The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus: Relational Smarts for Religious Leaders

The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus: Relational Smarts for Religious Leaders

Faith leaders are surrounded by people, constantly navigating mazes of different personalities, emotional levels, and individual characteristics. Working with committees, individuals, and other leaders is critical to successfully moving an organization forward and representing a congregation with credibility and effectiveness. Not every leader, however, is born with the inherent ability to effectively communicate and relate with others. That ability is called Emotional Intelligence―perceiving, controlling, and evaluating emotions. Emotional Intelligence is widely studied in the business world to help improve leader effectiveness. The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus introduces readers to the ways emotional intelligence can enhance their work in faith settings. Authors Roy M. Oswald and Arland Jacobson highlight the emotional intelligence of Jesus, illuminating the remarkable ways he related to a diverse array of people, then show how these lessons can enrich the ministry of faith leaders today. The book walks readers through five key principles of emotional intelligence―self-awareness, empathy, assertiveness, optimism, and stress management―illustrating these principles in the life of Jesus and offering practical applications for leaders today. The authors address emotional intelligence with both individuals and groups of all sizes. The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus is an essential resource for anyone looking to enhance their relationship and leadership effectiveness in a faith setting. “Building on research of brain scientists and psychologists, particularly Daniel Goleman, that suggests that 'feeling and thinking… are inseparable parts of our cognitive system,' Oswald and Jacobson examine Jesus, congregations, and church leaders through this lens, with the aim of enriching congregational life. They contend that Jesus, as portrayed in the synoptic gospels, exemplifies an emotionally intelligent person through such traits as his ability to elicit 'healing trust in ill persons,' 'abundance mentality,' self-awareness, empathy, optimism, and stress resilience. When used in congregational settings, these qualities help people thrive, equipping them to address toxic interchanges head-on, promote teamwork, and offer effective pastoral care. An emotionally intelligent pastor is one who develops trust, builds relationships, is honest about difficult truths, and embodies Christian grace. The authors offer guidance for developing emotional intelligence, advice for a variety of pastoral situations and ministry settings, and tools, such as the Clergy Life Changes Rating Scale. Compelling, insightful and practical, this book is a valuable resource for promoting healthy congregations.” ― Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “The many studies of Jesus range from the scholarly to the devotional, from the iconoclastic to the worshipful, and from the social to the psychological to the philosophical. Oswald and Jacobson move into interesting new territory by combining rigorous historical-critical scholarship with advances in scientific studies of the human brain and nervous system. Without committing themselves to the historicity of the sources for Jesus one way or the other and viewing him instead as a character in literary documents, the authors conclude that the main traits Jesus displayed in his words and actions were self-awareness, empathy, assertiveness, and optimism―that is, he presents as a resilient figure capable of loving enemies and dispensing forgiveness. Studies of emotional intelligence point to the significance and interconnections between mental/thinking and emotional/feeling factors in cognitive processes that enable people to think and act with awareness of their own and others’ emotions and thus to function healthily and constructively in relationships, organizations, and institutions. By combining inquiry into a historical figure with contemporary scientific investigations, Oswald and Jacobson present a Jesus who is as interesting as Aristotle’s ‘great-souled person’ (Socrates?). Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.” ― Choice Reviews “Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is critical for vital congregations and for effective ministry. This book provides a fascinating perspective for seeing Jesus as exemplar of EQ. It gives a foundation for understanding EQ and, I hope, will encourage pastors and other leaders to grow in their EQ. Thinking about Jesus from an EQ perspective will help preachers communicate more effectively. Growing in EQ will help a pastor avoid many pitfalls. I commend it to anyone who seeks to grow in faith and strengthen relationships.” ― The Presbyterian Outlook “Oswald and Jacobson provide a refreshing and positive approach that may be more accessible than say, a family systems approach, to arriving at a healthier minister and congregation; their approach is biblically-based and grounded in current brain science