S7 E4 | Dr. Christa L. McKirland | A Theology of Authority

In this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Crista McKirland joins Dr. Lynn Cohick to talk about her book A Theology of Authority: Rethinking Leadership in the Church. They discuss how authority, leadership, and power should function in the church, emphasizing the dignity of all the saints and the call of every believer, not just pastors, to ministry.

Crista unpacks her categories of executive vs. non-executive authority and commanding, epistemic, and exemplary authority, arguing that pastoral leaders are called primarily to equipping authority rather than control. They also challenge common expectations placed on pastors, critique business-shaped metrics of “success” in the church, and call listeners to a bigger, more relational vision of the gospel and discipleship shaped by the character and example of Jesus. 

Resources Mentioned: 

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

A Theology of Authority: Rethinking Leadership in the Church by Dr. Crista McKirland

Dr. Lynn Cohick

Let Her Lead  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.