Archetypes of Religious Thinkers

Jung

Jung wrote the concept of archetypes. This was nothing new as these ‘types’ have always existed; he just formulated them in to a common language. Some of these archetypes are now used in common language, like ‘extrovert’ and ‘introvert’, which he divided into four types. Jung then divided people into four types: the thinking, feeling, sensation  and intuitive type. Combined together, we have a total of eight types. By understanding the types, we can betterunderstand theists’ minds.

1) Extroverted Thinking Type- Gathers facts, is immersed in facts, is obsessed with more facts. But rarely brings them together to one coherent whole, like a child at the beach who sees shells but doesn’t fit them with the rules of geology.

2) Intorverted Thinking Type- Herbert Spencer’s idea of a ‘tragedy’ was a theory killed by fact. This is very common among theists.

3) Extroverted Feeling Type- Always seeking new experiences, things to do, new friends, new relationships. Usually a good mixer socially, but sometimes has hardly any close friends or relationships as they don’t get far with anybody. The theist always seeking new religious experiences within their own religion may fall into this category, like a unitarian.

4) Introverted Feeling Type- Tends to be shy and withdrawn. Underneath there’s great intensity of feeling. On the surface so calm, but underneath there’s strong currents of feelings. Tends to hold strong feelings, but is often unable to give outward expression. It’s hard to know their true religious opinions and values.

5) Extroverted sensation type- Explorer, the globe-trotter, the one exploring new worlds. Eager for new sights, people, sensations. Not unlike the feeling type. Perhaps a crude aversion fo the same thing.

6) Introverted sensation type- Perceptive connoisure. The person who cares for quality in all sorts, not quantity. Eg. quality in food, wine, very detailed. But can easily degenerate to minute obsession. Examples include Christian Universalists who have an entire dogma on the grammatical words ‘aion’ and ‘aionias’, or the atheist who rejects an entire religion bacause of a single scientific error in the text.

7) Extroverted intuitive type- Always wants new possibilities in the otuside world, to get things done, new movements. Once well under way/moderately successful, he wants to leave them and start something new. Sometimes people find a new religion and then start a new movement.

8 ) Introverted intuitive type- Concerned mroe with the possibilities hidden in the depth of the psyche. Often gets lost. Possibly Jung himself. External world hardly exists at all.