There are many ways in which people differ. Some people are extroverted, and some introverted. Some are intuitive, while others are more comfortable being grounded in the here-and-now of sensory experience. Some feel a need to make judgements about their world, while others are content to just take things as they come. Some live in a cognitive world, and some in an affective world (and you might remember what Walpole said about that: “This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.”). And some approach God as ultimately mystery, while others approach Him as revealed and knowable. 

Recently, there have been a couple of books which seek to define different manifestations of spirituality based on these kinds of distinctions. I find that interesting because I notice that people tend to go about being spiritual in different ways, and that sometimes becomes a source of conflict for us. So I thought that, if I could describe some of these differences and emphasize their common goal of approach to God, it might help us to avoid some of the conflicts that we might otherwise experience. 

Four Spiritualities: 

In a book called Four Spiritualities, Peter Richardson uses the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) to define four ways of being spiritual. 

The MBTI is a psychological measure of four dimensions within one’s approach to life. These four dimensions are as follows: 

E or Extraversion

I or Introversion 

Extraverts tend to be sociable, outgoing people who like action and tend to have many friends 

Introverts tend to prefer the world of ideas. They are more likely to have a few good friends 

About 75% of the population are extraverts, while 25 % are introverts. 

S or Sensing 

N or Intuition

S or Sensing people are realistic, practical people who base their perceptions on what is present in the here and now. They are “common sense” people. N or Intuiting people prefer to base their perceptions on the possibilities present in situations, reading between the lines with expectations for the future. 

About 75% of the population are Sensing types, while 25% are Intuitives. 

T or Thinking 

F or Feeling

T or Thinking people base their decisions on objective, impersonal, analytical knowledge aiming for clarity and truth. 

F or Feeling people base their decisions on subjective, people-centered values aiming for harmony, trust, and so on.

Humanity seems to be split about fifty-fifty between Thinking and Feeling types, but 61% of men prefer the Thinking function while 68% of women prefer the Feeling function. 

J or Judging 

P or Perceiving

J or Judging people prefer to live their lives in a planned, orderly way. They tend to be organized and decisive and to want to achieve closure on problems. 

P or Perceiving people prefer to live their lives in spontaneous, flexible ways. They seek to understand life rather than to control it, and they like to keep their options open. 

Again, humanity seems to be about equally split between Judging and Perceiving types. 

Myers-Briggs types, then, are defined by the individual’s preferences from among each of these dimensions. Since there are four dimensions, this equates to sixteen types, as follows: 

The Sixteen MBTI Personality Types 

• ISTJ – The Inspector: Reserved and practical, they tend to be loyal, orderly, and traditional.

• ISTP – The Crafter: Highly independent, they enjoy new experiences that provide first-hand learning.

• ISFJ – The Protector: Warm-hearted and dedicated, they are always ready to protect the people they care about.

• ISFP – The Artist: Easy-going and flexible, they tend to be reserved and artistic.

• INFJ – The Advocate: Creative and analytical, they are considered one of the rarest Myers-Briggs types.3

• INFP – The Mediator: Idealistic with high values, they strive to make the world a better place.

• INTJ – The Architect: High logical, they are both very creative and analytical.4

• INTP – The Thinker: Quiet and introverted, they are known for having a rich inner world.

• ESTP – The Persuader: Out-going and dramatic, they enjoy spending time with others and focusing on the here-and-now.

• ESTJ – The Director: Assertive and rule-oriented, they have high principles and a tendency to take charge.

• ESFP – The Performer: Outgoing and spontaneous, they enjoy taking center stage.

• ESFJ – The Caregiver: Soft-hearted and outgoing, they tend to believe the best about other people.

• ENFP – The Champion: Charismatic and energetic, they enjoy situations where they can put their creativity to work.

• ENFJ – The Giver: Loyal and sensitive, they are known for being understanding and generous.

• ENTP – The Debater: Highly inventive, they love being surrounded by ideas and tend to start many projects (but may struggle to finish them).

• ENTJ – The Commander: Outspoken and confident, they are great at making plans and organizing projects.

