Graduation Year
2025
Date of Submission
4-2025
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Reader 1
Ronald Riggio
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2025 Daniel E Rosenberg
Abstract
As church membership continues to decline across the United States, especially among younger generations, there is growing interest in the psychological factors that influence why individuals stay connected and involved in faith communities or walk away. While theological beliefs are certainly part of the story, this thesis explores the idea that the style of leadership practiced by pastors may be just as important, or more. This literature review asks: How do Christian pastors’ leadership styles affect follower behavior and expression of the Christian religion? Drawing from the fields of psychology and leadership studies, this paper examines the ways in which transformational, transactional, and passive leadership styles influence outcomes such as congregational engagement, religious identity, spiritual practices, and disaffiliation. The guiding hypothesis is that pastors who adopt transformational leadership behaviors, which are those that inspire, challenge, and emotionally connect with followers, create deeper engagement and stronger expressions of faith than those who rely on transactional or passive approaches. Through reviewing some key studies and the analysis in Transformational Leadership Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Organizational Change Readiness, this thesis finds consistent support for the idea that pastoral leadership style plays a central role in shaping how people believe, behave, and belong within Christian communities. In contrast, churches led by pastors with less relational or vision-oriented leadership styles tend to experience lower levels of participation and, in some cases, growing disaffiliation. These findings suggest that psychology can offer powerful insights into not only why faith persists, but also how leadership can either help it thrive or fade away.
Recommended Citation
Rosenberg, Daniel, "Transformational Leadership in the Church: How Pastoral Leadership Styles Influence Congregational Behavior and Religious Expression" (2025). CMC Senior Theses. 3904.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3904
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
