When one typically hears of Martin Luther they think of the great Reformer who brought the Church out of the corrupt clutches of the Medieval Catholic Church and led her into the modern era, promoting several doctrines. Luther is best know for promoting the theological conviction that salvation is by grace through faith alone. Although this is one of the “main stage” theological convictions of Luther, there are other less known “side stage” beliefs and convictions that have been largely ignored in recent years. Recently, I have been doing some research and study on Luther’s view of Supersessionism (the conviction that the Church has replaced Israel and is now the new “spiritual Israel” and that the Jewish people are now without a covenant and cursed because they have rejected the Messiah). Luther was not alone in this view (there is widespread unanimity on this theology conviction in Christendom from the early Church Fathers up to and beyond the time of Luther until WWII), however when you combine Luther Suppersessionism, and at times blatant Anti-Semitic writings, with his positive view on Autocratic government and mix it with the potency of his massive influence, it is apparent that it helped to create the fertile ground in Germany that eventually gave birth to Nazism.

I am not saying that Luther was a Nazi or that he would have supported Hitler, in fact I would assume otherwise, but his writings definitely influenced the Third Reich. In fact, Luther’s infamous tract: “On The Jews and Their Lies,” was quoted often by the Nazis and the original copy of this tract was proudly displayed at Nurenberg during Nazi party rallies.

My research has focused on the influences of the Church Fathers, who were largely Supersessionists, upon Luther and then Luther’s influence upon Christendom and eventually the Holocaust. I am also looking at the current typical Evangelical position which has grown after World War II that views God’s covenant as still binding with Israel. Interestingly, the common Evangelical expression God will bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews would have been unthinkable before the Holocaust in Christianity.

I am not making any theological claims but simply stating how culture, world events and societal beliefs have drastic and profound effects on our theology and conversely, how our theology can have profound, even horrendous, affects on society.

Luther is a fascinating man whose influence and affects are still felt today, some 500 years after his life.

I hope you will allow me a few moments for a bit of a rant and then a plea.

The Rant
I have done a lot of reading on leadership over the last year and specifically the last two weeks for a pastoral leadership course I am taking. I am not a huge fan of leadership books because instead of feeling encouraged and inspired, I usually end up feeling depressed and beaten down. Maybe you have experienced something similar and without getting into detailed critiques of modern leadership books (I will post some reviews of the books I read soon), I want to express something that I feel is lacking on the subject. There is a saturation of material written (more than you ever need to read) on the success stories of leaders, who in mythical and legendary fashion are portrayed as impenetrable to lapses in judgment, bad decisions and mistakes. In many cases, they are gloried in leadership literature to the place where they are no longer even real. Maybe that is the nature of history, when we either forget someone’s flaws because they did great things or we forget the good because of a mistake they made.

The problem is that whenever we view leaders (anyone for that matter) like this, they end up losing their humanity and thus their reality. We then begin to compare the worst of our leadership with the best of someone’s falsely perceived leadership prowess. Consequently, it leads to everyday leaders ending up feeling like failures. Instead, why can’t we read and understand leadership realistically and truthfully and as a result with hope, inspiration and honesty.

The Plea
Therefore, I plea…I beg…someone to write a book about the real, unpolished and non-airbrushed view of leadership in a way that is honest and hopeful. To write stories like Moody, who was told at the beginning of his ministry not to preach because his public speaking skills were so bad. Or, stories like Billy Graham who was told by Bob Jones of Bob Jones University that he would never amount to anything. These stories for me don’t make Moody or Graham any less of a leader. In fact, these stories and perspectives allow me to actually engage them and their lives on a deeper level because they become more real…more honest…more human. In many ways, it provides me hope and the ability to see my ministry with new perspective. This doesn’t mean I think we need to avoid the great parts of these amazing leaders but in the pursuit of understanding what makes them tick, we can’t avoid or ignore their flaws.

Like the new DOVE commercials and their campaign for “Real Beauty” that celebrates real women instead of the plastic surgery altered and digitally “enhanced” women that have created a false ideal, I would argue we need a similar movement with pastoral leadership. We need a new perspective for “Real Leadership” that, to use the DOVE phrase: “Loves the [leadership] skin we are in.”

Thus, I am asking someone to write one of the following books:

• Real Leadership
• The Human Face of Leadership
• Leaders Unmasked
• Leaders Demythologized
• A Realistic and Honest Look at Great Leaders

The Response
If you agree or disagree with me, let me know. If you feel you would appreciate a new kind of leadership book please join your voice with mine in calling for a new kind of leadership conversation.