The goals of Management and the Gospel: Luke's Radical Message for the First and Twenty-First Centuries may appear to be simple: it describes what management theory and practice looked like in the first century, uses this as a lens to examine what the Gospel of Luke says about management, and draws out implications for today. However, the book is quite profound in finding that management is a dominant theme in the Gospel, that its message is consistently counter-cultural, and that Luke contains a four-phase 'how to' process model to help readers to implement change. Readers will acquire a new way to understand the Gospel as well as the moral foundations of modern management.

Table of Contents:
PART I: INTRODUCTION Overview of this Book A Short Introduction to the Gospel of Luke Managers, Goods & Service Producing Organizations, and First-century Palestine PART II: PROBLEM RECOGNITION: HOW INTERPRETING LUKE VIA A FIRST-CENTURY MANAGEMENT LENS CHALLENGES THE CONVENTIONAL INTERPRETATIONS OF TWO KEY PARABLES A Three-dimensional First-century Lens for Understanding of Management Interpreting Luke's 'Parable of the Shrewd Manager' via a First Century Lens Interpreting Luke's 'Parable of the Ten Pounds' via a First Century Lens PART III: ACTION RESPONSE: PERFORMING A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF PASSAGES IN LUKE RELATED TO EACH OF THE THREE-DIMENSIONS OF THE FIRST-CENTURY MANAGEMENT LENS Passages about Managing Relationships within Organizations Passages about Managing Money Passages about Managing Relationship between Organizations PART IV: NEW WAY OF SEEING: MANAGEMENT, THE KINGDOM OF GOD, SALVATION, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT The Kingdom of God is Enacted and Manifest in Organizational Settings Salvation is Facilitated when Organizations Save People from Oppression and Save People for Working in Liberating Structures and Systems Holy Spirit is Key to Salvific Kingdom of God Management PART V: INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE: A FOUR-PHASE 'HOW TO' PROCESS MODEL FOR PUTTING INTO PRACTICE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES FOUND IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE A Four-phase Process Model Embedded in Luke's Journey Narrative Luke's Three 'Forward' Cycles through the Four-phase Process Model Luke's Three 'Reverse' Cycles through the Four-phase Process Model PART VI: IMPLICATIONS FOR 21ST CENTURY MANAGEMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE Managing Relationships within Organizations: Organization Structure, Motivation and Leadership Managing Money: Economics, Finance and Accounting Managing Relationships between Organizations: Strategy Concluding Thoughts References Appendix A: Background Regarding the Chiasm in Luke's Journey Narrative Appendix B: Usage of kurios [Lord] in Luke to describe God and Jesus