SOUL FOOD: NOURISHING ESSAYS ON CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING AND LEADERSHIP
Westina Matthews, Margaret Benefiel, and Jackson Droney, eds.
Order Online.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Shalem Institute, this collection of experiential and academic essays offers modern contemplative reflections from new and renowned voices in spiritual leadership.
Founded in 1973 by the Rev. Dr. Tilden H. Edwards, Jr., Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation offers retreats, workshops, and groups centered around contemplative spirituality. The culmination of half a century of charitable ministry, this commemorative anthology features essays written by Shalem graduates, as well as current and former board members and program directors. Its release will coincide with the Shalem Institute’s 50th anniversary.
Co-edited by Shalem graduate and board member Westina Matthews, Shalem’s Executive Director Margaret Benefiel, and Jackson Droney, Shalem’s Director of Operations and Online Learning, Soul Food takes an inclusive and contemporary approach to contemplative living and leadership. Designed in alignment with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, this vital book spotlights authors of different ethnicities, faith backgrounds, and gender identities, while consistently centering the development of day-to-day practices designed to deepen engagement with the divine.
With essays from notable contributors from Shalem's past and present, such as Tilden Edwards, the institute's founder and former director; Gay Byron, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Howard University; and Carl McColman, well-known Christian mystic and spiritual director, this collection looks to the future, set to serve as an invaluable resource in spiritual formation for the next 50 years, and beyond.
“Established by Tilden Edwards those many years ago, the Shalem Institute has continued to offer a safe space for diverse individuals to engage with the sacred and restore the divine image of an abundant, loving God. An illuminating addition to any spiritual library, Soul Food is a testament to the institute’s rich history and commitment to transformative spiritual growth.”
– Fr. Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upward and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation
"Soul Food is a courageous, liberatory anthology with essential reading for spiritual direction formation and training programs, and for the ongoing personal and professional growth of spiritual companions."
―Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction
“Exploring numerous rich perspectives on contemporary Christianity―from gender identity and theological languaging to issues of recovery, welcome and inclusion, decolonization, and social action, among others―the authors are unafraid to tackle new perspectives, all the while staying firmly rooted in the core of their faith. Anyone interested in immersing themselves in these topics will be well served here.”
–Rev. SeiFu Singh-Molares, Executive Director, Spiritual Directors International
"With this book, Shalem sets forth a radical agenda for the next fifty years where we must do all we can to bend the arc of the moral universe toward love, truth, and justice. If you have any affinity for the contemplative life, you'll find this book a compelling companion as we work and pray for the Beloved Community."
―Parker J. Palmer, author of Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, and On the Brink of Everything
"Soul Food is a community of contemplative authors also compassionately addressing the ailments of our society. Their work offers us new wineskins of openheartedness, which can help us create a larger table where everyone is invited to sit and have plenty. It invites all to savor Love, the '(Ancient) New,’ and it gives us contemplative ways to do that in a world of collective and personal trauma."
―Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher, poet and translator of Br. Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence and The Cloud of Unknowing
"Today, if there is one word that says what our human family most urgently needs to recover, awe is that word. Experiencing awe makes us one. Awe is the magic wand that can transform I-thinking into We-thinking and rescue us from self-destruction. That Soul Food devotes so much space to awe honors Shalem’s finest tradition and makes it a most timely book of hope for the world."
―Br. David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine monk, author, and co-founder of Grateful Living
"Soul Food is a worthy guide for those who seek to walk in the light and share that light with others. Thoughtful and engaging on many levels, it is indeed a nourishing book."
―Sophfronia Scott, author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton
"This celebratory volume for the Shalem Institute is less commemorative than exuberant. It marks a rich history of leadership in spiritual formation by offering challenging and visionary reflection on the future of contemplation. The feast offered is varied, rich, and engaging―some of it stimulating, some soothing, all providing much-needed nourishment that defies ready categorization, except for its quality. This is a further gift to all who have benefitted from the work of Shalem, and all who should."
―The Very Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan, Dean and President, Berkeley Divinity School, McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies, Yale Divinity School
"For an everyday, this-worldly perspective on contemplative life and leadership, read Soul Food. Any one of the essays will be worth the whole book."
―Keith Kristich, Meditation Teacher and Founder of the online, interspiritual community Closer Than Breath
"This book is a spiritual gamechanger. Soul Food demonstrates that the life of prayer and contemplation is never detached from the urgent issues of the day, reminding us that the foundation of the spiritual life is all about contemplation and leadership. These essays will make you pray, think, see, act, and live differently. Their voices are the tongues of fire calling us into a new experience of Pentecost and sacred living."
―The Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, Priest and Director of Spiritual Formation at Trinity Retreat Center and author of Absalom Jones and Face to the Rising Sun
Westina Matthews, Margaret Benefiel, and Jackson Droney, eds.
Order Online.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Shalem Institute, this collection of experiential and academic essays offers modern contemplative reflections from new and renowned voices in spiritual leadership.
Founded in 1973 by the Rev. Dr. Tilden H. Edwards, Jr., Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation offers retreats, workshops, and groups centered around contemplative spirituality. The culmination of half a century of charitable ministry, this commemorative anthology features essays written by Shalem graduates, as well as current and former board members and program directors. Its release will coincide with the Shalem Institute’s 50th anniversary.
