The Personality of Pre-Theological Majors

Abstract

COLLEGES and universities offering pr e -theoI logical curricula, and also the seminaries, have be come concerned with testing candidates for the cler gy and some are developing tests for students al ready engaged in study for the ministry. Interest has centered upon the personal adjustment of those in the ministry and in the seminaries (2) as well as upon the need for clinical pastoral training for the clergy (7, 9, 14). Much research has been devoted to measuring the personality, intelligence,interests, values, and motivation of theology students, and to the prediction of success in religious vocations (3, 11, 12, 15, 16). Some of the studies report de scriptions of test performance at various stages of theological study and seem to indicate little success in differentiating those who persist from those who do not persist. In this investigation an attempt was made to de termine primarily personality structure and second arily intelligence of pre-theological students at the point of intention, i. e., immediately upon enrolling as pre-theological majors in a four-year liberal arts college. These students were followed through their undergraduate careers, and a number of those entering a seminary upon receiving the bachelor's degree were administered the same personality test at this second decisive point of intention. Questions with which this study was most concerned were whether a student, who intends to become a pastor and who persists in his intention to the point of ac tually enrolling in a seminary, has a significantly dif ferent personality pattern than those who originally entertain a like intention but do not persist; also whether the student who persists to the point of en tering a seminary has at that time a personality pat tern which has changed significantly from the pattern observed upon entrance into college as a freshman.

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