Transforming Power

Reading Report


LDR 701/SFM 701 The Transformational Leader
Date of course:
January 10-21, 2005
Student
Ross Rohde
Book
Linthicum, Robert. Transforming Power. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 2003 Read 216 of 216 pages

I. What is the main idea or thesis of the author?

Robert Linthicum explores the theology of power and how it can be used effectively for doing Kingdom work. Unlike many evangelicals, Linthicum is not afraid of power. For him the issue is not, is power evil? It is what kind of power and how are you using it? Linthicum has a more sophisticated view of power than most evangelicals. This allows him to explore the idea in more depth and with more precision than most evangelicals. For example, he distinguishes between unilateral power, relational power and spiritual power. Unilateral power is the power one person has over another. Relational power is the power we share with others and spiritual power is the power of the Holy Spirit used in conjunction with unilateral and particularly relational power.

Linthicum is not content for us to know about the theology of power, he is interested in the use of power for the good of God’s Kingdom. The second section of the book is devoted to biblical principles and strategies for exercising power. Finally he ends his book with an exhortation to “get on with it” to go out and make a difference through the godly and appropriate use of power.

II. What is my interpretation of the author’s thesis?

The abuse of power in the Christian Church is one of the most significant problems that we face in our interaction the postmodern world. Postmoderns are skeptical about the use of power. Because Linthicum’s understanding of power is more sophisticated he is able to develop a more useful paradigm for the use of power in a postmodern setting. The real issue is not power itself, but how power is used and if it is abused. So actually more useful questions would be, what kind of power; and how is it being used?

The use unilateral use of power is dangerous, be it the ‘lower’ form of dominating power or the ‘higher’ form of constitutional power. One way or another, when we use power ‘over’ people we stand a high risk that we will abuse them and that they will feel abused. Unfortunately, this is quite common in the Church in both its ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ forms. Other names for this would be titular power or hierarchical power. This is wielding power from position or title.

A much safer use of power is to use relational power. What ever power I have I can share for the good of the Kingdom and for the good of others. This is not using power for my good but for the good of others or the common good. Still, human nature being what it is, this could be manipulated, principally by fooling ourselves into thinking that we are sharing when we really aren’t and by telling ourselves that we are sharing power when we are actually wielding power. Therefore, it would always be good to share power not as a paternalistic gift given but as a transaction discussed. Good questions to ask are: is this by mutual consent? Are we in agreement? Does everyone know and agree with what is happening?

I am much less comfortable with Linthicum’s view of spiritual power. I particularly struggle with the view that spiritual power can be unilateral. At best unilateral power can be given by fallen humans as a paternalistic gift. While the triune God does share spiritual power as a unilateral gift, I have strong doubts about the ability of humans to do so without at least shades of abuse and paternalism. I am in agreement with his views of the use of spiritual power as a relational transaction.

III. What would a serious application of this book look like?

I have been thinking a lot about the use and abuse of power in the postmodern setting. I find Linthicum’s understand of the use of power quite helpful. Power is to be used in relationship. It is a mutual transaction between individuals and groups. True power, in the setting of the Church, should be the sharing of spiritual power between knowing and willing participants. Any appropriate use of power in the Church is going to come from God, through His people, for the good of His people and the community around them. It will produce Kingdom work, and it will not wound the beneficiaries or those through whom the power flows.

I believe this means that we need to have a whole new understanding of what the use of power looks like. It is not a two dimensional structure flowing down a human hierarchy from top to bottom. Rather, it is a three dimensional flow of power from God, through his people based on God given giftedness. Instead of a flat, triangular hierarchical flow of power from top to bottom, based on title and position; we would have a spherical flow of power, coming through various gifted Christians, based on their gifts. Power would flow between these individual from God to each other by mutual consent. The only top to bottom power transaction is coming from God through his people for the good of his people and the society around them.

We have become so accustomed to the abuse of hierarchical power that many Christians struggle to conceive of power functioning in any other way. Yet it is our ‘addiction’ to hierarchies that sets us up for the abuse of power.