Co-edited by Shalem graduate and board member Westina Matthews, Shalem’s Executive Director Margaret Benefiel, and Jackson Droney, Shalem’s Director of Operations and Online Learning, Soul Food takes an inclusive and contemporary approach to contemplative living and leadership. Designed in alignment with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, this vital book spotlights authors of different ethnicities, faith backgrounds, and gender identities, while consistently centering the development of day-to-day practices designed to deepen engagement with the divine.
With essays from notable contributors from Shalem's past and present, such as Tilden Edwards, the institute's founder and former director; Gay Byron, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Howard University; and Carl McColman, well-known Christian mystic and spiritual director, this collection looks to the future, set to serve as an invaluable resource in spiritual formation for the next 50 years, and beyond.
“Established by Tilden Edwards those many years ago, the Shalem Institute has continued to offer a safe space for diverse individuals to engage with the sacred and restore the divine image of an abundant, loving God. An illuminating addition to any spiritual library, Soul Food is a testament to the institute’s rich history and commitment to transformative spiritual growth.”
– Fr. Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upward and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation
"Soul Food is a courageous, liberatory anthology with essential reading for spiritual direction formation and training programs, and for the ongoing personal and professional growth of spiritual companions."
―Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction
“Exploring numerous rich perspectives on contemporary Christianity―from gender identity and theological languaging to issues of recovery, welcome and inclusion, decolonization, and social action, among others―the authors are unafraid to tackle new perspectives, all the while staying firmly rooted in the core of their faith. Anyone interested in immersing themselves in these topics will be well served here.”
–Rev. SeiFu Singh-Molares, Executive Director, Spiritual Directors International
"With this book, Shalem sets forth a radical agenda for the next fifty years where we must do all we can to bend the arc of the moral universe toward love, truth, and justice. If you have any affinity for the contemplative life, you'll find this book a compelling companion as we work and pray for the Beloved Community."
―Parker J. Palmer, author of Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, and On the Brink of Everything
"Soul Food is a community of contemplative authors also compassionately addressing the ailments of our society. Their work offers us new wineskins of openheartedness, which can help us create a larger table where everyone is invited to sit and have plenty. It invites all to savor Love, the '(Ancient) New,’ and it gives us contemplative ways to do that in a world of collective and personal trauma."
―Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher, poet and translator of Br. Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence and The Cloud of Unknowing
"Today, if there is one word that says what our human family most urgently needs to recover, awe is that word. Experiencing awe makes us one. Awe is the magic wand that can transform I-thinking into We-thinking and rescue us from self-destruction. That Soul Food devotes so much space to awe honors Shalem’s finest tradition and makes it a most timely book of hope for the world."
―Br. David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine monk, author, and co-founder of Grateful Living
"Soul Food is a worthy guide for those who seek to walk in the light and share that light with others. Thoughtful and engaging on many levels, it is indeed a nourishing book."
―Sophfronia Scott, author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton
"This celebratory volume for the Shalem Institute is less commemorative than exuberant. It marks a rich history of leadership in spiritual formation by offering challenging and visionary reflection on the future of contemplation. The feast offered is varied, rich, and engaging―some of it stimulating, some soothing, all providing much-needed nourishment that defies ready categorization, except for its quality. This is a further gift to all who have benefitted from the work of Shalem, and all who should."
―The Very Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan, Dean and President, Berkeley Divinity School, McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies, Yale Divinity School
"For an everyday, this-worldly perspective on contemplative life and leadership, read Soul Food. Any one of the essays will be worth the whole book."
―Keith Kristich, Meditation Teacher and Founder of the online, interspiritual community Closer Than Breath
"This book is a spiritual gamechanger. Soul Food demonstrates that the life of prayer and contemplation is never detached from the urgent issues of the day, reminding us that the foundation of the spiritual life is all about contemplation and leadership. These essays will make you pray, think, see, act, and live differently. Their voices are the tongues of fire calling us into a new experience of Pentecost and sacred living."
―The Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, Priest and Director of Spiritual Formation at Trinity Retreat Center and author of Absalom Jones and Face to the Rising Sun
CRISIS LEADERSHIP (LITTLE BOOKS OF LEADERSHIP)
Margaret Benefiel
Order Online.
Recent crises have revealed the desperate need for wise, grounded leadership.
Too often, leaders have little experience and even less training in how to address crises in a way that strengthens their communities and guides them into the future. Drawing on examples from government, business, health care, non-profits, and the church, this book helps leaders in those sectors in the present crises and beyond. When a pandemic closes down churches, schools, and offices; when protests rage over racist police brutality; when everything you’ve always done as a leader becomes irrelevant, where can you turn? This book examines leaders who creatively navigated crises, drawing out principles of crisis leadership from them.
“In a world of so many crises, this little book is essential for leaders who want to be effective.”
—Tim Kaine, US senator, Virginia
“An insightful and practical series of steps are offered for leaders in religious and nonreligious organizations to respond to their situations… reinforced by Margaret’s own story as a leader of the Shalem Institute.”
—The Rev. Tilden Edwards, PhD, Founder and Senior Fellow, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
“We are desperately in need of spiritual guides who can stand with us in our disorientation; mentors who will show us how to embrace our own unraveling and how to discover what lies on the other side of letting go. Margaret Benefiel, the Executive Director of the Shalem Institute, is one of our proven guides.”
