A multidimensional approach to (e)valuating religious leadership

Evaluating religious leadership has become increasingly important amid decreasing religious participation, declining trust in religious leaders, and rising reports of abuse of power. A clear understanding of what constitutes effective religious leadership is needed to help religious practitioners, communities, and educators reflect on and improve current leadership practices, while also offering important scientific insights into the processes and dynamics behind religious leadership.

A common practice in research and in practice has been to focus on growth. Effective religious leaders are those leading growing communities. While this is uninspiring for leaders facing decline, it also presents a one-sided view of religious leadership. To address this, the current dissertation presents a multidimensional model for (e)valuating religious leadership that emphasizes the dynamic interactions between the religious leader, individual followers, and the congregation. As such, evaluating has a dual meaning in this research project, reflecting its two main goals: (1) to complement the current empirical evidence on religious leadership by examining the role and value of religious leaders in religious communities (valuation), and (2) to explore new and more comprehensive methods for evaluating religious leadership effectiveness (evaluation).

Throughout this dissertation, I develop the building blocks of this model, guided by the following research question: ‘What constitutes effective leadership in religious congregations, and how can it be (e)valuated?’ With this, the current research project aims to promote a more nuanced and context-sensitive evaluation of the effectiveness of religious leadership. An approach that will hopefully inspire religious leaders and congregations to reflect on and enhance their leadership practices, ultimately contributing to more vital and healthy religious communities. In a time of growing polarization with strong ideological and religious roots, the current results also highlight the significant social and relational role of religious leaders, emphasizing their importance in fostering community and nurturing a sense of belonging within their congregations, and ideally, also beyond.