Charlotte L. Craig

Psychological Typology of Anglican clergy in England: Diversity, Strengths, and Weaknesses in Ministry

Abstract Recent research within the psychology of religion and empirical theology has drawn attention to the theoretical and practical power of psychological type theory to illuminate and to facilitate the practice of Christian ministry. Building on this tradition, in the present study the psychological type preferences of 626 male Anglican clergy and 247 female Anglican clergy in England were assessed using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The purpose was to profile the personal and professional qualities of those engaged in Christian ministry within this specific context. Both male and female clergy revealed preferences for introversion over extraversion, intuition over sensing, feeling over thinking, and judging over perceiving. Points of similarity and difference between the current sample and the wider United Kingdom population are explored, as well as with Anglican congregations and other clergy in the United Kingdom. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of interpreting diversity, strengths, and potential weaknesses in ministry. The findings are valuable for practical theology in informing practices of selecting, training, deploying and supporting clergy. Questions can also be posed for theological construction, but that work is of another genre and will be done in future deliberations. Zusammenfassung Innerhalb der Religionspsychologie und der Empirischen Theologie wurde die Aufmerksamkeit in der jüngeren Forschung auf das theoretische und praktische Potential von psychologischen Typen-Theorien gerichtet, um die Praxis des christlichen geistlichen Amtes zu erhellen und zu vereinfachen. Auf dieser Tradition aufbauend, wurden in dieser hier vorliegenden Studie die Präferenzen psychologischer Typen von 626 männlichen und 247 weiblichen anglikanischen Geistlichen in England unter Verwendung des Myers-Briggs Typen Indikators erhoben. Die Absicht bestand darin, die persönlichen und professionellen Qualitäten derer zu beschreiben, die innerhalb dieses spezifischen Kontexts ihren geistlichen Dienst tun. Sowohl die männlichen wie die weiblichen Geistlichen ließen dabei Präferenzen erkennen für die Introvertiertheit gegenüber der Extrovertiertheit, für die Intuition gegenüber der Sensorik, für das Fühlen gegenüber dem Denken sowie für die Beurteilung gegenüber der Wahrnehmung. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie wurden mit Blick auf Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede verglichen mit der breiteren Bevölkerung Großbritanniens ebenso wie mit anglikanischen Gemeinden und anderen Geistlichen im Vereinigten Königreich. Die Folgerungen aus diesen Analysen werden anhand der Interpretation der Unterschiede, der Stärken und der möglichen Schwächen mit Bezug auf das geistliche Amt diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse sind wertvoll für die Praktische Theologie, da sie Auskunft geben hinsichtlich der Praxis der Auswahl, der Ausbildung, des Einsatzes und der Unterstützung der Geistlichen. Außerdem können Fragen gestellt werden hinsichtlich der theologischen Gestaltung, was aber ein anderes Feld darstellt, das in zukünftigen Überlegungen zu bearbeiten ist.

Psychological Type and Attitude towards Celtic Christianity among Committed Churchgoers in the United Kingdom: An Empirical Study

This article takes the burgeoning interest in Celtic Christianity as a key example of the way in which churches may be responding to the changing spiritual and religious landscape in the United Kingdom today and examines the power of psychological type theory to account for variation in the attitude of committed churchgoers to this innovation. Data provided by a sample of 248 Anglican clergy and lay church officers (who completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales together with the Attitude toward Celtic Christianity Scale) demonstrated that intuitive types, feeling types, and perceiving types reported a more positive attitude towards Celtic Christianity than sensing types, thinking types, and judging types. These findings are interpreted to analyse the appeal of Celtic Christianity and to suggest why some committed churchgoers may find this innovation less attractive.

Type Patterns among Anglican Congregations in England

Abstract Five typical Anglican churches in central England invited their regular attenders to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Data were provided by 116 men and 211 women. Among the women there were clear preferences for introversion, sensing, feeling, and judging. Among the men there were clear preferences for introversion, sensing, and judging, but a balance between feeling and thinking. The predominant type among women was ISFJ (21%) and the predominant type among men was ISTJ (27%).

The psychological type profile of Anglican churchgoers in England : compatible or incompatible with their clergy?

