School Leadership and Pedagogy for the Common Good

"In this attractively written book, Anthony Luby draws upon many years of teaching and research to propose ways forward for Catholic education in a secular context. How do we best serve our children? Luby's approach neither reduces education to direct evangelisation nor erases the Catholic "thing". He recognises the need for the Church to adopt a measure of self-limitation in a pluralist culture. He develops St Thomas' notion of valid "secondary ends" and carefully distinguishes the secular realm, where the common good can be pursued by believers of different persuasions or none, from the profane where any public presence of religion is arbitrarily vetoed. Responding to a complex, delicate, ever-fluctuating social context, Luby's contribution is a thoughtful and thought-provoking one. It deserves to be taken seriously."

Hugh Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen.

"What can a (non-Catholic) Christian senior lecturer from a liberal university in Amsterdam, a Jewish head teacher at a secular state school in Nottinghamshire, a Glaswegian Catholic teacher (the author of this book), and a practising Muslim head teacher of a Catholic school in Rotterdam teach us about leadership and pedagogy in Catholic schools operating in a pluralist culture in today’s world? Written in an elegant and winning manner, Antony Luby’s book offers a surprising and well-thought-out answer."

Rev. Tony Schmitz, Deacon, St Mary's Cathedral, Aberdeen, UK.

"School Leadership and Pedagogy for the Common Good is an exceptional and timely contribution to contemporary educational leadership studies. I have used a chapter of this book as a core text in a postgraduate course on education in diversity, and the results have been consistently positive: it has stimulated deep reflection, rigorous debate, and a renewed sense of purpose among experienced educators and emerging leaders alike.

What makes this book particularly powerful is its refusal to frame faith and secularity as opposing forces. Instead, through rich, carefully narrated case studies, it demonstrates how deeply held values—whether rooted in religious traditions, humanistic philosophy, or community ethics—can serve as legitimate and constructive sources of educational leadership. The stories from Rotterdam and England illustrate leadership that is relational rather than bureaucratic, grounded in trust rather than control, and oriented toward the common good rather than narrow performance metrics.

For postgraduate students, especially those working in culturally and religiously diverse contexts, the book offers both conceptual clarity and practical insight. It provides concrete examples of how leaders translate values into daily practices: empowering teachers, co-creating shared norms with communities, and maintaining high expectations without sacrificing dignity or inclusion. These narratives resonate strongly with students, who often recognize similar tensions in their own professional settings.

Antony Luby’s guiding voice adds intellectual depth and ethical coherence. His ability to connect lived experience, scholarly reflection, and moral inquiry makes the book accessible without being simplistic, and reflective without losing analytical rigor.

I strongly recommend this book for postgraduate programs in educational leadership, diversity and inclusion, ethics in education, and policy studies. It is not only an academic resource, but also a formative text—one that invites educators to rethink leadership as a moral, communal, and profoundly human endeavor."

Prof. Dr. Daniel Ernesto Stigliano, Global Head for Scholas Chairs Program, The Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes.