In Liberating Leadership, Dr. Bernard Swain, a well-known church management consultant, shares clear and useful techniques for developing effective leadership skills.

Dr. Swain believes that "the future of parish renewal and the ability of parishes to meet the challenge of Vatican II's unfinished agenda will depend on the renewal of local leadership." He main-tains that only local pastoral leadership can assume the respon-sibility for finishing the council's agenda and points to the ongoing success of local leadership in advocating reforms and effecting change.

In this clear and practical study of the "new pluralism" in pastoral ministry, Dr. Swain addresses parish clergy and staff, lay ministers (both professional and volunteer), and religious and ac-ademic communities. He provides a historical overview of the Sec-ond Vatican Council's challenge of renewal to local parishes and outlines new styles of leadership that have emerged since Vatican II. Looking beyond the symptoms of interpersonal conflicts, he identifies different styles of leadership, explores their practical implications, names the steps in selecting an appropriate style, and provides worksheets for making that choice.

Bernard Swain, Ph.D., is a coordinator of the Paulist Leader-ship and Renewal Project in Boston and an advisor to Roma Catholic students at Harvard Divinity School. He has been a di rector of religious education and worked in adult catechesis in parish, family, and social ministry. Dr. Swain received his degree in theology from Harvard University and the University of Chicago.