The Irrational Jesus: Leading the Fully Human Church

Evers-Hood, Ken

ISBN 10: 1498220487 / ISBN 13: 9781498220484

Published by Cascade Books, 2016

Seller Inventory # ABLIING23Mar2716030229552

Synopsis:

Behavioral science books are popping up on bestseller lists: Predictably Irrational; Thinking, Fast and Slow; Nudge; Decisive. Even the White House launched a Behavioral Insights Team to match the British Ministry of Nudges. Conspicuously absent from this conversation is the church. The Irrational Jesus bridges this gap. Ken Evers-Hood looks at Jesus through the lens of cognitive heuristics (mental shortcuts) and biases (blind spots) and makes the case that a fully human Jesus is predictably irrational--just like all of us. Find out how the Apostle Paul's community building mirrors a prisoner's dilemma game and how this makes Paul an irrational leader, too. Discover how playing better games in church can foster hopeful, flourishing communities. Improve your decision-making; learn when to plan for irrationality and when to live into it. The Irrational Jesus addresses these issues and more. Integrating the insights of behavioral economists such as Dan Ariely, the gameful thinking of Jane McGonigal, and cutting-edge ideas from decision theory, Evers-Hood articulates a behavioral theology for fully human pastors of fully human congregations--a fresh perspective that will change how pastors and other church leaders see themselves, the institutions they serve, and the scriptural and theological tradition.

About the Authors: The Reverend Dr. Ken Evers-Hood graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Duke Divinity School. Ken pastors Tualatin Presbyterian Church, a creative, flourishing community near Portland, Oregon. When Ken isn't pastoring TPC, he can be found on a soccer field with his wife, Melissa, watching one of their three kids, or on a trail somewhere in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

L. Gregory Jones is Dean and Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. He is an ordained United Methodist pastor, author of Embodying Forgiveness, and coauthor of Everyday Matters: Intersections of Life and Faith. Jones also contributes regularly to The Christian Century magazine. He and his wife, the Reverend Susan Pendleton Jones, have three children.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Irrational Jesus: Leading the Fully ...
Publisher: Cascade Books
Publication Date: 2016
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: New