Abstract

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.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.