—From the preface by Susan Beaumont, author, coach, consultant, and spiritual director
"Written during a crisis of global magnitude, Margaret encourages us to place our trust in God and keep our wits about us. We can--and will-- emerge from the pandemic stronger in faith and ministry."
—The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
"Converging in one year, three national crises served as an invitation to soul work for some courageous leaders. As she has done so well in her prior books, Margaret Benefiel again gifts us with the stories and learnings from leaders who welcomed this deep work through to evolutionary change for themselves and their organizations. In this powerful little book, Margaret reveals the opportunities crises offer and the potential hope which is inherent therein for all leaders."
—Mary J. Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
"In the crises of today's world, this is a must-read for leaders who want to stay deeply grounded, reflective, and effective."
—Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary (executive head), American Friends Service Committee
Margaret Benefiel
Order Online.
Recent crises have revealed the desperate need for wise, grounded leadership.
Too often, leaders have little experience and even less training in how to address crises in a way that strengthens their communities and guides them into the future. Drawing on examples from government, business, health care, non-profits, and the church, this book helps leaders in those sectors in the present crises and beyond. When a pandemic closes down churches, schools, and offices; when protests rage over racist police brutality; when everything you’ve always done as a leader becomes irrelevant, where can you turn? This book examines leaders who creatively navigated crises, drawing out principles of crisis leadership from them.
“In a world of so many crises, this little book is essential for leaders who want to be effective.”
—Tim Kaine, US senator, Virginia
“An insightful and practical series of steps are offered for leaders in religious and nonreligious organizations to respond to their situations… reinforced by Margaret’s own story as a leader of the Shalem Institute.”
—The Rev. Tilden Edwards, PhD, Founder and Senior Fellow, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
“We are desperately in need of spiritual guides who can stand with us in our disorientation; mentors who will show us how to embrace our own unraveling and how to discover what lies on the other side of letting go. Margaret Benefiel, the Executive Director of the Shalem Institute, is one of our proven guides.”
—From the preface by Susan Beaumont, author, coach, consultant, and spiritual director
"Written during a crisis of global magnitude, Margaret encourages us to place our trust in God and keep our wits about us. We can--and will-- emerge from the pandemic stronger in faith and ministry."
—The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
"Converging in one year, three national crises served as an invitation to soul work for some courageous leaders. As she has done so well in her prior books, Margaret Benefiel again gifts us with the stories and learnings from leaders who welcomed this deep work through to evolutionary change for themselves and their organizations. In this powerful little book, Margaret reveals the opportunities crises offer and the potential hope which is inherent therein for all leaders."
—Mary J. Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
"In the crises of today's world, this is a must-read for leaders who want to stay deeply grounded, reflective, and effective."
—Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary (executive head), American Friends Service Committee
THE SOUL OF HIGHER EDUCATION: CONTEMPLATIVE PEDAGOGY, RESEARCH, AND INSTITUTIONAL LIFE FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Margaret Benefiel and Bo Karen Lee, eds.
Order Online.
The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research and Institutional Life for the Twenty-first Century contributes to an understanding of the importance and implications of a contemplative grounding for higher education. It is the sixth in a series entitled Advances in Workplace Spirituality: Theory, Research and Application, which is intended to be an authoritative and comprehensive series in the field. This volume consists of chapters written by noted scholars from both Eastern and Western traditions that shed light on the following questions: • What is an appropriate epistemological grounding for contemplative higher education? How does the current dominant epistemology in higher education mitigate against contemplative teaching, learning, and research? What alternatives can be offered? • How can a contemplative culture be nurtured in the classroom? What difference does that culture make in teaching and learning? What is the role of individual and institutional leadership in creating and sustaining this culture? • What is contemplative research? How can the emerging field of contemplative studies fit into the twenty-first-century university? • What can faculty and students learn from contemplative practices about how to find peace of mind in a world of higher education characterized by increasing complexity, financial pressures, and conflicts? • What does a contemplative organizational structure look like in higher education? How can committees, faculty meetings, and administrative teams use contemplative practices to work more effectively together? • How can contemplative decision-making processes be used in higher education? Given hierarchies, turf wars, and academics’ propensity for using argument as a weapon, is it possible to introduce contemplative practices into decision-making situations in appropriate ways?
"Margaret Benefiel’s and Bo Karen Lee’s new edited volume, The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research and Institutional Life for the Twenty-First Century, brings together their own and others’ views of a radically different way of approaching how we teach, learn and 'know' reality in higher education. Indeed, I believe it can be applied to all education. It offers a way of learning that includes all the ways a person 'knows' reality through their own experience, not just through objective mind-knowledge, the way of scientific materialism, that has come to dominate higher education. In effect, it is a support of the inclusive way of knowing reality that is seen in all deep contemplative traditions....This book is a significant contribution to the new field of contemplative studies in higher education, including its crucial affirmation and clarification of the importance of taking seriously the whole of personal and inter-personal human experience in our ways of understanding reality.... It has revolutionary implications for the human quest to know reality, one that involves a marriage of so-called ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ ways of knowing. I highly recommend it.”
-- Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, author, Embracing the Call to Spiritual Depth: Gifts for Contemplative Living and Sabbath Time: Understanding and Practice for Contemporary Christians
"This book is a testimony of the work being done in this arena to open the 'scientific materialism' box of academia to the fuller way of knowing the whole person that contemplative presence brings to formation process. Higher education is not just about the mind, but about the whole person. Higher education is not just about getting credentials for professional advancement, but also about engaging others, the world, the cosmos with the compassion and courage of a whole heart – and the Spirit of the Holy One breathes through all of this.... Margaret and Bo Karen, along with the other contributors to this anthology of contemplative practices, have chosen the path of contemplation, compassion, and courage and felt the call to do their part in bringing this contemplative movement into the academic arena where so many young minds and hearts are informed and formed, shaping the future of their lives and vocations. This is such important work."
—Rev. Dr. Winston Charles, Director, Shalem Institute Clergy Program
"In many ways, The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research, and Institutional Life for the Twenty-First Century is most remarkable for the scale of its aspirations. As the subtitle and series title suggest, the collection explores contemplative approaches not just to teaching, but to research and workplace structures as well. Further, the book aims not just to study higher education, but to help change it—as co-editor Bo Karen Lee writes, to 'increase compassion and kindness in our institutions, and to promote healing in the academy and beyond....' It makes a sound contribution to the growing literature on contemplative pedagogy. It’s also no small achievement that each essay is well written: clear, engaging, and—not least importantly—earnest, with a refreshing lack of academic snark. In the end, then, the collection goes far toward meeting the admirable goal of creating a compassionate space, a space that can serve as a model for future conversations about higher education."
—Dr. Anita Houck, Chair and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Saint Mary's College
"The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research, and Institutional Life in the Twenty-first Century provides ten pithy and practical essays on spirituality's place at colleges and universities. As part of a courageous series titled Advances in Workplace Spirituality: Theory, Research, and Application, the collection does exactly what its title promises and does so excellently. Editors Margaret Benefiel and Bo Karen Lee have curated a thoughtful balance of essays by scholar practitioners and organizational leaders who connect theory and practice through accessible examples from their own work. Readers can select particular articles to help jumpstart initiatives aimed at deepening reflective dimensions of university life. Alternatively, a studious read from cover to cover will provide a foundational orientation on how spirituality and contemplative studies will foster institutions' commitment to form people of conscience and compassion. Either way, the essays will plant seeds of hope that colleges and universities need not abandon the search for deep wisdom even as we prepare students for a future where breathtaking change will be their daily bread."
—Alison M. Benders, Ph.D., Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Santa Clara University
Margaret Benefiel and Bo Karen Lee, eds.
Order Online.
The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research and Institutional Life for the Twenty-first Century contributes to an understanding of the importance and implications of a contemplative grounding for higher education. It is the sixth in a series entitled Advances in Workplace Spirituality: Theory, Research and Application, which is intended to be an authoritative and comprehensive series in the field. This volume consists of chapters written by noted scholars from both Eastern and Western traditions that shed light on the following questions: • What is an appropriate epistemological grounding for contemplative higher education? How does the current dominant epistemology in higher education mitigate against contemplative teaching, learning, and research? What alternatives can be offered? • How can a contemplative culture be nurtured in the classroom? What difference does that culture make in teaching and learning? What is the role of individual and institutional leadership in creating and sustaining this culture? • What is contemplative research? How can the emerging field of contemplative studies fit into the twenty-first-century university? • What can faculty and students learn from contemplative practices about how to find peace of mind in a world of higher education characterized by increasing complexity, financial pressures, and conflicts? • What does a contemplative organizational structure look like in higher education? How can committees, faculty meetings, and administrative teams use contemplative practices to work more effectively together? • How can contemplative decision-making processes be used in higher education? Given hierarchies, turf wars, and academics’ propensity for using argument as a weapon, is it possible to introduce contemplative practices into decision-making situations in appropriate ways?
"Margaret Benefiel’s and Bo Karen Lee’s new edited volume, The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research and Institutional Life for the Twenty-First Century, brings together their own and others’ views of a radically different way of approaching how we teach, learn and 'know' reality in higher education. Indeed, I believe it can be applied to all education. It offers a way of learning that includes all the ways a person 'knows' reality through their own experience, not just through objective mind-knowledge, the way of scientific materialism, that has come to dominate higher education. In effect, it is a support of the inclusive way of knowing reality that is seen in all deep contemplative traditions....This book is a significant contribution to the new field of contemplative studies in higher education, including its crucial affirmation and clarification of the importance of taking seriously the whole of personal and inter-personal human experience in our ways of understanding reality.... It has revolutionary implications for the human quest to know reality, one that involves a marriage of so-called ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ ways of knowing. I highly recommend it.”
-- Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, author, Embracing the Call to Spiritual Depth: Gifts for Contemplative Living and Sabbath Time: Understanding and Practice for Contemporary Christians
"This book is a testimony of the work being done in this arena to open the 'scientific materialism' box of academia to the fuller way of knowing the whole person that contemplative presence brings to formation process. Higher education is not just about the mind, but about the whole person. Higher education is not just about getting credentials for professional advancement, but also about engaging others, the world, the cosmos with the compassion and courage of a whole heart – and the Spirit of the Holy One breathes through all of this.... Margaret and Bo Karen, along with the other contributors to this anthology of contemplative practices, have chosen the path of contemplation, compassion, and courage and felt the call to do their part in bringing this contemplative movement into the academic arena where so many young minds and hearts are informed and formed, shaping the future of their lives and vocations. This is such important work."
