development ......................................................................................................................... 22 2.9 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND METHOD ....................................................... 24 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 24 3.2 Research question ........................................................................................................ 24 3.3 Qualitative Methodology ............................................................................................. 24 3.3.1 Qualitative research ......................................................................................................................... 25 3.3.2 Hermeneutic phenomenology ............................................................................................................ 25 3.3.2.1 Phenomenology .................................................................................................................. 25 3.3.2.2 Hermeneutics ...................................................................................................................... 26 3.3.2.3 Ideography .......................................................................................................................... 27 3.3.3 Issues of validity .............................................................................................................................. 27 3.3.4 Qualitative interviewing ................................................................................................................... 29 3.4 Practical theology and theological reflection .............................................................. 30 3.4.1 The Bible and Practical Theology .................................................................................................... 31 3.4.2 Evangelicals and theological reflection .............................................................................................. 32 3.4.3 Using the Bible ............................................................................................................................... 33 3.5 Ethical issues ............................................................................................................... 33 3.5.1 Risk ............................................................................................................................................... 34 3.5.2 Benefit ............................................................................................................................................ 34 3.5.3 Relationship with the participants .................................................................................................... 35 3.5.4 Consent .......................................................................................................................................... 35 3.5.5 Confidentiality and anonymity ......................................................................................................... 36 3.6 Procedure ..................................................................................................................... 37 3.6.1 Sampling ........................................................................................................................................ 37 3.6.2 Interviewing and transcribing ........................................................................................................... 40 3.6.3 Coding and analysis ........................................................................................................................ 42 3.7 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER 4: THE PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................. 43 4.1 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 43 ii 4.2 Composition of the sample .......................................................................................... 43 4.2.1 The diversity of evangelicalism .......................................................................................................... 43 4.2.2 Evangelicalism and Northern