It's supposed to fall like a rock. The difference is the angle, not the fundamental method.

The crucial difference is that (IIRC) in ballistic descent you don't angle the craft to gain altitude and prolong reentry.

Normally you'd slightly angle the craft downwards or upwards to alter the trajectory in the air, during reentry this allows you to stay longer at high altitudes and burn off more speed before you burn it at lower altitudes (literally).

The shape of the craft not being a wing is largely irrelevant, with sufficient speed even a brick can fly.

Yes, ballistic here apparently means without propulsion, and without generating lift (only drag).

Means like a ball in the sense of 'cannonball'

I wonder how badly a descent like that would beat you up. Seems pretty violent but it's certainly better than dead.

It's supposed to fall that way in that scenario. The Soyuz capsule is capable of generating lift during re-entry, which it usually does for a nominal orbital entry, but that's not always desired in every situation.

A rock with parachutes, FWIW.

Parachutes deploy when descent is almost over, not when you experience 8g.