—Rev. Dr. Winston Charles, Director, Shalem Institute Clergy Program
"In many ways, The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research, and Institutional Life for the Twenty-First Century is most remarkable for the scale of its aspirations. As the subtitle and series title suggest, the collection explores contemplative approaches not just to teaching, but to research and workplace structures as well. Further, the book aims not just to study higher education, but to help change it—as co-editor Bo Karen Lee writes, to 'increase compassion and kindness in our institutions, and to promote healing in the academy and beyond....' It makes a sound contribution to the growing literature on contemplative pedagogy. It’s also no small achievement that each essay is well written: clear, engaging, and—not least importantly—earnest, with a refreshing lack of academic snark. In the end, then, the collection goes far toward meeting the admirable goal of creating a compassionate space, a space that can serve as a model for future conversations about higher education."
—Dr. Anita Houck, Chair and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Saint Mary's College
"The Soul of Higher Education: Contemplative Pedagogy, Research, and Institutional Life in the Twenty-first Century provides ten pithy and practical essays on spirituality's place at colleges and universities. As part of a courageous series titled Advances in Workplace Spirituality: Theory, Research, and Application, the collection does exactly what its title promises and does so excellently. Editors Margaret Benefiel and Bo Karen Lee have curated a thoughtful balance of essays by scholar practitioners and organizational leaders who connect theory and practice through accessible examples from their own work. Readers can select particular articles to help jumpstart initiatives aimed at deepening reflective dimensions of university life. Alternatively, a studious read from cover to cover will provide a foundational orientation on how spirituality and contemplative studies will foster institutions' commitment to form people of conscience and compassion. Either way, the essays will plant seeds of hope that colleges and universities need not abandon the search for deep wisdom even as we prepare students for a future where breathtaking change will be their daily bread."
—Alison M. Benders, Ph.D., Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Santa Clara University
THE SOUL OF A LEADER: FINDING YOUR PATH
TO FULFILLMENT AND SUCCESS
by Margaret Benefiel
Purchase from your local independent bookstore. Or Order Online.
Demonstrating the principle that soulfulness at work is a way of being and doing, this guide provides new perspectives on the qualities of leadership. Three main sections elaborate on the themes of choosing the path, staying on track, and persevering to the end. Drawing from interviews with outstanding leaders, including Tom and Kate Chappell, the founders of Tom's of Maine; Bob Glassman, co-chairman of Wainwright Bank & Trust; Desmond Tutu; and The Edge of rock band U2, and supported with guided questions in each section, this book is an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone who wants to lead with soul.
In an environment where leaders are rewarded for their drive, decisiveness, productivity, and long work hours, the spiritual well-being of a leader may get short shrift, and harm can come to both the leader and the organization this individual serves. Challenging the assumptions that effective leaders must sell their souls, cut corners, cook the books, and let go of their vision, a new model of spiritual leadership is offered. Teachers, parents, committee chair leaders, and other individuals in organizations of any size are exhorted to aim higher and lead with soul in any sphere, large or small.
"Today's global community desperately needs leaders with soul. Margaret Benefiel's groundbreaking book meets that need beautifully, by teaching principles of soulful leadership, illustrated with stories of real leaders who practice them. Required reading."
—Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Recipient and Human Rights Advocate
"The Soul of a Leader breaks the mould of leadership books. Both practical and inspiring, Margaret Benefiel's book lays out a path we can follow to make a real difference in whatever world we land. Benefiel helps me to dare to dream, battle for my soul, and break through the barriers that keep me from succeeding."
— David Batstone, Professor and Author, Saving the Corporate Soul, and Not for Sale
"Margaret Benefiel has gone right to the source – leaders who have chosen a deeper, more soulful path to building better organizations and a better society. Their stories are woven together to provide inspiring lessons for all of us who seek to build depth and spirit at work."
—Lee Bolman, Professor and Co–Author, Leading With Soul
"The Soul of a Leader touched the soul of this reader. With her stories of real people struggling to lead with soul in a variety of workplaces, Margaret Benefiel guides others through the important steps of becoming a soulful leader. She does not minimize the difficulties, but makes the journey possible for all committed to this path."
—Rev. Jane E. Vennard, Author, A Praying Congregation: The Art of Teaching Spiritual Practice
"No organizational leader reading this book can help but find both inspiration and practical, concrete help for nurturing their own souls and the soul of their organization. The author's deep organizational and spiritual background provides a realistic yet visionary ground for attending the inner life of leaders and the workers of their organizations, in close relation to the practical outer needs of organizational life. The book paves the way for soul-full personal and organizational life that brings the fruits of integrity, shared values, mutual respect, and success, illustrated through many inspiring stories of leaders and the transformation of their organizations."
—The Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, Founder and Senior Fellow, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
"This book is a must read for anyone who ever considered grounding their lives and work in love and service to pursue a higher calling that just might change the world. Margaret Benefiel is one of the most creative thinkers on spiritual leadership alive today and The Soul of a Leader is an accessible taste of her brilliance. Like a masterful conductor, she combines theology with science and presents a practical guide filled with case studies and everyday examples that we can all follow in our own spiritual journey."
