The just pastor: An ethical hermeneutic of biblical justice, positional power theory, and the theology and practice of pastoral leadership

A question exists regarding the theological solution to the ethical dilemma of pastoral positional power within congregationally governed church polity. The research thesis is that a holistic understanding of biblical justice, rooted in the image of God, mitigates positional power abuses while remaining theologically and practically relevant in pastoral leadership. Contemporary leadership literature suggests that varying forms of consequentialism offer appropriate methods in curbing abusive leadership expressions. Public experiential evidence, however, suggests that these methods are failing.;Chapter 1 (Introduction) presents the problem of adoption and assimilation of secular positional power taxonomies into pastoral praxis. The research shows how pastors of churches governed congregationally face the dilemma of subjective vocational definitions and lack authoritatively binding sources. Both problems lead to the application of leadership methodologies ill-suited in pastoral theology. Key terms, including pastor, minister, church governance, and congregational polity, are considered.;Chapter 2 (Pastoral Theology and Leadership) examines how the pastor's role stems from the nature, calling, and application of the pastoral function. A study of the etymological roots of biblical leadership reveals the assumptions and implications of pastoral praxis.;Chapter 3 (Leadership Theory and Pastoral Positional Power) reviews key characteristics of the leader-follower dyad and critiques the transactional, transformational, and servant leadership models. In light of positional power research, the chapter evaluates pastoral power assumptions.;Chapter 4 (Moral Philosophy and Pastoral Power Relationships) stresses the relevance of understanding the philosophical relationships between power, motivational interests, and applied ethical pastoral leadership. Biblical teachings on power provide hermeneutic insights in light of a hypothetical church scenario.;Chapter 5 (Biblical Justice and Pastoral Leadership) surveys various theories of justice and the concomitant perspectives by which scholars define and apply it to modern problems. In particular, the chapter highlights leading philosophical and theological views of justice in an effort to find a theologically grounded opportunity to mitigate pastoral abuse of positional power. The research concludes with a discussion of biblical justice and the potential to respect the dignity of the minority voice.