Page 87 | Volume 2 | The Leadership Journal of Dallas Baptist University

87 The research, however, shows resilience to be a common phenomenon in the internal and external resources experienced by people on any given day.51 According to Bonanno, Romero, and Klein, resilience studies require four elements to be present. These include “(a) baseline or preadversity functioning, (b) aversive circumstances, (c) postadversity resilient outcomes, and (d) predictors of resilient outcomes.”52 Forster and Duchek restate these elements in the following way: “Adversity is considered to be the main cause, whereas positive adaptation is regarded as the main consequence of resilience.”53 Ann Masten provides two approaches to resilience studies that employ these elements differently. In the first case, a Main Effect Model of resilience research based in multivariate analyses attempts to interpret the main effects of assets and risks on resilience outcomes.54 The second approach is an Indirect Model of Risk and Resilience, where risks and assets impact a mediating variable.55 To use the example given by Masten, if a resilient outcome in a child is desired, the first model would assess the main effect the presence of assets and risks have on said child. Theoretically, increasing the number of assets (termed “protective factors” or “resilience factors” in other resilience literature) would potentially “offset” or negate the main effect of adversity.56 In the Indirect Model, the mediating variable would be an intervention, such as effective parenting, to act as a buffer between the adversity and the desired outcome in their child.57 While many studies have contributed to an understanding of positive resilience factors, studies which have focused on resource deficits have also shown significance in impacting a person’s overall resilience.58 Low spirituality turns out to be “a leading predictor of lower-resilience groups” alongside low purpose in life and less frequent exercise.59 A wide array of studies in resilience, flourishing, and mental health confirm religious involvement as a significant predictive variable.60 FAITHFUL TO THE END: RESILIENCE IN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP The concept of resilience has also filtered into Christian leadership. In 2004, Gordon MacDonald wrote A Resilient Life as an encouragement toward resilient Christian living.61 Written as an anecdotal expression of AN ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY: EXPLORING SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES AS POTENTIAL PREDICTORS OF RESILIENT PASTORAL LEADERSHIP

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