Strategies for Using the Five-Factor Model of Personality in Religious Research

Abstract

The five-factor model of personality (FFM) represents an important advancement in the area of personality research and assessment. One of the model's assets is its ability to organize under a common roof disparate measurement models and provide a common language for talking about important qualities of people. This article argues that the FFM can serve as a useful tool for religious researchers in four ways. First, it can be useful in consolidating work in clergy assessment and selection. Second, the FFM can be helpful in capturing images of God that can be more readily integrated with larger, mainstream psychological theories. Third, the FFM can be used to understand better the personological meanings behind religious constructs and to relate these constructs to each other. Finally, the FFM can be used to determine the degree to which religious variables provide explanations of phenomena that are independent of already existing constructs.