If Aristotle Ran the Catholic Church
The Present Leadership Problem of the Church
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Prologue
I
dedicate this book to my parents both of whom are dead. Dad (Frank) died of an
accident
I
wish to express appreciation of my eight siblings, all of whom are alive, I
being the youngest at 75. Each of the eight is an independent character, and I
value the manner in which we challenge one another. We all belong to the same
religion - sort of - Roman Catholic, even though many are Republican and I a
Democrat with my parents. The challenge of my family is a constant push for me
to change and grow, however not always do I grow in the direction some members
wish.
I
have been writing and rewriting this book for six years. I will be glad to see
it in print, so that I will no longer be able to change it. The process of
writing has given me a crack at creativity and imagination I never experienced
before.
I
appreciate the support I have received from my classmates who meet each month.
They are Jim Cahalin, Frank Gillgannon, Bill Lally, Tom Mullen, Bo Ryan, and
the deceased Charles Pfeiffer. The ability to state one’s case, and know that
one will be listened to and also vehemently questioned without being condemned
as a heretic, is a great support to me. This is how new ideas are born. We need
a great number of new ideas in our country and church today.
Also
very special help from my niece Jeanne and her husband David Robertson. Dave
gave me a needed critique on the first edition. This helped me to assign it to
the waste can. After a year there was a resurrection. I changed it around, put
some order to it, and it worked out to the present reading.
I
have written my autobiography (not printed yet) in which I describe my personal
experience of the many styles of leadership described in this book. Jesus asked
for Servant Leadership. Since Vatican II (1965) Servant Leadership is the way,
but it will be many years before we rid ourselves of the Lord and Master style.
May Vatican II leadership be our future?
Thanks much for the beautiful ride of
life.
Bill Forst
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
There are a number of great leadership books on the market, but there are not many, if any that have developed the Four Dimensions of Aristotle. There are Liberation and Feminists theologians who develop leadership styles that are built up from the people, or bottom up. I believe this is Jesus servant style of leadership. Whereas the traditional style of leadership begins at the top down. Servant leadership is based on the proper functioning of truth, aesthetics, moral, and spiritual. Traditional leadership is based upon I possessing absolute truth (infallibility). It has the structure of a patriarchy, and thus rules out women as leaders. With infallibility it encourages hard-core co-dependency. The church of the future must function as a global religion. It no longer can be Roman. It will have to respect the pluralistic cultures and religions that make up the world. It cannot do this by leading as though it possess all truth. The
About the Author
Bill Forst is an old retired
priest - 75. He writes this book with an intense view of the future. He has
parents who, by their love for each other and for justice, taught him how to be a priest. He has learned a
great deal about leadership by being the youngest of four girls & four
boys, the oldest being a Bishop, and the middle brother a Monsignor, and five
married. He also learned much about leadership as a diocesan priest - where leadership is achieved
from the top - down, rather than the servant leadership of Jesus that is
initiated from the bottom -up. He has performed a number of diverse tasks in
his diocese.