—Louis W. (Jody) Fry, Professor of Management
"For the new generation of leaders who are replacing the Baby Boomers, please read this engaging book so you can take over leadership with soul and spirit and heart! Margaret gives you real-life examples and practical steps to take in your own setting and create the kind of organization you envision!"
—Charlotte Roberts, Co-Author, the million–selling The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
"Margaret Benefiel has written a book that is powerfully inspirational and eminently practical. Through the use of stories culled from interviews with leaders with soul, she provides excellent guidance as to how to lead with soul."
—Jerry Biberman, Professor of Management and Author, Work and Spirit: A Reader of New Spiritual Paradigms for Organizations
"Benefiel's gentle yet incisive insights remind us all that leadership at its core is grounded in the soul. Her collection of human stories illustrate various themes that will help leaders nourish their soul and strengthen their leadership."
—David W. Miller, Ph.D., President, The Avodah Institute
"Something is changing dramatically in the world of organizational leadership. No longer is it just enough to meet quarterly expectations and grow the bottom line. Leaders themselves are finding their soul and wanting to grow spiritually in a way that is integrated with their work and family life. And as they grow personally, they begin to feel called to nurture the soul formation of those who work with them in the organizations they lead. Margaret Benefiel's brilliant book, The Soul of a Leader, provides an inspirational and practical guide to leading with soul. This will become an important reference book for those pioneers who are leading from the deepest core of who they are, and who are committed to making a positive difference in the world."
—Judi Neal, Ph.D., President & CEO, International Center for Spirit at Work, Professor Emeritus, University of New Haven, International Center for Spirit at Work, Author of Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground
TO FULFILLMENT AND SUCCESS
by Margaret Benefiel
Purchase from your local independent bookstore. Or Order Online.
Demonstrating the principle that soulfulness at work is a way of being and doing, this guide provides new perspectives on the qualities of leadership. Three main sections elaborate on the themes of choosing the path, staying on track, and persevering to the end. Drawing from interviews with outstanding leaders, including Tom and Kate Chappell, the founders of Tom's of Maine; Bob Glassman, co-chairman of Wainwright Bank & Trust; Desmond Tutu; and The Edge of rock band U2, and supported with guided questions in each section, this book is an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone who wants to lead with soul.
In an environment where leaders are rewarded for their drive, decisiveness, productivity, and long work hours, the spiritual well-being of a leader may get short shrift, and harm can come to both the leader and the organization this individual serves. Challenging the assumptions that effective leaders must sell their souls, cut corners, cook the books, and let go of their vision, a new model of spiritual leadership is offered. Teachers, parents, committee chair leaders, and other individuals in organizations of any size are exhorted to aim higher and lead with soul in any sphere, large or small.
"Today's global community desperately needs leaders with soul. Margaret Benefiel's groundbreaking book meets that need beautifully, by teaching principles of soulful leadership, illustrated with stories of real leaders who practice them. Required reading."
—Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Recipient and Human Rights Advocate
"The Soul of a Leader breaks the mould of leadership books. Both practical and inspiring, Margaret Benefiel's book lays out a path we can follow to make a real difference in whatever world we land. Benefiel helps me to dare to dream, battle for my soul, and break through the barriers that keep me from succeeding."
— David Batstone, Professor and Author, Saving the Corporate Soul, and Not for Sale
"Margaret Benefiel has gone right to the source – leaders who have chosen a deeper, more soulful path to building better organizations and a better society. Their stories are woven together to provide inspiring lessons for all of us who seek to build depth and spirit at work."
—Lee Bolman, Professor and Co–Author, Leading With Soul
"The Soul of a Leader touched the soul of this reader. With her stories of real people struggling to lead with soul in a variety of workplaces, Margaret Benefiel guides others through the important steps of becoming a soulful leader. She does not minimize the difficulties, but makes the journey possible for all committed to this path."
—Rev. Jane E. Vennard, Author, A Praying Congregation: The Art of Teaching Spiritual Practice
"No organizational leader reading this book can help but find both inspiration and practical, concrete help for nurturing their own souls and the soul of their organization. The author's deep organizational and spiritual background provides a realistic yet visionary ground for attending the inner life of leaders and the workers of their organizations, in close relation to the practical outer needs of organizational life. The book paves the way for soul-full personal and organizational life that brings the fruits of integrity, shared values, mutual respect, and success, illustrated through many inspiring stories of leaders and the transformation of their organizations."
—The Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, Founder and Senior Fellow, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
"This book is a must read for anyone who ever considered grounding their lives and work in love and service to pursue a higher calling that just might change the world. Margaret Benefiel is one of the most creative thinkers on spiritual leadership alive today and The Soul of a Leader is an accessible taste of her brilliance. Like a masterful conductor, she combines theology with science and presents a practical guide filled with case studies and everyday examples that we can all follow in our own spiritual journey."
—Louis W. (Jody) Fry, Professor of Management
"For the new generation of leaders who are replacing the Baby Boomers, please read this engaging book so you can take over leadership with soul and spirit and heart! Margaret gives you real-life examples and practical steps to take in your own setting and create the kind of organization you envision!"
