Video
Twitter
RSS Feed
THE QUESTION
Hinckley, Christodoulous Deaths
Two world church leaders died this week -- President Gordon B. Hinckley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church. How important are religious leaders to members of the faith and to public perceptions of those faiths?"
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on January 30, 2008 4:11 AM
FROM THE PANEL
How to Bury a Prophet
Notwithstanding the numbers and titles of participants, Gordon Hinckley’s funeral was a family affair both in word and sacrament. It was an extraordinary display of what makes Mormonism tick.
Posted by David Waters, on February 3, 2008 1:04 PM
Introverts Need Not Apply
A leader who is an introvert will have a difficult time engaging with the challenges, conflicts, needs and demands of his or her constituencies. An extrovert can generate engagement and enthusiasm for a common goal or mission.
Posted by John Bryson Chane, on February 1, 2008 8:57 AM
Public Sees Leaders First
Both Pope John Paul and President Hinckley projected a positive image of their faiths even among those that would have problems with the conservative nature of their doctrinal or social beliefs and policies.
Posted by John Esposito, on February 1, 2008 6:45 AM
Religious Leaders Also Need Leaders
Often, religious leaders themselves do not realize how much influence they have- they need to use it responsibly, and to inspire their communities, not to be dogmatic with them.
Posted by Julia Neuberger, on February 1, 2008 3:50 AM
Looking for Authority and Respect
In this age of celebrity, even religious leaders who some of us might not be particularly enamored of nonetheless have authority and followings that are as much a sociological phenomenon as religious.
Posted by Charles "Chuck" Colson, on January 31, 2008 1:03 PM
Worthy Leaders' Two Humilities
Life would be easier—wouldn’t it?—if we didn’t need human leaders in either “state” or “church,” and didn’t need to suffer the successions from one leader to another. But we must somehow sail—in “church” and “state”—between lawless anarchy and freedomless tyranny,...
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on January 31, 2008 12:14 PM
Jesus Christ with an MBA
In a media-driven world, we are tempted to focus on the charismatic and popular, but in the long run the leader who empowers others may be the best. But ultimately Christians have to remember that we are saved by Jesus Christ not by any human leader.
Posted by Thomas J. Reese, S.J., on January 31, 2008 10:42 AM
The Face of Faith
The only face of faith that really matters is your own and whether you can finally face yourself before God.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on January 31, 2008 9:50 AM
A Kind, Sane Voice for Openness
Hinckley came across as the embodiment of grandfatherly wisdom and kindness while avoiding sanctimony and sentimentality. how can a religion whose beliefs seem so bizarre produce sane, gentle, strong people like him?
Posted by Richard Bushman, on January 30, 2008 8:51 AM
When Leaders Fail Us
A failure in Muslim leadership has resulted in horrific violence and atrocious living conditions for millions and millions of Muslims around the globe, and is also responsible for much of the rising tide of Islamophobia that plagues certain groups in the West.
Posted by Pamela K. Taylor, on January 30, 2008 7:58 AM
Leadership Matters!
Every segment of a religious organization is impacted directly by the styles, personalities, priorities, and beliefs of the organization’s leaders.
Posted by Welton Gaddy, on January 30, 2008 6:39 AM
Only One True Leader
We have too many "leaders" and not enough followers of the only Leader (Jesus of Nazareth) who knows where he is going.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on January 30, 2008 5:54 AM
FEATURED COMMENTS
Parker: Since my religious leader, Gordon B Hinckley, has been mentioned within the context of this question, I feel to respond though I know many w...
