1. I think I’m probably an intellectual/mystic sort of person generally, but I like to think those intellectual conclusions lead me towards a more emphatic position on justice!

2. My wife totally rolls relational. No doubt.

How about “Enthhusiastic” as a category? I think some people react more specifically to energy than they do anything else. That might be just a dimension of the other types, but I think you could make a good argument for its inclusion in its own right.

Steven,

Thanks for the note. Good observations. My wife is “relational” for sure with a leaning toward justice. I’m probably intellectual with a leaning toward justice. As I’m thinking about our ministry staff @ OC . . . we’re pretty diverse (though I realize this is only way to to measure).

I’ll give the “enthusiastic” slant a consideration. I would think that relates to relational (the human element). Thinking …

What I meant to write is that, in my 20’s I had a leaning toward justice (still trumped by learning, intellect) but now I feel I’m becoming much more of a mystic.

That is a difficult question for me. I learn much about God and how to love God through intellectual and justice but I am also learning to appreciate how to allow God to have all of my life through the catagories of relational and mystic, as I have been a participant in a house church for the last nine months.

I would say my wife is much more relational and mystic (although I think she would prefer the term “contemplative”).

Grace and peace,

Rex

I’m definitely a mystic with a heavy leaning toward justice. I think the mystic part is from my Catholic upbringing with the chants, silence, and readings. And I’m a mystic because I’ve tried bringing my art into my worship with God the more and more I grow as an artist (in attempts to become like God Himself; a creator).

Definitely intellectual/justice leaning, but I think I appreciate the other two as well.

And I think Justice necessarily entails the relational. I can help folks in my neighborhood with physical needs, but sometimes, what they need and want more than anyone is someone who will listen, and love them where they are.

And true justice, that is transformative, only occurs through relationship.

You have written a very good post. One observation– sometimes those of us who teach/preach seem to get stuck in our own leaning. We frame our messages in our own category and then primarily communicate to people who have this bent. While we all have a bent of some kind, we could be more conscious of those who are different from ourselves and perhaps make more of an effort to connect with people who come at things very different than ourselves.