A Socio-Rhetorical Study of Romans 12:1-21: An Exploration of Chaleff

December 3, 2025

A Socio-Rhetorical Study of Romans 12:1-21: An Exploration of Chaleff’s Courageous Followership Dynamic of Responsibility in Relationship to Theistic Personalism

Phillip Demond Fletcher | 2019

Abstract

This dissertation involves expanding the limited literature of personalism within organizational leadership, specifically theistic personalism and its relationship to the organizational leadership theory of followership. Researchers of theistic personalism have proposed human beings possess personhood because of the existence of the Supreme Personal being, God. Ira Chaleff (2009) proposed the existence of courageous followers possessing five dynamics that included responsibility, service, challenge, participative transformation, and moral action. I investigated the relationship theistic personalism had with followers who practiced the dynamics of personal responsibility. As those of theistic personalism and followership have expressed human ontology and experiences respectively, this dissertation conducted a sociorhetorical analysis of a New Testament sample of Romans 12:1-21 to understand ways self-perceptions influenced responsibility. Analysis indicated followers actualized behaviors of reciprocity for in-group members and actualized behaviors based on interrelatedness for hostile persons. The practices of personhood and responsibility included dedication, mental renewal, humility, truth, and love influenced individual follower responsibility. The followership styles of partner and implementer influenced follower responsibility in presence of challenge. The themes of acceptance, compassion, and participation entailed themes of personhood and a Supreme Personal God. I recommend organizational leaders communicated value and dignity of followers with consistency to develop space for followers to conduct the reported follower practices.

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