With God On All Sides: Leadership In A Devout And Diverse America
by Douglas A. Hicks /
2009 / English / PDF
1.2 MB Download
Perhaps no other nation is or has ever been as religiously diverse
as the United States. For elected officials, school principals,
corporate leaders, and many others, this diversity poses unique
challenges. Leaders bring their own faiths to public life, and they
daily encounter followers of similar and different faiths. Good
leadership must draw together people from varied backgrounds in
order to achieve something in common. This is no simple task.
Perhaps no other nation is or has ever been as religiously diverse
as the United States. For elected officials, school principals,
corporate leaders, and many others, this diversity poses unique
challenges. Leaders bring their own faiths to public life, and they
daily encounter followers of similar and different faiths. Good
leadership must draw together people from varied backgrounds in
order to achieve something in common. This is no simple task.
How should leaders deal with menorahs and crosses, veils and
turbans, prayers and holidays? How do they and their followers turn
the cacophony of beliefs and practices into a kind of citizenship
worthy of the American tradition of religious freedom? How can they
honor the religious convictions of all Americans? In With God on
All Sides, Douglas A. Hicks provides a roadmap for leaders as they
traverse the post-9/11 landscape. Although the devout possess moral
and spiritual resources that can enrich civic life, leaders must
also be prepared to cope with nearly inevitable conflicts between
people of different faiths. Yet wise leaders can find ways to
transform the problem of diversity into an opportunity. Drawing on
their moral and spiritual resources, Americans of all creeds have
the capacity to enhance the quality of our civic debate. Their
faith-based practices create occasions for mutual learning.
How should leaders deal with menorahs and crosses, veils and
turbans, prayers and holidays? How do they and their followers turn
the cacophony of beliefs and practices into a kind of citizenship
worthy of the American tradition of religious freedom? How can they
honor the religious convictions of all Americans? In With God on
All Sides, Douglas A. Hicks provides a roadmap for leaders as they
traverse the post-9/11 landscape. Although the devout possess moral
and spiritual resources that can enrich civic life, leaders must
also be prepared to cope with nearly inevitable conflicts between
people of different faiths. Yet wise leaders can find ways to
transform the problem of diversity into an opportunity. Drawing on
their moral and spiritual resources, Americans of all creeds have
the capacity to enhance the quality of our civic debate. Their
faith-based practices create occasions for mutual learning.
Hicks tells the stories of how diverse Americans have transformed
public controversies into cases of cooperation. The key to good
leadership, Hicks writes, is to engage one another across lines of
difference with a spirit of humility, build communication and
trust, and offer an inclusive vision that is true to America's
principles. Based on years of research and practical experience,
With God on All Sides provides an invaluable and thought-provoking
guide to leadership--and citizenship--in our devout and diverse
nation.
Hicks tells the stories of how diverse Americans have transformed
public controversies into cases of cooperation. The key to good
leadership, Hicks writes, is to engage one another across lines of
difference with a spirit of humility, build communication and
trust, and offer an inclusive vision that is true to America's
principles. Based on years of research and practical experience,
With God on All Sides provides an invaluable and thought-provoking
guide to leadership--and citizenship--in our devout and diverse
nation.
