Shepherding sustainable development: Possible lessons on leadership from Judaism and the early Christian Church

Abstract

The rise of the humanities in the early sixteenth century in Northern Europe occurs with new trilingual colleges designed to teach greater proficiency in the Biblical languages of Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Through this more accurate study of ancient texts, humanist scholars developed not only a greater understanding of the classicalworld but also advanced a humanist ethics and newforms of leadership. This chapter unites these early humanist pursuits in the service of sustainable development by examining a model of rule repeatedly expressed in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, namely that of the shepherd. The nature of this form of rule, particularly in the early Christian Church, is explored as a possible model of leadership for sustainable development. While this ancient ecclesiastical governance model inverted Roman power relationships, it still retained a role for centralized authority expressed in the early office of bishop. The chapter will also explore parallels between the formation of early bishoprics in the Roman Empire and the kinds of leadership found in Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).