A Primer on Innovation Theology

What does innovation have in common with theology? More than you might think. Both are ways people attempt to make sense. Both have to do with value and knowledge creation. Both have much to say about change and how we respond to it (or not). And both affect human culture and physical realities with implications for generations to come. A Primer on Innovation Theology explores the territory where innovating and theology intersect. At this intersection, the Primer pours a theological foundation for innovators who aim to create new value for the common good, realize sustainable more than acquisitive value, and pursue generous and just relationships more than merely transactional ones. Adapted from the larger, original volume Innovation Theology: A Biblical Inquiry and Exploration, A Primer is intended for lay audiences, especially innovators, intrapreneurs, entrepreneurs, and investors who are theologically curious about their own roles and responsibilities. Change is unrelenting. How we choose to respond can insolate, insulate, or innovate. If we choose to innovate, our aim is to create new value for others. The success and failure of these aims may reveal whether we are innovating where the plumb lines of God may be more important than the bottom lines of our efforts, in other words, in the company of God. ""The core idea of this remarkable book is timely, inspiring, and potentially revolutionary, especially as regards selflessness vs. self-interest. Lanny Vincent shows how theology and innovation are not at odds, but deeply complementary. Clear, elegantly written, and practical, the book offers specific direction to those who hope to keep their work wise, humane, useful, and will surely enrich readers' understanding of their own purposes."" --Marilyn McEntyre, PhD, author ofCaring for Words in a Culture of Lies ""When scientists and engineers attempt to create new value for others, Vincent argues, they should seek the will of God to guidewherethey should innovate,why, andfor whom.Instead of the invisible hand of the market, the guidance will be from the hands of the Other--holding a plumb line like the prophet Amos saw."" --Jack Swearengen, Professor of Engineering (retired); author ofBeyond Paradise: Technology and the Kingdom of God ""There is a gaping hole in our world's innovation thinking. True and lasting innovation requires more than markets, science, technology, and logic; it yearns for a plumb line only the Word can provide. Accept the challenge. See how theology enables innovation anew and begin innovating in the Company of God."" --Greg Gudorf, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Pure Flix Digital; Inventor; Technology Industry Executive ""Flowing from a life that combines 'deep' theology and spiritual solidarity with a keen eye for what constitutes expert entrepreneurship certainly makes this book a fresh and original contribution."" --Stuart Brown, MD, Founder and President, The National Institute for Play For thirty-five years Lanny Vincent has been facilitating invention and foresight with Fortune 500 companies seeking to innovate. Formerly a Presbyterian Pastor in the South and Midwest, Lanny continues to make sense of change and innovation with the inspired guidance of the biblical canon, even from his garage in the San Francisco Bay Area.