—Charlotte Roberts, Co-Author, the million–selling The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
"Margaret Benefiel has written a book that is powerfully inspirational and eminently practical. Through the use of stories culled from interviews with leaders with soul, she provides excellent guidance as to how to lead with soul."
—Jerry Biberman, Professor of Management and Author, Work and Spirit: A Reader of New Spiritual Paradigms for Organizations
"Benefiel's gentle yet incisive insights remind us all that leadership at its core is grounded in the soul. Her collection of human stories illustrate various themes that will help leaders nourish their soul and strengthen their leadership."
—David W. Miller, Ph.D., President, The Avodah Institute
"Something is changing dramatically in the world of organizational leadership. No longer is it just enough to meet quarterly expectations and grow the bottom line. Leaders themselves are finding their soul and wanting to grow spiritually in a way that is integrated with their work and family life. And as they grow personally, they begin to feel called to nurture the soul formation of those who work with them in the organizations they lead. Margaret Benefiel's brilliant book, The Soul of a Leader, provides an inspirational and practical guide to leading with soul. This will become an important reference book for those pioneers who are leading from the deepest core of who they are, and who are committed to making a positive difference in the world."
—Judi Neal, Ph.D., President & CEO, International Center for Spirit at Work, Professor Emeritus, University of New Haven, International Center for Spirit at Work, Author of Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground
SOUL AT WORK: SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS
by Margaret Benefiel
Purchase from your local independent bookstore. Or Order Online.
Soul at Work describes the way organizations do business. Soul in the workplace is not a theological abstraction, but a way of being and doing. Each of the organizations that Benefiel profiles in this lively and informative book describes the profound role that awareness of soul, or spirituality, can play in leadership and organizational life.
Divided into three parts, the book looks at the role of individuals in nurturing soul, the organizational reality by which soul is manifest, and the process by which the tension between individual and organization is managed. It is for managers, workers, organization specialists, church groups and anyone involved in the transformation of organizational life. It is for everyone who suspects that there is more to business than the bottom line.
"This book is a must-read for anyone who wants the workplace to become more life-giving for all concerned."
— Parker J. Palmer, Author of A Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, and The Courage to Teach
"This book advances the 'spirituality and work' movement to a next level of practicality and social value. It's a joy to read and a source of inspiration for all those looking to glimpse into a life affirming future."
— Alan Briskin, Author, The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace
"Evocative, challenging, and compelling. This book is a gift to the imagination of organizations and those who work in them."
— Sharon Daloz Parks, Co-Author, Common Fire: Leading Lives
"This wise little book invites the reader into a user friendly conversation that contains memorable, grounded illustrations drawn from contemporary organizational life, focuses the reader on spiritual essentials, and allows the reader (or teacher) to probe at any depth that might be desired."
— André L. Delbecq, Thomas J. and Kathleen L. McCarthy University Professor, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
"Both students and managers will find this book practical, understandable, and inspirational."
— Jerry Biberman, Professor of Management, University of Scranton Editor, Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion
"What is exceptional about this book is Margaret Benefiel’s ability to wed the pragmatic, realistic, and often challenging aspects of creating spirituality in the workplace with the deep wisdom of spiritual traditions passed on for generations. Soul at Work is a creative and most welcome synthesis."
— Elizabeth Dreyer, Professor of Spirituality, Fairfield University
"I couldn't put this book down till I had read it all the way through. I found practical tools and techniques and real-life stories to show me the way to incorporate my spirit in my work every day. Your copy will definitely be dog-eared at the best practices and tools."
— Charlotte Roberts, Co-Author, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
"This book is a gift to any organizational leaders who care about their own souls and the souls of the organizations they lead."
— The Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, Founder and Senior Fellow, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
"Soul at Work is destined to take its place in the business, ethics, and values literature right next to the long-time bestseller by Bolman and Deal, Leading With Soul. Both wise and clear, the book includes examples from health care and the non-profit sector as well as a giant corporation which has quickly become its industry leader."
— Lee Robbins, Ph.D., Professor of Management, Golden Gate University, San Francisco
"Filled with practical, workable suggestions, Soul at Work provides a window into the lives and organizations of people who have found many practical benefits in developing the spiritual core of both themselves and their workplace."
— Catherine McGeachy, Vision Consultants Ltd, Limerick, Ireland
"In Soul at Work, Margaret Benefiel has captured a diverse set of real world examples of the challenges that today's leadership faces, and how to deal with them on both an organizational and personal level. I know that her writing will be helpful to many as it has been for me, to provide a calibration of my own personal spiritual leadership."
— Ed Mosel, Chief Operating Officer, Stoneridge
"Soul at Work avoids the ditch on either side of the road traveled by those who write about spirituality and organizational life. It neither casually affirms leaders who have co-opted religious language while continuing business-as-usual in every other regard, nor does it figuratively shake its finger at leaders in the inevitably imperfect world of organizational life. We are invited to travel into the very center of our lives at work, and to risk venturing the journey as whole persons, accompanied by a trustworthy guide who knows the way."
— David Specht, Program Director, Seeing Things Whole
by Margaret Benefiel
Purchase from your local independent bookstore. Or Order Online.
Soul at Work describes the way organizations do business. Soul in the workplace is not a theological abstraction, but a way of being and doing. Each of the organizations that Benefiel profiles in this lively and informative book describes the profound role that awareness of soul, or spirituality, can play in leadership and organizational life.