Now, according to Richardson, Extraversion or Introversion and Judging or Perceiving affect spirituality in specific ways but, for the sake of simplification, he asks us to just accept that they are primarily important for how they modify what he calls the four “cognitive functions,” Sensing or Intuiting and Thinking or Feeling (so-called because they have to do with how the mind works). That, then, gives us only four positions to consider which, when you come to think about it, is complicated enough as it is.

When you consider only the cognitive functions, you get four possible combinations, as follows (and I have shown the percentage of each of these four types within the general population): Sensing-Thinking or ST 38%, Sensing-Feeling or SF 38%, Intuiting-Feeling or NF 12%, and Intuiting-Thinking or NT 12%. If we now think of these preferences as also reflecting four different approaches to spirituality, we can begin to appreciate that not all people are going to be “spiritual” in the same way. 

Richardson describes these four different approaches to spirituality as follows: 

1. Sensing-Feeling is what he calls “the Journey of Devotion.” 

2. Sensing-Thinking is what he calls “the Journey of Works.”

3. Intuiting-Feeling is what he calls “the Journey of Harmony.”

4. Intuiting-Thinking is what he calls “the Journey of Unity.”

The Journey of Devotion is the spiritual journey of the Sensing-Feeling person (and Sensing-Feeling types make up about 38% of the population). Of all the approaches to spirituality, this is the most tangible and specific. These are sensitive, friendly, sociable, loyal and caring people with a focus on the present. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is their motto. They tend to work within traditional, structured settings and values in practical, concrete, co-operative ways and, from within that institutional setting, reaching out to others, expressing tangible love in empathic ways. However, they also need to be nurtured, and rituals (such as pilgrimages, candles, incense, the old hymns and the traditional dances) are important to them, whether institutional or personal, a source of nurture for their souls. In the story of Mary and Martha, Mary was probably an ST while Martha was an SF. 

The Journey of Works is the spiritual journey of the Sensing-Thinking person (and, again, Sensing-Thinking types make up about 38% of the population). It is a practical, reasonable approach to being spiritual, most often in association with some organized religion. ST people are responsible, efficient, fair administrators and good devoted stewards. They tend to be realistic, prudent, balanced, impartial, down-to-earth people who live in the present and are always ready to pitch in to get the job done. Because they tend to make their judgements on the basis of their own experiences, they are not easily swayed by abstract ideas, with the result that they are sometimes seen as rigid and old-fashioned. There is also often an element of tragedy in their religious journey, brought about by their tendency to feel justified by their works, much like the story of Job. 

The Journey of Harmony is the spiritual journey of the Intuiting-Feeling person (and Intuiting-Feeling types make up about 12% of the population). In this path, “Your mind soars with the many possibilities for good, and your heart appreciates the many responses you and others are making to evolving ideals.” NF people are idealists, combining a future orientation with deep feeling for others and the world. Filled with visions of Zion, they keep the hope alive, inspiring others to follow the dream of kingdom-building, social harmony and mutual respect. By nature, they are the peacemakers; however, they are also progression-oriented and sometimes a trial to those of a more cautious and conservative bent. While they account for only 12% of the population, 44% of clergy and a majority of canonized saints are Intuiting-Feeling types. It has been suggested that Jesus was probably an NF kind of person. 

The Journey of Unity is the spiritual journey of the Intuiting-Thinking person (and, again, Intuiting-Thinking types make up about 12% of the population). NT’s are problem-solvers and planners. They love to exchange ideas, seeking the intellectual clarity that they assume is there to be found if they can just manage to achieve the big picture. Their search is, first of all, for the truth-and-beauty in God’s plan for the universe, not as separate things but as one integrated whole, such as you find in modern theoretical physics. Although they make up only 12% of the population, the spiritual literature is over-represented by NT authors and NT subjects, such as social justice, which is important to NT’s.  

In the best of all possible worlds, these four spiritual types will both work and worship together. In building a temple, for example, you need someone to envision it (a prophet, most likely an NF person), someone to design it (most likely a NT person), someone to manage it (most likely an ST person) and someone to celebrate it or in it (most likely an SF person). Each, in turn, has to be nurtured within that organization; the conditions have to exist for all to have their spiritual needs met, if each of these subsets of the population is to thrive. 

