Faithfulness, Foucault & Critical Reflection in Worship Leadership with Dr. Truls Åkerlund

In this episode, recorded live in Seattle, join Dr. Jeremy Perigo and Dr. Truls Åkerlund as they discuss Åkerlund’s recent scholarship around the Foucauldian understanding of discourse as it intersects with worship and ministry leadership. Dr. Åkerlund is Professor of Leadership at the Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology. He has authored numerous articles on ecclesial leadership and several books, including A Phenomenology of Pentecostal Leadership (2018) and his most recent work, Tråden heter trofasthet (2024).

Though pastors and worship leaders in independent churches and nondenominational networks may not have the same denominational power structures and pressures, powerful forces are still at work. Åkerlund argues that dominant discourse impacts how leaders set goals, engage in ministry, perceive their vocation, and measure ministry success. In this conversation, hear discussions on the need for reflexivity and beneficial critical discernment, which helps, not hinders, Christian leaders as they work to partake faithfully in the biblical story rather than dominant discourses. Join this thoughtful discussion, interacting with various topics on ministry leadership, including burnout, celebrity worship, faithfulness in ministry, cultural discernment, resting in liturgy, how to navigate criticism, and how worship is shaped by and shapes culture.