Virgil Walker and Darrell Harrison discuss the Enneagram and its relationship to the gospel. They explore the Enneagram's origins, its validity as a personality typing system, and its potential for personal development. The speakers delve into specific Enneagram personality types, such as the perfectionist and helper types, and discuss their motivations and connections to concepts like legalism and depression. They express concerns about the integration of the Enneagram into Christianity and caution against embracing it without understanding its spiritual implications. Additionally, they touch on topics such as automatic writing, the influence of theologian Paul Tillich on Martin Luther King Jr., and the dangers of connecting false ideologies to Christianity.
The Enneagram goes beyond a simple personality typing tool and purports to uncover our true potential and identity.
The origins and significance of the Enneagram should be questioned, as it lacks scientific evidence and objective truth.
By focusing on the Enneagram, we may lose sight of our true nature and the work that Christ has begun in us.
The Enneagram draws from various mystical and pagan traditions, highlighting its deviation from biblical teachings.
The Enneagram falsely promises to reveal one's authentic self and offers a distorted view of human nature, contradicting the gospel message of salvation through Christ alone.
The Enneagram represents a syncretistic and pluralistic worldview, undermining the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ.
Deep dives
The Enneagram as a Spiritual Tool
The Enneagram is much more than a personality test - it is a spiritual tool that helps individuals discover their true identity and potential. It conveys the idea that we are much more than our personalities and that each person has an individual spark of the divine within them. The Enneagram is seen as a means of uncovering our true nature and experiencing personal growth and transformation. It is taught as part of the larger work of spiritual realization and is believed to help individuals connect with their inner guidance.
Questioning the Origins and Significance
However, it is important to question the origins and significance of the Enneagram. It was developed without scientific or empirical evidence and lacks objective truth. Despite the lack of evidence, many Christians have embraced the Enneagram without fully understanding its spiritual dimensions. The Enneagram goes beyond a simple personality typing tool and purports to uncover our true potential and identity. This raises concerns about relying on a tool that trades on pseudo-spirituality and leads individuals away from taking responsibility for their actions.
The Danger of Limiting Ourselves
When engaging with the Enneagram, individuals may find comfort in boxing themselves into a specific type or label. However, this limits personal growth and rejects the complexity of human beings created in the image of God. The Enneagram overlooks the biblical truth that our identity is found in Jesus Christ, not in a personality type. By focusing on the Enneagram, we may lose sight of our true nature and the work that Christ has begun in us. It is important to question whether the Enneagram truly guides us on the right path or leads to spiritual hindrance and deception.
Unveiling the Pagan Influences
Digging deeper into the origins of the Enneagram reveals new age mystic vernacular and pagan influences. The Ridwan School, which teaches the Diamond Approach, is associated with the Enneagram and promotes spiritual transformation. The Diamond Approach draws from paranormal practices and spiritual exploration, aiming to uncover the innate qualities of being. This highlights the pagan and mystical elements underlying the Enneagram, as it steers individuals towards a new spirituality rather than a biblical worldview.
The Distortion of Essence and Divine Forms
The enneagram purports the existence of a divine essence in individuals, contradicting the fallen human condition described in scripture.
Mystical and Pagan Roots
The enneagram draws from various mystical and pagan traditions, such as Sufism and Platonic philosophy, emphasizing a belief in divine forms and self-realization.
Misleading the Authentic Self
The enneagram falsely promises to reveal one's authentic self and offers a distorted view of human nature, leading away from reliance on God's grace and forgiveness.
Dangerous Divergence from Scripture
The enneagram diverges from biblical teachings by promoting the idea of self-improvement and the worship of the self, contradicting the gospel message of salvation through Christ alone.
The Enneagram: A Tool for Spiritual Transformation
The Enneagram is not just a personality test, but a tool for spiritual transformation. It goes beyond external behaviors and shines a light straight to the heart, revealing our inner motivations, desires, fears, and values. It helps us understand how we cope in a fallen world, uncover the sin we're clinging to, and identify patterns of unhealthy behavior. By pointing ourselves to Jesus and leaning on Him, we can break free from these patterns and find a deeper, more profound life. However, it's important to recognize that the Enneagram is an approximation of the story of God and can be seen as a form of Gnostic numerology, offering an alternative spirituality to the sufficiency of Christ.
The Syncretistic and Pluralistic Nature of the Enneagram
The Enneagram represents a syncretistic and pluralistic worldview, incorporating elements from various religious and spiritual traditions. It emphasizes the idea that we are not alone and are supported by invisible forces or energies. It draws parallels between the beliefs of different religions, such as the communion of saints in Christianity, the manifestation of God in nature in Hinduism, and the infinite forms of Buddha nature in Buddhism. This syncretism and pluralism ultimately undermines the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ, suggesting that all paths lead to the same spiritual truth.
The Deception and Danger of the Enneagram
The Enneagram is not a harmless personality test, but a deceptive and dangerous tool. Its origins can be traced back to occultic and pagan practices. While it may offer insights into human nature, it aims to catalyze spiritual growth on paths that are incompatible with biblical Christianity. The Enneagram promotes self-focus, the uncovering of sin, and the pursuit of self-salvation and self-realization. It replaces the sufficiency of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the false idea that the Enneagram can shine a light to the heart and transform lives. Christians should reject the Enneagram as it goes against the teachings of Scripture and leads believers away from the true Gospel.
The Enneagram. What is it? What are its origins? Why is it gaining popularity within the evangelical church? And why should believers in Jesus Christ care about such questions as these? Listen as Darrell Harrison and Virgil “Omaha” Walker provide you with biblical answers to those important questions in episode #125 of the Just Thinking podcast, titled “The Enneagram and the Gospel.”
