Article in press: Paper on social power dimensions of intelligence and humility in leadership practices

Danielsen Institute collaborator Dr. Hee An Choi, from BU School of Theology and the Anna Howard Shaw Center, led an interdisciplinary paper connected to the Institute’s Intellectual Humility grant project that was just accepted for publication by the Journal of Religious Leadership. This paper uses a postcolonial perspective to explore the social power dimensions of intelligence and humility in leadership practices and proposes wisdom as an integrative and inclusive mediating concept. It brings empirical research on intellectual humility into this conversation with theology, religion, and social justice dynamics making applications to religious leadership practices.

Choi, H.A., & Sandage, S.J. (in press). Wisdom as the integration of intelligence and humility in dialogue with intellectual humility in religious leadership practice. Journal of Religious Leadership.

Abstract: Intelligence and humility have long been intertwined with class, race, and sex/gender across colonial and postcolonial contexts. This paper examines how intelligence and humility function in sociopolitical leadership contexts and how they can be transformed and integrated into wisdom as a leadership practice. By creating wisdom as a third space that holds intelligence and humility in dialogue with intellectual humility (IH), this paper illustrates how embodied wisdom leadership effectively cultivates a communal, shared discernment process and empowers people to become collaborative leaders working together toward justice and freedom. Reconstructing the meaning of wisdom, it examines the practice of intelligence in sociopolitical realities and deconstructs the concept of humility and its practice, which can transform all participants into co-leaders in co-action.