Enneagram

OK – I hate to admit this, but I’ve apparently been living under a rock, been asleep since 2016, or not been engaged with reality!  All such conditions render me a poor leader for a leader needs to understand what is happening and give wisdom and direction to those following.  “Why say such?”, say you.

Yesterday I received a phone call telling me about a thing called an “Enneagram” that some in certain Omaha church circles have enthusiastically embraced.  My response, “A what?”  They repeated it and then spelled it two times for me.  I hung up and googled the word and found it has been pretty popular since 2016 and used by many churches in counseling and small group applications with the intent of helping people grasp who they are that they might deal with self and others more effectively.  So what is this “Enneagram” technique or tool?

Some references:

From Christianity.com, Kristi Walker, What Is the Enneagram?  Why Do Christians Like it So Much?

From GotQuestions.org: According to the Enneagram Institute, the Enneagram can help people restore balance to their “personality structure” and develop more desirable spiritual and psychological qualities. Believers in the Enneagram seek to unravel the mystery of their “true identity.” They see themselves as spiritual beings who have lost contact with their true nature. Once they discover their “true self”—by means of the Enneagram—they experience a spiritual awakening full of freedom and joy.

PK: While there is surely some value in understanding one’s self and having to face one’s weaknesses and also in realizing the strengths and weaknesses in others, there seem to be some deeper dangers in the “tool”.

I have a deep concern that it plays up to narcissism – “me-ism”.  So, in just a few short minutes, I can learn important truths about me that give me ammunition to explain my behaviors as well as some excuses as to why I don’t do certain things.  It seems to be a tool that could be used to avoid apologizing and failing to be obedient.  It appears to be a crutch for just being me!

I am also concerned that it seems to pigeonhole a person into one of the nine areas while I believe that people are much more complex and diverse than such simple determinations.  And by the way, who decided it was nine and not seven or 13?  God declares that He gives His people seven gift areas – not nine (Romans 12).

It also seems to downplay the sufficiency of Scripture and the Spirit to reveal truths and tools to address sins, needs, and direction.  It can easily become a substitute for serious Bible study.

GotQuestions:  The Enneagram Institute is correct that we are spiritual beings and we are not living as we were meant to. But the solution is not to get in touch with our “true nature”; it is to cry out to God for salvation. We are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness (Romans 3:23; 6:23), which is made available by His grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9). Those who are dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1) cannot achieve a spiritual awakening on their own; they must receive the life of Christ—regardless of their personality type.

I have listened to some podcasts and noted some sections in each to shorten the time required to learn more about this issue.  I will send my findings to you if you are interested.