Isolation and the parish ministry
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis was to examine the concept of
isolation as it occurs within the profession of ministry.
Isolation, for the purpose of this thesis, is defined social-psychologically.
Within the field research isolation is
considered as evidenced professionally, socially and spiritually.
This study utilized as its sample base 200 hundred Church of
Scotland ministers (15% of total population) which provided 159
usable responses to an extensive mail survey. The mail survey
consisted of a questionnaire designed and tested to measure
experienced isolation; the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a
personality measure; and the Purpose In Life Test, a measure of
motivation. A further 15% of the respondents were selected by
random process for direct interviews.
The thesis is divided into four primary sections;
psychological perspective, theological perspective , field
research, summary and conclusions.
Chapter 1 reviews eight psychological perceptions of
isolation as found in the works of such notables as Freud, Adler,
Fromm, Horney, Laing, Sullivan, and Frankl. From these it was
determined that common to all perspectives of isolation was a
primary isolation from the SELF. In chapters 2 and 3a model of
isolation was developed from the work of C. G. Jung and applied to
the profession of ministry.
Chapters 4 to 6 examine the concept of separation from the
self from a theological perspective as found in the works of P.
Tillich and E. Brunner. Chapter 6 develops a composite view of
the self and considers it in light of the redemptive process.
Chapters 7 to 10 review the actual field study conducted by
the researcher among the Church of Scotland ministers.
This study concludes in Chapter 11 with a summary of the
findings and their implications for the ministry of the church.
The salient factor evidenced was that isolation is not primarily
an inter-relational problem, but rather an intrarelational
phenomenon.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
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