4 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Preface Dr. Mary Nelson Director, Ph.D. in Leadership Studies Dr. Adam Wright, president of Dallas Baptist University and alumnus of the Gary Cook School of Leadership, encourages doctoral students during the annual Oxford Institute to actively develop the “life of the mind.” The Cook School of Leadership’s mission is to train Christian scholars, servant leaders, and global thinkers, and the second volume of Ducere Est Servire: The Leadership Journal of Dallas Baptist University reveals the fruit of scholars who do just that. These essays engage in profound ways with the convergence of intellect, faith, and leadership, and provide a compelling representation of the outstanding scholarship produced by students, alumni, and faculty of the Cook School of Leadership. Fittingly, this issue begins with an article that considers a topic at the very heart of DBU’s mission: the role of institutions and leaders of higher education in the cultivation of calling within their students. Dr. Layna Evans, an Ed.D. graduate, examines the specific efficacy of Christian colleges in this crucial pursuit. As Dr. Evans notes, “Colleges provide an ideal environment for identity exploration and possess great potential to foster the development of calling in students” (6). The three essays that follow feature analyses of the intersection of faith, politics, and leadership. Dr. Jack Goodyear, Dean of DBU's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, considers the complexities of Christian political engagement in a polarized culture. Despite the contentious nature of many contemporary debates, Dr. Goodyear reminds readers that “Christians who engage in the political sphere must maintain their faithful witness” (23). Amanda Walker, a doctoral candidate in the Ph.D. program, considers the oft-overlooked historical role of women in the development of the Religious Right in the late
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