Abingdon Press, 155pp.
Originally published in Catholic Register
I must confess that as an introvert, I’ve always carried the unexamined bias that religion was largely the domain of the Introvert—Introverts just seemed more likely to have their hearts set on the eschatological banquet , even though they’d probably be more comfortable with an intimate chat with Jesus over a Starbucks.
But of course this is a fallacy, and Nancy Reeves has written Spirituality For Extroverts to rehabilitate this perception. And Reeves is just the person for the task; she is not only a clinical psychologist and spiritual director, but also an introvert herself. Her background as a clinical psychologist is particularly helpful, as so many writers in this field with lesser qualifications settle on fusing spirituality with pop psychology, undermining the credibility of the genre.
This allows us to begin on solid ground, with a clear understanding of what Extroversion is. The term was first coined by Carl Jung in 1923 in his work Psychological Types, and further developed by Myers-Briggs, the founders of the Type Indicator. They have given us our common understanding of Extroversion, which is a personality type that is more open, outward, communicative and friendly. More recent biological research has supported Jung’s insight, with brain scans finding that the brains of Extroverts actually reported more neurological activity in the posterior thalamus and posterior insula—the parts of the brain that are involved in interpreting sensory data (Introverts by contrast experienced more brain activity in the frontal lobes and anterior thalamus, the parts of the brain associated with memory, planning and problem solving). Because people seek out experiences that stimulate their brains, Extroverts get more out of interacting with the outer world through positive social experiences.
What this means in terms of spirituality, is that Extroverts are likely struggle with traditional spiritual practices that involve turning inwards, such as silent retreats and contemplative prayer. What Reeves advocates is the ‘different strokes for different folks’ approach; so rather than the above spiritual exercises, she would recommend singing, finding ‘soul friends’, moving prayer which includes walking a labyrinth or even dancing—she even suggests ‘spiritual photography,’ something I had no idea even existed. Reeves argues that we need to think outside the box when it comes to Extrovert spiritual practice; “Prayer forms are meant to be instrumental, ways to be in communion with God. When they help us achieve our desire, we should not let them capture our attention. As an ancient Chinese proverb states, ‘Only the fool stares at the finger when it is pointing at the moon.’ ”
Here I caught myself saying, ‘Well, if everything is prayer, then nothing is prayer…’ But Reeves pulls through this ‘anything goes’ section on spiritual practice with the eventual acknowledgement that healthy Extroverts must develop spiritually not by struggling against their nature, but within it—and I think this is the most honest and helpful section of the book. The idea is that Extroverts share many broad characteristics; however the trick is that they must be manifested positively for spiritual growth to occur. The Extrovert must move along the personality continuum from impulsive to spontaneous; from chatter to focused discussion; from stimulation junkie to diverse spiritual practice; from wandering in space to befriending silence. The goal of all of this is to prevent Extroverts from becoming slaves to their own desire for outward stimulation. To maximize their potential for spiritual growth and psychological integrity, Reeves argues that Extroverts must temper their instinctive desires by moving towards a more balanced approach to spirituality.
As this book is written by an Extrovert and mainly for them, it is helpful that it is written in a lively style, punctuated by spiritual biographies, and with short lively chapters. It is also highly interactive, as each chapter concludes with discussion questions and tips for using the book in groups. Spirituality for Extroverts is a little gem for Extroverts struggling to find a fruitful spiritual path, and for those who minister to them (especially spiritual directors). However because of its brevity, more work needs to be done on this important topic. Reeves deserves much praise for getting the conversation started.
Originally published in Catholic Register
I must confess that as an introvert, I’ve always carried the unexamined bias that religion was largely the domain of the Introvert—Introverts just seemed more likely to have their hearts set on the eschatological banquet , even though they’d probably be more comfortable with an intimate chat with Jesus over a Starbucks.
But of course this is a fallacy, and Nancy Reeves has written Spirituality For Extroverts to rehabilitate this perception. And Reeves is just the person for the task; she is not only a clinical psychologist and spiritual director, but also an introvert herself. Her background as a clinical psychologist is particularly helpful, as so many writers in this field with lesser qualifications settle on fusing spirituality with pop psychology, undermining the credibility of the genre.
This allows us to begin on solid ground, with a clear understanding of what Extroversion is. The term was first coined by Carl Jung in 1923 in his work Psychological Types, and further developed by Myers-Briggs, the founders of the Type Indicator. They have given us our common understanding of Extroversion, which is a personality type that is more open, outward, communicative and friendly. More recent biological research has supported Jung’s insight, with brain scans finding that the brains of Extroverts actually reported more neurological activity in the posterior thalamus and posterior insula—the parts of the brain that are involved in interpreting sensory data (Introverts by contrast experienced more brain activity in the frontal lobes and anterior thalamus, the parts of the brain associated with memory, planning and problem solving). Because people seek out experiences that stimulate their brains, Extroverts get more out of interacting with the outer world through positive social experiences.
What this means in terms of spirituality, is that Extroverts are likely struggle with traditional spiritual practices that involve turning inwards, such as silent retreats and contemplative prayer. What Reeves advocates is the ‘different strokes for different folks’ approach; so rather than the above spiritual exercises, she would recommend singing, finding ‘soul friends’, moving prayer which includes walking a labyrinth or even dancing—she even suggests ‘spiritual photography,’ something I had no idea even existed. Reeves argues that we need to think outside the box when it comes to Extrovert spiritual practice; “Prayer forms are meant to be instrumental, ways to be in communion with God. When they help us achieve our desire, we should not let them capture our attention. As an ancient Chinese proverb states, ‘Only the fool stares at the finger when it is pointing at the moon.’ ”
Here I caught myself saying, ‘Well, if everything is prayer, then nothing is prayer…’ But Reeves pulls through this ‘anything goes’ section on spiritual practice with the eventual acknowledgement that healthy Extroverts must develop spiritually not by struggling against their nature, but within it—and I think this is the most honest and helpful section of the book. The idea is that Extroverts share many broad characteristics; however the trick is that they must be manifested positively for spiritual growth to occur. The Extrovert must move along the personality continuum from impulsive to spontaneous; from chatter to focused discussion; from stimulation junkie to diverse spiritual practice; from wandering in space to befriending silence. The goal of all of this is to prevent Extroverts from becoming slaves to their own desire for outward stimulation. To maximize their potential for spiritual growth and psychological integrity, Reeves argues that Extroverts must temper their instinctive desires by moving towards a more balanced approach to spirituality.
As this book is written by an Extrovert and mainly for them, it is helpful that it is written in a lively style, punctuated by spiritual biographies, and with short lively chapters. It is also highly interactive, as each chapter concludes with discussion questions and tips for using the book in groups. Spirituality for Extroverts is a little gem for Extroverts struggling to find a fruitful spiritual path, and for those who minister to them (especially spiritual directors). However because of its brevity, more work needs to be done on this important topic. Reeves deserves much praise for getting the conversation started.
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