Weak Theology and Organization Studies

This article demonstrates the pre-eminent position which the term oikonomia (household management) occupied in the first few centuries of Christian theology, opening up avenues which have been left virtually unexplored by modern management scientists. This first level of analysis reveals that the essence of management is inevitably associated with the concepts of non-power, burden and weakness. I then pursue this line of inquiry to look at the role occupied by the notion of ‘weakness’ in the postmodern theology developed by Gianni Vattimo and John Caputo, before extending the scope of this analysis to contemporary debates in the field of organization studies, revealing an entirely different vision of the figure of ‘manager’ from that championed in post-Taylorian ‘scientific’ management, with its emphasis on the behavioural and technical aspects of her/his role. The article concludes by looking at the theoretical and practical implications of ‘weak’ management.