Examining the Roles of Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Stewardship in Ethical Leadership Theory from a Socio-rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 9

December 3, 2025

Examining the Roles of Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Stewardship in Ethical Leadership Theory from a Socio-rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 9

Karen Marie Smith | 2019

Abstract

This study examined the roles of spirituality, sacrifice, and stewardship in ethical leadership theory by comparing the leadership principles found in Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians 9. This study assessed ethical leadership theory from the standpoint of values and virtues that proceed from the inner life of the leader in the form of sacrifice and stewardship while setting the premise in a context of spirituality. This study offered a multidimensional view of ethical leadership by pairing the social scientific aspect of the theory with that of a Christian worldview and the exegetical analysis of the biblical text, bridging the gaps of the lack of cohesion of the leadership concept. This exegetical process was developed in the purview of socio-rhetorical analysis was applied particularly to 1 Corinthians 9, which yielded three themes from which seven principles for leadership studies were discovered from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. It was found that the principles in 1 Corinthians 9 generally support the literature on the principle of leadership as mimetic, the principle of leadership core values/virtues framework, and the principle of morality in leadership. In the case when there were differences, it was found that the principles of 1 Corinthians 9 expand and elevate the standards found in the literature. The study concluded that there is a close connection between Christian Scripture and secular contexts such that the ethical and moral ideals of the Christian faith can engage and influence the ethical values of a secular cultural context and reconstruct them through the revelation of Jesus Christ. The study discovered the values of spirituality, sacrifice, and stewardship as new and interesting domains for further study of ethical leadership.

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