INTJ Extended Profile
INTJ stands for introverted intuitive thinking judging. You will notice that once more the Work mode has rotated one position in a clockwise direction. The last four types will each have intellectual output in their work mode. The creativity mode, as always is on the opposite side of the diagram. Challenge is now at the top and play is at the bottom.
The competence portion of the work mode for the INTJ includes the transactional role of Conceptualizer. Its corresponding ministry role is Promoter of Discipleship.
CONCEPTUALIZER
Conceptualizing involves visual information processing. This role finds structure in logic. Professions such as architecture and systems design use the conceptualizer role.
PROMOTER OF DISCIPLESHIP
A discipline is a structured approach to living. The Conceptualizer may want to innovate new systems but he or she would like others to follow them. They have drive toward constant improvement of everything. These are the ‘better idea’ people of the typological world. Everything, words, plans, designs, ideas, even people, has room for improvement. The Promoter of Discipleship is interested in making better Christians.
The talent portion of the INTJ includes the transactional role of Theoretician and its Ministry parallel role of Theologian.
THEORETICIAN
The Theoretician finds the pattern in strategies. This might be in theoretical physics or on the battle field. Theoreticians can be mathematicians or philosophers. They organize ideas. They rely on thinking to expand principles into logical consequences.
THEOLOGIAN
The theologian finds the patterns in the Bible and applies them to life. The theologian looks at the Bible and says, “I discern that God has done this in the history of the Israelites and therefore, the resulting pattern shows us that God is loving and desires to have a covenental relationship with us today.”
There are probably many INTJ seminary professors of theology. Perhaps, many an eager lay Bible student is also an INTJ.
The perseverance portion of the play mode for the INTJ includes the transactional role of Organizer with the ministry role of Social Justice Program Developer.
ORGANIZER
The Organizer is as interested in how things are done as he or she is in the results. Neatness, order, and efficiency are important. They are the world’s great systematizers. They make good secretaries and craftsmen. They are programmers and administrators. They accept responsibility and follow through with painstaking and thorough effort. They are the guardians of time-honored institutions.
SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM DEVELOPER
The Social Justice Program Developer is aware of the inequities in society and seek to address them. They put their organizational skills together with their concern for what is right.
We might guess that our INTJ seminary professor is a systematic Theologian. He has organized their theological understanding into a unified system.
However, the INTJ is not just an introverted book worm, and deep thinker. Remember, thinkers have feelings, just as feelers can think! Theological concepts represent passionate concerns for the INTJ. He will not remain content just to study them. Perhaps, people like Daniel Berrigan are INTJs. Pursing justice is a role which just won’t quit.
The relax portion of play for the INTJ has the transactional role of Molder and the ministry role of Make the Church Be Jesus.
MOLDER
The most obvious professions for a Molder is that of sculptor, carpenter or other craftsmen. However, they might also have less concrete occupations. They might mold facts and institutions instead of clay or wood.
MAKE THE CHURCH BE JESUS
In the church, molders might indeed be craftsmen and artisans. However, they will also be concerned that the church be an institution, act as they think Jesus would act. They will do what they can to tinker with the structure of the institution, to shape it so that it can respond to its members and society in what they consider to be a more Christ like manner. This may vary, depending on their theological background and interest. However, they will be the person who is appalled, if someone is turned away because they were improperly dressed. They might strive to set up a soup kitchen, a health clinic, or a fix up a room where the homeless could rest and cleanup.
Perhaps, our imaginary seminary professor has carpentry as a hobby. He may be equally skilled at molding their church, either local congregation, or national denomination, into their theological understanding of the personality and purpose of Jesus Christ.
The toil portion of the challenge mode for the ENTJ includes the transactional role of Verbalist and ministry role of Worship Leader.
VERBALIST
The Verbalist has the ability to be articulate. He knows how to say the right thing and say it well. This is the capacity of the orator, the preacher, the lecturer, actor and diplomat. The focus is not so much on what is said, but how. It is the capacity of people who would rather speak than listen.
WORSHIP LEADER
I mentioned under Critic the importance of words. It is the Worship Leader who pronounces them. This is most obviously the case for the preacher. It is equally true when reading prayers or speaking them extemporaneously. The Worship Leader leads the congregation. He speaks to God for them and speaks to them for God. It is an awesome responsibility and takes the capacity of a good verbalist to do it.
Consider again, our hypothetical seminary professor. He may have been in a parish for a short while. Although capable at leading worship, and preparing sermons, they found this part of their job tiring. Indeed, it is great to be a professor and have extra opportunities to think hard and be stretched academically. If only one didn’t have to get up in front of a class and lecture.
