What happened to the fig tree? An empirical study in psychological type and biblical hermeneutics

Abstract

The SIFT method of biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching has its roots in Jungian psychological type theory and maintains that the reading and interpretation of text is shaped by individual preferences within the perceiving process (sensing and intuition) and within the evaluating process (thinking and feeling). The present study tests the empirical foundation for this method by examining the way in which three groups of participants familiar with

Life in the Eucharistic Community: An Empirical Study in Psychological Type Theory and Biblical Hermeneutics Reading John 6:5–15

“…The data demonstrated how sensing types grappled with the plethora of detail within the text; how intuitive types looked for the bigger picture and identified major themes; how thinking types looked for and organised the major issues raised by the passage; and how feeling types focused on the human and relational implications of the narrative. Two main conclusions emerge from the cumulative evidence provided by the present study and by the five earlier studies reported by Francis (2010), Francis and Jones (2011), Francis (2012a, 2012b press), and Francis and Smith (in press).…”

“…Support for this approach is provided by studies using quantitative approaches reported by Bassett, Mathewson, and Gailitis (1993), Village and Francis (2005), Village (2009), andVillage (2010) and by studies using qualitative approaches reported by Francis (2010), Francis and Jones (2011), Francis (2012a, 2012b, and Francis and Smith (in press). It is these qualitative studies that provide the research context for the new study reported in the present paper.…”

Exploring organized and visionary approaches to designing an Advent Fun Day in an educational setting

“…The research model for the present study has been provided by a series of recent qualitative studies that have explored preferences for sensing or intuition and preferences for thinking or feeling within the context of biblical hermeneutics and preaching styles. These studies have employed type-alike groups to draw out type preferences in these areas (see Francis, 2010Francis, , 2012aFrancis, , 2012bFrancis, , 2013Francis & Jones, 2011, 2014Francis & Smith, 2012, 2013. The contexts for these studies have often been workshops within residential training events or seminars for serving clergy.…”

Preparing for Disability Awareness Sunday: An educational exercise drawing on psychological perspectives for biblical hermeneutics

“…The developing science of biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching has drawn on a series of recent coordinated empirical studies, employing qualitative research techniques, that has set out to test the theory underpinning the SIFT approach to biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching by observing the connection between psychological type preferences and the ways in which clergy and lay people interpret and proclaim scripture (Francis, 2010(Francis, , 2012a(Francis, , 2012b(Francis, , 2013Francis & Jones, 2011, 2015Francis & Smith, 2012, 2013. Each of these studies has focused on specific passages of scripture and invited participants to work together in groups that have drawn together individuals of similar psychological type preferences.…”