HENRI J.
M. NOUWEN,
1932 - 1996Links
Henri Nouwen Literary Centre
L'Arche International
The Henri
J.M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection
The Holy
Inefficiency of Henri Nouwen, by Philip Yancey |
Study Guide
Instructions: You are to carefully read Nouwen and thoughtfully
answer the following questions, demonstrating your understanding of the
concepts presented in his book, In the Name of Jesus. Most questions
have multiple parts. Five points each.
Prologue & Introduction
- What was Nouwen’s assignment and why was he so anxious about it? Who
is Bill and what is his role in Nouwen’s assignment?
- How was Nouwen’s soul in danger? Nouwen found himself in a "very dark
place" and prayed for God’s will -- What was God’s cure for Nouwen’s "deep
inner threat"?
Part I - From Relevance to Prayer
- Explain and then respond to Nouwen’s statement, "I am deeply convinced
that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely
irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her
own vulnerable self." (p. 29-30) What is risked by our desire to be
relevant, according to Nouwen?
- Nouwen calls the "wealth, success, popularity and power" of this world
a "facade"(p.34). If that’s so, what are they hiding? That is, what is
being masked by this facade? Do you agree with Nouwen?
- Nouwen spends some time in this unit criticizing those who seek power,
efficiency and control. The dangers of seeking power and control seem more
self-evident – after all, the desire for power seems to stand at odds with
the demands of love. However, the dangers of efficiency are less apparent.
And Nouwen is not the only critic of efficiency.
Jesus [during his temptations in the wilderness] is not so much
tempted to do evil as he is tempted to take the expedient course—to
take that route that would undermine his mission by affecting it
through means contrary to its character. In the end Jesus turns his
back on the audacious, attention-getting and crowd-pleasing strategy
that is offered him in order to carry out his mission in gentleness
and humility.
- Dr. Philip Kenneson, Life On The Vine, 217.
In business we are taught that to be efficient is to be good. What
are the dangers of efficiency?
- Define, compare and contrast God’s "first love" with the "second love"
of people. (p.38)
- What is a mystic? How does contemplative prayer achieve that goal? All
this talk about moving from ‘relevance to prayer’ and from "the moral to
the mystical" may make sense for ministers, but how could it be put into
practice by people in business?
Part II - From Popularity to Ministry
First, explain the statement on p.58, where Nouwen says, "Ministry is
not only a communal experience, it is also a mutual experience." Next,
discuss at least three other characteristics of ministry according to
Nouwen (Hint: he doesn’t list these in any one place, but ministry is
discussed throughout the book).
Nouwen, a Catholic priest, laments that the sacrament of confession is
seldom utilized and when it is utilized, it often becomes a matter of
routine. What is a "sacrament"? Why is confession a vital practice for
leaders, according to Nouwen? In what ways is the image of the wounded,
confessing leader contrary to our typical understanding of leadership?
Part III - From Leading to Being Led
How does true maturity differ from the world’s idea of maturity
according to Nouwen? (p.81) How truly mature are you?
In terms of being a Christian leader, what is the relationship of
power versus love?
Looking at the cross, we must conclude that Christian leadership looks
radically different from secular leadership. Nouwen says that the call of
Jesus is a call to downward mobility – a call to "radical" poverty,
powerlessness and humility. Why does Nouwen say that poverty is essential
and necessary for Christian leadership? If it’s true that "wealth and
riches prevent us from truly discerning the way of Jesus," should we
aspire to be poor?
Nouwen bemoans that priests and ministers have been thoroughly
educated in behavioral sciences but have not been prepared to think
theologically. (p.65) Those in management and marketing are also taught to
look at the world through the lens are psychology and sociology. Outline
the differences between theology and psychology. Why do we tend to place
more trust today in social scientists than ministers according to Nouwen?
Conclusion and Epilogue
The focus shifts back to Bill. Bill keeps saying, "We did it
together." Exactly what was Bill’s contribution to the gospel being
proclaimed in Washington, D.C.? In what ways does our consumeristic
society marginalize people like Bill, and why?
Midterm Assignment: (5-7 pages)
Based on your reading of Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus, thoroughly
compare and contrast Christian leadership from non-Christian leadership. You
are expected to integrate three specific examples from our readings this
semester and two quotations from scripture (beyond the two specific passages
Nouwen uses to organize his text). This report will be due on Monday,
February 28th. (10%)
Grading rubric:
Summary of Nouwen’s view of Christian leadership v. secular leadership
50%
Application/integration of class readings and scripture 30%
Miscellaneous (Thoughtfulness of opinion, organization, creativity,
references, length, spelling, grammar) 20%
|
Business Ethics Homepage