Richard Hays tells of a faculty meeting at the Duke Divinity School in which the faculty was deliberating a proposed curriculum. In order to keep the mission and focus of the divinity school before them as a reminder of eventual student outcomes, the curriculum report commenced with a section entitled "The Goal of Our Instruction." He reports that the faculty was very receptive to all of the bulleted points until they spotted this one: “A commitment to living a life ordered toward holiness, justice, peace, and reconciliation.” They all questioned whether the university should be involved in a process that actually produced such commitments; rather the prevailing notion was that the divinity school’s responsibility was that it was "better to stick to purely intellectual goals and leave the more religious elements out of it” (Hays, 2006, p. 21).

Turning from the dilemma on campus to a prescriptive solution, Hays suggests that the biblical notion of koinonia in the Johannine tradition stands at the heart of any sort of meaningful resolution. He maintains that according to John “all true community is grounded in the Word that became palpable: the coherence of human community depends on the Logos embodied in Jesus Christ”(Hays, 2006, p. 23). It is this coherence that finds itself in an incarnational model where transformation and mentoring form the backdrop of such community. Consequently, Hays offers five significant implications for those in leadership roles of service where shaping and molding is occurring in the lives of young people who attend Christian academic settings. I would also argue that these five significant implications hold true for church leaders as well.

First, mentoring insists that students do the truth in concrete, particular, and engaging settings.

Second, mentoring models confession of its own sins and weaknesses, living without pretense, authentically portraying what it truly means to bear one another’s burdens.

Third, mentoring keeps a wary eye open to the power of idols and any lure or seduction of power that uses and abuses, especially in the mentoring relationship itself.

Fourth, mentoring recognizes the ongoing metanarrative of the gracious initiative of God actively at work in and among the lives of students.

Fifth, and finally, mentoring models an intellectually charitable spirit toward others, where loving one another is the center of community. (Hays, 2006, pp. 35-36)

Theologically, in addition to an incarnational model of mentoring grounded in koinonia, the Apostle Paul’s word for this role is “imitation,” mimētai in the Greek New Testament. Based on my research, experience, and the analysis of questionnaires I have previously sent out to Christian leaders in various settings, I want to propose a Mimētai-Mentoring Ministry in which the Christian leaders in their various capacities (church leaders, college leaders, parachurch organizations) are influencing others by their personal, transformational spiritual journeys.

Hawhee has shown that the corporeality of pedagogy (i.e., movement of the body in which a teacher is demonstrating to students) was understood by Isocrates as having repetition, rhythm, and response. In fact, according to Isocrates, the disciplines of rhetoric and athletics shared these three aspects in common. This threefold understanding of the corporeal nature of mimētai has some significant insights for Christian leadership. It is not so much bodily movement per se that is important here as is the concept of movement toward a goal that is represented by a mentor incarnationally. The corporeal movement becomes for the Christian leader incarnational movement of transformation: repetition of spiritual disciplines, with discernible rhythm designed to nurture the soul, eliciting a response in the interior life of the one practicing. This response is passed on in the form of virtuous behavior designed to provide a model for others to follow (Hawhee, 2002, pp. 142ff).

Perhaps the best Scripture to begin with is 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” Often church leaders are not sure what this means. Part of the problem lies in the word for “imitators,” mimētai. Mimesis in Greek thought suggests a reflection that is also reality of relationship. Greek drama can so reflect human experience that drama and experience become one. This can be the experience of persons in liturgy, in which liturgical action and the persons participating become one and even move into a future together. It is reflecting Christ in such a way that a oneness with him is the result. To ask others to move into this mimēsis, then, is to ask that the radiance and interaction be extended"(Dornisch, 1999, p. 30).

“Imitation of Christ” is an important theme in Paul’s ethics. It was not commendable in Greco-Roman ethics to lower oneself for others. This was considered less than flattering and a “cheap imitation.” This comes to prominence, though,  as a central Christian virtue, not least in Paul, precisely because  “it is demonstrated paradigmatically in the story of Christ's self-giving for others--his shameful and ignominious death becoming in Christianity a positive model for imitation"(Horrell, 2005, p. 211).

Taking this even one step further, Sanders has shown that the “imitation of Christ” in the Corinthians’ correspondence (see also 1 Cor 4:16) establishes a communal principle that excludes the divisiveness addressed in the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians. One of the topics dearest to Paul’s heart was the unity of the body of Christ. He is asking his readers to follow his example of Christian unity, which of course, reflects the prayer of John 17 (Sanders,1981, p. 362).

Let us be creative here for a moment and run Hays’s implications for mentoring leadership by the apostle Paul and see how he stacks up.

First, Paul provided for his readers opportunities to “do the truth in concrete, particular and engaging settings.” All one has to think of is Paul’s sacrifices, his missionary journeys, his planting of churches, his arbitration between two sisters in Christ, etc., to see that Paul’s very life was a model for this.

Second, Paul was adept at confessing of his own sins and weaknesses, living without pretense, authentically portraying what it truly means to bear one another’s burdens. Paul’s own conversion was a radical change from traditional religion that operated on external controls to a transformation of openness. In fact, in 2 Corinthians Paul opens himself up and wears his feelings on his sleeve at such a depth rarely found in the New Testament.

Third, Paul kept a wary eye open to the power of idols and any lure or seduction of power that uses and abuses others, especially in the mentoring relationship itself. This is why in his writings he offers himself as a leader with various models: father-child, wet nurse, etc. He understood only too well the dangers of leadership idolizing the power to control.

Fourth, Paul recognized the ongoing metanarrative of the gracious initiative of God actively at work in and among the lives of his converts. Listen to Paul as he reminds his readers of this very thing: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators (mimētai) of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thess 1:4-7).

Fifth, and finally, Paul mentored an intellectually charitable spirit toward others, where loving one another is the center of community. This is the heart and soul of the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13. As a leader, he writes a short-scripted definition of love that essentially is autobiographical and points to Christ. He wants his readers to take on the characteristics of love.

In conclusion, I want to say that the “imitation-mentoring” model is critical in life of the church, the Christian college, and other roles of Christian leadership. This type of model provides a threefold movement toward spiritual maturity for others that can be seen in repetition, rhythm, and response. With this movement, imitation carries with it five significant implications that are critical for spiritual leadership: providing concrete opportunities for others to do the truth, confessing one’s own sins and weaknesses, keeping a wary eye open to the power of idols presented to one in a leadership role, recognizing God’s ongoing work in the lives of others, and exhibiting a loving spirit that is at the heart of the community of faith. The intentional practice of this type of leadership will provide for others a transformational model of the Christian life. It may even lead us one day to be as bold as Paul to say, “Be imitators of me as I am also of Christ!”

References

Dornisch, L. (1999). Paul and third world women theologians. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

Hawhee, D. (2002). Bodily pedagogies: Rhetoric, athletics, and the Sophists 3 Rs. College English, 65(2), 142-162.

Hays, R. (2006). The palpable word as ground of KOINONIA. In D. Henry & M. Beaty (Eds.), Christianity and the soul of the university: Faith as a foundation for intellectual community (pp. 19-36). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Horrell, D. (2005). Solidarity and difference: A contemporary reading of Paul's ethics. New York: T. & T. Clark.

Sanders, B. (1981, October). Imitating Paul: 1 Corinthians 4:16. The Harvard Theological Review, 74(4), 353-363.