Abstract:
The subject of leadership has been explored from different fields by different
scholars. The leadership debates and discussion have dominated academia across
the globe for decades. The contribution of this thesis to the subject of leadership is
threefold. Firstly, it demonstrates a different style of leadership, that is, servant
leadership. Secondly, it studies servant leadership from a biblical perspective in
general and Philippians 2:5-11 in particular. Thirdly, it applies biblical servant
leadership principles to an African context. The historical background of Philippians
is studied to understand the world of the text. The different leadership styles are
explored and compared with servant leadership. Servant leadership principles are
studied in Philippians 2:5-11 and applied in an African context. The thesis concludes
with the servant leadership models in South Africa like Nelson Mandela, Desmond
Tutu and Frank Chikane. The purpose here is to demonstrate that servant leadership
as a New Testament concept is applicable to a contemporary South African context.
Consequently, the thesis makes New Testament research available to an African
audience.