Abstract In this study psychological type theory was employed to profile samples of 2,135 women and 1,169 men in the context of Anglican church services in England in order to establish how representative churchgoers are of the wider population and how compatible churchgoers are with their clergy. The women displayed preferences for sensing (82 %), feeling (70 %), and judging (85 %), with a balance between extraversion (51 %) and introversion (49 %). The men displayed preferences for introversion (62 %), sensing (78 %), thinking (58 %), and judging (86 %). These characteristics are compared with the United Kingdom population norms to establish the distinctiveness of Anglican churchgoers and compared with previously published data on Anglican clergy to establish the points of similarity, differences and potential tension between Anglican clergy and laity. Zusammenfassung In dieser Studie wurde anhand einer Stichprobe von 2135 Frauen und 1169 Männern eine psychologische Typentheorie – der Myer-Briggs-Typen-Indikator – genutzt, um zu überprüfen, inwiefern die Kirchenmitglieder der anglikanischen Kirche einerseits in dieser Hinsicht repräsentativ für die gesamte Bevölkerung sind und andererseits inwieweit sie mit ihren Geistlichen übereinstimmen. Bei den Frauen konnten Präferenzen im Bereich Sensing (82 %), Feeling (70 %) und Judging (85 %) und ein Gleichgewicht zwischen Extraversion (51 %) und Introversion (49 %) analysiert werden. Bei den Männern ließ sich eine Präferenz der Introversion (62 %), des Sensing (78 %) und Thinking (58 %) sowie Judging (86 %) messen. Im Vergleich zur Bevölkerung Groß Britanniens und den anglikanischen Geistlichen wurden dann die spezifischen Charakteristika der anglikanischen Kirchenmitglieder herausgearbeitet und Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede sowie potentielle Spannungen insbesondere zwischen den anglikanischen Geistlichen und den Laien beschrieben.

Psychological type preferences of Roman Catholic priests in the United Kingdom

This study explores the psychological type profile of Roman Catholic priests. A sample of 79 priests completed the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (Form G). The study shows that Roman Catholic priests tend to prefer introversion over extraversion, feeling over thinking and judging over perceiving. Near equal preferences are shown for sensing and intuition. The type preferences of Roman Catholic priests in the UK are compared and contrasted with the type preferences of Roman Catholic priests in the USA and Protestant clergy in the UK. These findings are explored within the context of the role of the priest within the Roman Catholic Church.

Type patterns among active members of the Anglican Church: A perspective from England

This study extends previous research among religious groups by reporting on psychological type patterns among both male and female active church members in England. A sample of 93 female and 65 male active members of the Anglican Church in England completed Form G (Anglicized) of the MBTI. Among the women, there were clear preferences for introversion, sensing, feeling, and judging. Among the men, there were clear preferences for introversion, thinking, and judging, but a balance between sensing and intuition. The predominant type among the women was ISFJ (22%), and the predominant type among the men was ISTJ (17%).

Psychological type and sex differences among church leaders in the United Kingdom

A sample of 135 female and 164 male church leaders of mixed denominations completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The female church leaders demonstrated clear preferences for extraversion over introversion, for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving. The male church leaders demonstrated clear preferences for introversion over extraversion, for sensing over intuition, for thinking over feeling, and for judging over perceiving. The predominant type among the women was ESFJ (22%) and the predominant type among the men was ISTJ (30%). Extravert and feeling types were significantly overrepresented among female church leaders, compared with male church leaders.

Personality and Religion: The Relationship between Psychological Type and Attitude toward Christianity

A sample of 552 first year undergraduate students, attending a university-sector college in Wales specialising in teacher education and liberal arts subjects, completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator together with the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity. The data demonstrated that judging types held a more positive attitude toward Christianity than perceiving types. No significant differences in attitude toward Christianity were found between introverts and extraverts, between sensers and intuitives, or between thinkers and feelers.

The Relationship Between the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and the Short-Form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire

The two models of personality proposed by the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS) and by the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQR-S) both propose measures of extraversion-introversion, but in other respects the two models are quite different. While the KTS proposes measures of sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving, the EPQR-S proposes measures of neuroticism, psychoticism, and a lie scale. In order to test the comparability of the two indices of extraversion-introversion and the independence of the other constructs, a sample of 554 undergraduate students attending a university-sector college in South Wales, in the United Kingdom, completed the KTS and the EPQR-S. The data demonstrate that the Keirsey Temperament Sorter scales map in quite a complex way onto the model of personality proposed by the EPQR-S.

Church tradition and psychological type preferences among Anglicans in England

A sample of 290 individuals attending Evangelical Anglican churches and Anglo-Catholic churches in central England completed the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a measure of psychological type preferences. Overall, there were clear preferences for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving, which is consistent with the findings of two earlier studies profiling the psychological type of Anglican churchgoers. However, there was also a significantly higher proportion of intuitives among Anglo-Catholics than among Evangelical Anglicans, which is consistent with the greater emphasis in Anglo-Catholic churches on mystery, awe, and the centrality of sacraments in worship which may resonate with the intuitive predisposition. The implications of these findings are discussed for the benefits of breadth and diversity within Anglicanism.