Predicting Ordination, Early-Career Mobility, and Career Adaptation from Ministerial Applicants’ Psychological Assessment Results

Nortomaa, Aura Inkeri

doi:10.1007/s13644-016-0254-5

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 80 publications

(122 reference statements)

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“…Psychological profiling is increasingly used in the context of religious professionals (cf. Piedmont 1999), for example to assess their spirituality (Kosek 2000;Strawn, Alexander 2008;Francis 2009), vocation (Galea 2010;Sunardi 2014), leadership style (Krekeler 2010;Francis, Crea 2015), career success (Machel 2006;Miner 2007;Joseph et al 2011;Nortomaa 2016), or to explain theological differences (Burton et al 2010;Francis 2013;Village 2013). As far as we know, our 2017 study was the first to use psychological profiling to explore the entrepreneurial dimension of religious leadership (Foppen et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Personality Traits of Church Planters and Other Church Leaders in Europe (II)

2018

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In search of a renewal of their mission in the secularized West, an increasing number of (Protestant) churches have embarked on the creation of new faith communities with a strong missionary purpose. This entrepreneurial approach of mission raises a number of questions, among which the issue of leadership is paramount. Currently, however, very little reliable empirical research has been done among faith entrepreneurs, or ‘church planters’, in Europe. In this article the personality dimensions of 215 church planters are compared with 307 ‘regular’ church leaders (pastors), based on the so-called ‘Big Five’ personality test. Independent samples t-tests showed that church planters are significantly more extravert, open to new experiences, and conscientious than ‘regular’ pastors, and significantly less neurotic, while scores on agreeableness are more or less similar. These results are discussed with a view to existing literature on church planting and entrepreneurship in the West.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Personality Traits of Church Planters and Other Church Leaders in Europe (II)

2018

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“…Assessment work has never been just about screening out potential offenders and preventing harm, but it must also be about forming happy and holy men. There is also little to no data in the literature that can predict whether a candidate is a good fit for a particular seminary or religious institute and if they will flourish, thrive, and be happy (Nortomma, 2016). In this study, the initial assessment did not predict success in being ordained.…”

Section: Lack Of Assessment In Rightness Of Fitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological evaluation of Catholic seminary candidates: Strengths, shortcomings, and an innovative plan.

McGlone¹,

Sperry²

2020

Spirituality in Clinical Practice

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The ongoing clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church has led to calls for major changes in the psychological evaluation of seminary applicants. Unfortunately, there is increasing agreement that current, standard psychological testing is not effective in ferreting out sexual difficulties in the general population, much less in seminary candidates. This article addresses both the strengths and shortcomings of the current evaluation process, as well as within the ecclesial system. We begin with a review of relevant Church documents, existing research literature on psychological evaluation and the assessments of clergy and seminary applicants, as well as the experience of experts in these evaluations. As part of this analysis, the article critically delves into both the current strengths and shortcomings of recent Church efforts. Among the major shortcomings is the lack of communication between the major stakeholders: vocation, formational personnel and psychologists and a uniformly applied, standardized battery that emphasizes “suitability” with little or no focus on the “fit” of candidates for a particular diocese or religious order. Finally, we describe realistic approaches to increase the effectiveness and predictability of such evaluations and offer an innovative plan for large-scale postdoctoral training and certification of psychologists to provide evidence-based psychological evaluations of seminary candidates. Such a plan is intended not only to better address the issues of abuse within the Church but also to build and improve the happiness and health of the clergy.

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“…More recent studies focus on the factors that lead individuals to enter positions of religious leadership and what the relationship is between particular jobs and broader senses of their occupations (McDuff and Mueller 2000;Nortomma 2016). Other studies explore predictors of burnout among clergy, and how clergy negotiate their professional and personal lives (Mellow 2002;Hills, Francis and Rutledge 2004;Jacobson et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%