Evangelical Christian business leaders fall into four distinct groups when translating their Sunday faith into work-week practice, according to a major Rice University study.

Study co-author D. Michael Lindsay (Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite, Oxford University Press) explained: "While everyone in the workplace has to make decisions—whether they're the janitor or the manager—the most consequential decisions are made at the top, and we wanted to look at how they affect their businesses."

Drawing from personal interviews with 360 evangelical Christian CEOs, presidents and chairs of large businesses and their equivalents in government and politics, nonprofits, arts, entertainment, the media and professional sports, Lindsay identified four decision-making styles: pragmatic, heroic, circumspect and brazen.

'Pragmatic' leaders are like former PepsiCo CEO Steve Reinemund. "Most people assume that evangelicals think that they have all the answers," said Lindsay. But many "are certain that they don't have all the answers. Their decision-making is largely pragmatic, and they hope they wind up making the right decisions."

'Heroic' leaders like Enron whistle-blower Sherron Watkins see their decisions as correct and right, regardless of whether others would agree. She was "the perfect example of a person in power who is religious and couldn't let her morals get checked at the door. ... Her religion played a significant role in her deciding to do something that would likely cost her job and could bring down a major company."

'Circumspect' leaders such as John Aden, formerly of Mac Tools and now senior vice president of Wal-Mart International, are "deeply religious but (not) outward about it." Aden "might not be a vocal evangelical, (but) he does manage as one and makes personal decisions based on his faith."

'Brazen' leaders—like former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner—"are the most unabashed and feel that religion and their job go hand in hand."

For more information, go to http://www.rice.edu/nationalmedia/news2010-08-25-evangelicals.shtml.