Discover Your Spiritual Type: 

Corinne Ware takes another look at spiritual types, this time basing her examination on a spiritual typology developed by Urban Holmes. This typology retains the Thinking-Feeling dimension used by Richardson but substitutes the Kataphatic-Apophatic dimension for the Sensing-Intuiting one. Strange terms, but I will attempt to define them. Kataphatic refers to “God as revealed” and, hence, knowable; while Apophatic refers to “God as mystery” and, hence, unknowable in (His/Her) entirety. The dimension is somewhat similar to the Sensing-Intuiting dimension, but not entirely the same. In any event, this schema also results in four spiritual types, as follows: 

Speculative (or Thinking)-Kataphatic: a “head-type” spirituality (Works) 

Affective (or Feeling)-Kataphatic: a “heart-type” spirituality (Devotion)

Affective-Apophatic: a “mystic-type” spirituality (Harmony)

Speculative-Apophatic: a “kingdom-type” spirituality (Unity)

A “head-type” (Speculative-Kataphatic) spirituality favours a concrete image of God, e.g., as father or as mother, Christ as God incarnate, the centrality of scriptures. To enhance their spiritual life, Speculative-Kataphatic types might opt for better sermons, more study groups, and some sort of theological renewal within the worshipping community. However, they also need to be encouraged to learn how to just “be” in God’s presence, human beings rather than human doings. 

A “heart-type” (Affective-Kataphatic) spirituality is a more charismatic type of spirituality. Their theology still emphasizes the anthropomorphic representation of God – man’s tendency to create God in his own image – and the centrality of scriptures, but this is accompanied by a more heart-felt quest for holiness. Where the “head-type” person may say, “My doctrine is purer than yours,” the “heart-type” person will counter with “My walk with the Lord is closer than yours.” To enhance their spiritual life, they might opt for more prayer and testimony services, the old hymns (The Old Rugged Cross) or the new Contemporary Christian praise songs. Because they are likely to experience both highs and lows of feeling, they may need to be reminded that God has not departed just because this moment may not be as high as the last.

A “mystic-type” (Affective-Apophatic) spirituality is characterized more by listening to God than by talking to Him, with an aspiration to union with God, the ultimate mystery. People attracted to this type of spirituality are often introspective people for whom their inner world is more real and more attractive than the external one. They are attracted to the writings of the Christian mystics such as St. Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Thomas Merton. They tend to see God as creative force and may be attracted to a creation-type theology. They often find themselves uncomfortable and not fitting in, especially with congregations that are primarily social or cultural assemblies. To enhance their spiritual life, they need solitude and silence and may benefit from encouragement to develop a contemplative or centering kind of meditation, or to take part in religious retreats. However, they should also be reminded that their brothers and sisters will miss out on the spiritual contribution that they can make to the life of the congregation if, in seeking only their own spiritual goals, they fail to be emotionally present to others. 

“Kingdom-type” (Speculative-Apophatic) spirituality is visionary and crusading. People with this orientation tend to equate theology with action. Speculative-Apophatic types passionately want to transform society and can be very assertive, even aggressive, in trying to implement their vision of the kingdom of God here on earth. They are likely to be exasperated with authority figures and constantly challenging them because these authorities are perceived as falling short of their own vision of the Kingdom; and they are prone to withdraw from any congregation that doesn’t buy into their vision as enthusiastically as they think it should. According to Ware, they should be encouraged to get involved with others in some worthwhile cause or project, as well as to exercise tolerance for those whose spirituality doesn’t match their own. 

Like Richardson, Ware believes that spiritual wholeness requires an element of each of these different approaches to spirituality; and that each of us should begin to develop our spiritual wholeness: 

1. by identifying our own spiritual tendencies,  

and

2. by attempting to add to them, not only by developing an appreciation for each of the other approaches, but by developing each of those aspects of spirituality in our own lives as well.