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.
This study employed psychological type theory and measurement to explore the psychological profile of women priests ordained in the Church of England. A sample of 83 Anglican clergywomen in England completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The data demonstrated clear preferences for introversion (63%) over extraversion (37%), for intuition (60%) over sensing (40%), for feeling (76%) over thinking (24%), and for judging (55%) over perceiving (45%). In terms of dominant types, 37% were dominant feelers, 31% dominant intuitives, 23% dominant sensers, and 8% dominant thinkers. These findings are discussed to illuminate the preferred ministry styles of Anglican clergywomen in England and to highlight the significant differences between the psychological type profile of clergywomen and the UK female population norms.
A sample of 168 bishops, serving or retired, in the Church of England completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The psychological type profile of these bishops was compared with that of 626 Anglican clergymen. The bishops differed significantly from the clergymen on three of the four aspects of psychological type. The bishops were more likely to prefer extraversion (53% compared with 43%), more likely to prefer sensing (49% compared with 38%), and more likely to prefer judging (88% compared with 68%). Overall the SJ temperament was preferred by 47% of the bishops compared with 31% of the clergymen. Moreover, there was a significant difference between diocesan bishops and suffragan bishops in terms of the judging process. While 37% of the suffragan bishops preferred thinking, the proportion rose to 56% among the diocesan bishops. These findings are discussed in light of the Anglican ordinal and in light of the strengths brought to ministry by different psychological types. Not all 32 bishops divulged details about their education before university, but of the 26 who did, no less than 21 (81%) had attended public schools, 11 (42%) of them the three most prestigious institutions of Eton, Harrow, and Winchester.Only three (12%) had attended grammar schools and two had been educated at home.The aim of the present study is to frame the question, 'Who is called be a bishop in the Church of England?' within a very different conceptual framework, drawing on a psychological perspective. The research problem (together with the research hypothesis) posed by this study is framed by the consideration of two issues: consideration of the theology and psychology of individual differences, and consideration of what defines the office of a bishop. Theology and psychology of individual differencesPsychological type theory provides an original and insightful lens through which to view individual differences within the context of religious faith. The theory has its origins WHO IS CALLED TO BE A BISHOP? 4 within the sphere of analytical psychology in the pioneering work of Carl Jung (see Jung, 1971) and has been integrated more widely within the sphere of the psychology of personality and individual differences through the development of a series of type indicators, temperament sorters and type scales, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers & McCaulley, 1985), the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (Keirsey & Bates, 1978), and the Francis Psychological Type Scales (Francis, 2005). Seen as a psychological construct, psychological type theory has made a significant impact on the psychology of religion (see Francis, 2009).The notion of psychological type has also been taken seriously as a theological construct, for example by Francis and Village (2008) who argue that the level of individual differences accessed by the theory are commensurate with the level of individual differences accessed by sex and ethnicity. Building on a doctrine of creation implied by Genesis 1: 27, where sex differences are part of the divine i...
Recent discussion and research has pointed to the changing functions of archdeacons within the Church of England as the role has become expanded to combine both the traditional statutory functions with flexible and visionary leadership skills within a changing church.This study draws on data collected in 2009 from 186 active and retired male archdeacons in order to assess the psychological profile established by that time. Compared with the psychological profile of 626 clergymen, male archdeacons were much more likely to prefer the SJ temperament (60% compared with 31%), a temperament ideally suited for effective administration of the statutory functions. As a consequence, preference for intuition was lower among male archdeacons (38% compared with 62%), as was preference for perceiving (9% compared with 32%), qualities core for flexibility and visionary leadership.
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