Divided into three parts, the book looks at the role of individuals in nurturing soul, the organizational reality by which soul is manifest, and the process by which the tension between individual and organization is managed. It is for managers, workers, organization specialists, church groups and anyone involved in the transformation of organizational life. It is for everyone who suspects that there is more to business than the bottom line.
"This book is a must-read for anyone who wants the workplace to become more life-giving for all concerned."
— Parker J. Palmer, Author of A Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, and The Courage to Teach
"This book advances the 'spirituality and work' movement to a next level of practicality and social value. It's a joy to read and a source of inspiration for all those looking to glimpse into a life affirming future."
— Alan Briskin, Author, The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace
"Evocative, challenging, and compelling. This book is a gift to the imagination of organizations and those who work in them."
— Sharon Daloz Parks, Co-Author, Common Fire: Leading Lives
"This wise little book invites the reader into a user friendly conversation that contains memorable, grounded illustrations drawn from contemporary organizational life, focuses the reader on spiritual essentials, and allows the reader (or teacher) to probe at any depth that might be desired."
— André L. Delbecq, Thomas J. and Kathleen L. McCarthy University Professor, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
"Both students and managers will find this book practical, understandable, and inspirational."
— Jerry Biberman, Professor of Management, University of Scranton Editor, Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion
"What is exceptional about this book is Margaret Benefiel’s ability to wed the pragmatic, realistic, and often challenging aspects of creating spirituality in the workplace with the deep wisdom of spiritual traditions passed on for generations. Soul at Work is a creative and most welcome synthesis."
— Elizabeth Dreyer, Professor of Spirituality, Fairfield University
"I couldn't put this book down till I had read it all the way through. I found practical tools and techniques and real-life stories to show me the way to incorporate my spirit in my work every day. Your copy will definitely be dog-eared at the best practices and tools."
— Charlotte Roberts, Co-Author, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
"This book is a gift to any organizational leaders who care about their own souls and the souls of the organizations they lead."
— The Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, Founder and Senior Fellow, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
"Soul at Work is destined to take its place in the business, ethics, and values literature right next to the long-time bestseller by Bolman and Deal, Leading With Soul. Both wise and clear, the book includes examples from health care and the non-profit sector as well as a giant corporation which has quickly become its industry leader."
— Lee Robbins, Ph.D., Professor of Management, Golden Gate University, San Francisco
"Filled with practical, workable suggestions, Soul at Work provides a window into the lives and organizations of people who have found many practical benefits in developing the spiritual core of both themselves and their workplace."
— Catherine McGeachy, Vision Consultants Ltd, Limerick, Ireland
"In Soul at Work, Margaret Benefiel has captured a diverse set of real world examples of the challenges that today's leadership faces, and how to deal with them on both an organizational and personal level. I know that her writing will be helpful to many as it has been for me, to provide a calibration of my own personal spiritual leadership."
— Ed Mosel, Chief Operating Officer, Stoneridge
"Soul at Work avoids the ditch on either side of the road traveled by those who write about spirituality and organizational life. It neither casually affirms leaders who have co-opted religious language while continuing business-as-usual in every other regard, nor does it figuratively shake its finger at leaders in the inevitably imperfect world of organizational life. We are invited to travel into the very center of our lives at work, and to risk venturing the journey as whole persons, accompanied by a trustworthy guide who knows the way."
— David Specht, Program Director, Seeing Things Whole
THE SOUL OF SUPERVISION: INTEGRATING PRACTICE AND THEORY
Margaret Benefiel and Geraldine Holton, eds.
Purchase from your local independent bookstore. Or Order Online.
With national and international concern around issues of abuse, burnout, meaninglessness, and spiritual bankruptcy in every profession, supervision is becoming increasingly necessary for people who desire life-giving care and understanding in their work and ministry. This new book provides a framework of theory and experience to develop the strengths and address the challenges of professional supervision with particular focus on developing spiritual sensitivity and competency.
"As the ministry of spiritual direction grows and evolves, so too does that of supervision. Every spiritual director has an ethical commitment and obligation to maintain an ongoing supervisory relationship that supports and nurtures his or her growth, identity, ministry and service.... The Soul of Supervision is a wonderful addition to the growing library of resources about training, formation, and ongoing support for spiritual directors."
—Karen Erlichman, Presence, Vol. 17, No.1
Margaret Benefiel and Geraldine Holton, eds.
Purchase from your local independent bookstore. Or Order Online.
With national and international concern around issues of abuse, burnout, meaninglessness, and spiritual bankruptcy in every profession, supervision is becoming increasingly necessary for people who desire life-giving care and understanding in their work and ministry. This new book provides a framework of theory and experience to develop the strengths and address the challenges of professional supervision with particular focus on developing spiritual sensitivity and competency.
"As the ministry of spiritual direction grows and evolves, so too does that of supervision. Every spiritual director has an ethical commitment and obligation to maintain an ongoing supervisory relationship that supports and nurtures his or her growth, identity, ministry and service.... The Soul of Supervision is a wonderful addition to the growing library of resources about training, formation, and ongoing support for spiritual directors."
—Karen Erlichman, Presence, Vol. 17, No.1