The serendipity portion of the challenge mode for the INTJ has the transactional role of Perceiver and the ministry role of Spiritual Warrior.
PERCEIVER
The Perceiver notices harmonies and makes intuitive guesses regarding what is behind these harmonies. The reverse is also true. They make guesses about disharmony as well. Data comes from remote input, the sixth sense and smell. It is often difficult to know just how a perceiver knows. The accuracy of their observations is confirmation. Professionally, one finds perceivers in a variety of fields. People oriented professions, however, predominate: counseling, teaching, social work, and the ministry.
SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
The Spiritual Warrior uses the Perceiver role to see into the spiritual realm. It takes this special kind of perception to be aware of powers and principalities.
Our hypothetical INTJ professor may get involved in spiritual warfare on the larger scale. He or she may see this warfare on the cultural or even international level. The weapons he or she will use, will probably come from the work mode: good theology and sound discipleship. Following the serendipitous nature of these roles, our INTJ is more apt to exercise them as needed, rather than regularly looking for battles.
The creativity mode of the INTJ begins with the lock position which contains the transactional role of Classifier. Its corresponding ministry role is Evangelist.
CLASSIFIER
The Classifier is one who makes choices between dichotomous situations of control. In a literal sense, this is concerned with control of the body. Thus some classifiers are athletes. Lowen gives the example of a baseball player who must decide if a pitch is in the strike zone and how to control his body to hit the ball. However, another prime example of a classifier is the politician. The politician is constantly choosing what action to take. Shall I vote yes or no? Shall I accept this invitation or go to that banquet? Shall I endorse this candidate or denounce that project? Shall I shake hands or smile for the photo opportunity? Administrators are also Classifiers. They must make decisions of control all the time.
EVANGELIST
The ministry role of Evangelist corresponds with Classifier. In many respects, a good Evangelist is a good politician. What can I do to help the lost become found; the dead in sin come to new life? Shall I cross over to Macedonia or stay in Judea? Shall I speak in Madison Square Garden or Central Park? Shall I talk about your life or speak of biblical characters? The Evangelist has a good track record for getting the right answers to these control questions. It is not surprising to find Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson crossing those church and state lines. The Evangelist is, with Paul wondering how to control the situation to help move people from one category to another.
Remember that the creativity mode is the most unconscious or least aware of the modes. The INTJ will definitely feel blocked or locked when it comes to these activities. However, they remain important to him or her. They are the subject of his hidden agenda. The whole purpose for good theology and discipleship is to develop people who can spread the Good News!
The key position of creativity may help the INTJ connect his or her hidden agenda to the work mode. The key transactional role is Initiator and its corresponding ministry role is Ministry Leader in the Community.
INITIATOR
The Initiator is an entrepreneur and an opportunist. Lowen uses the sentence “Signal the Match.” to describe this role. The initiator is watching for a match. Lowen’s prime example is a salesperson. What is it about the customer that matches the product. When the salesman gets the answer, he signals the match and says, “This is just the one for you!”
MINISTRY LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY
Often it takes an entrepreneur to be a leader of ministry in the community. There are risks. Not everyone is ready to trust across denominational or other faith lines. The Ministry Leader in the Community is able to find the match between the needs of the community and the desires of the people to help. He or she then raises the flag and presto others say “This is the project we have been seeking!”
Perhaps, our imaginary INTJ professor can get up enough passion to overcome his introverted nature. Perhaps, a desire for a social program, which the INTJ attacks with perseverance in the play mode, will by the Grace of God, plunge him or her into a community leadership position of the creativity mode!
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The INTJ should look for assistance in the following gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of discernment, wisdom, faith, and knowledge will be active in the work mode. However, these may be viewed or experienced more as natural talents than spiritual gifts. An attitude of humility and gratitude can enhance their spiritual effectiveness. This will be true in the play mode but to a slightly lesser degree. Here the INTJ might anticipate an experience of the gifts of adminstration and service. In the more unconscious challenge mode, the INTJ may find the Lord moving in his or her life through the spiritual gifts of pastor, prophesy, exhortation, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and emotional healing. Lastly in the creativity mode, and perhaps most importantly, the INTJ may experience helps, mercy, hospitality, evangelism, and physical healing. These will likely be viewed as the most Godly of the gifts. Because of their unconscious nature the INTJ will have to exercise greater will to accept them.
For a complete explanation of Personality Type see my discussion of How to Understand People click here.
For more specific information on INTJ click here,
To read Walter Lowen click here.
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