Heirbyadoption wrote:I just came across this. Guess I'll go ahead and comment anyway.
If you want the short version of my answer---> I don't recommend it. As has been alluded to, it's primarily based on non-Christian philosophy, and is truly arbitrary as far as psychological/personality systems go.
Having said that, I have a few friends who feel they have truly found it to be a blessing in understanding the why's of their own choices in life (as well as those of others) and claim it has been a blessing in their sanctification by giving them a fuller picture of God's design.
Having said that, and this is from reading about 14 books and 50+ articles on the subject (I was asked to research it by a friend), I'm not someone who looks for a demon under every rock, BUT it is verifiably documented that the Enneagram as it stands was compiled in the 60s/70s by Oscar Ichazo, who claimed to receive it from the archangel Metatron (a popular figure in occult and New Age spheres) during a 7 day (possibly mescaline induced) trance, and the 9 types/wings/etc were further defined/refined by his student Claudio Naranjo who says he did so MOSTLY through automatic writing, and who went on to publicly admit that they made up the concept that all our types are rooted in a childhood trauma, and who further admitted that they knowingly made up the concept of the Enneagram as being a historic Christian practice.
From a strictly Christian standpoint, my concern would be more the emphasis on "Self"-realization and self-improvement, as well as a significant downplaying of the Biblical concepts of sin, the transforming work and power of the Holy Spirit, and the fact that we are called to look to and be conformed to the image of Jesus, not a personality system (even a seemingly effective or accurate one). Plus I found (at least for myself) the tempation to take my Enneagram number and say that "this is how I am, and therefore you need to recognize that and respond to me as such, or my response will predictably be...." Or the equal temptation to look at someone else (and any Enneagram user who denies this is either willingly ignorant or a bit dishonest) and relate to them only by the number they seem to fit, rather than accepting that God gives us all different gifts, and He is always refining and calling us to holy, healthy changes, even away from the boxes we try to put around our personality, whether with Enneagram numbers or any other definer.
So....that brings us back to the original question:
can Christians use the Enneagram simply as a useful personality assessment test while divorcing it from its occult origins and downplaying of major Biblical doctrines? Honestly, I'm not sure I can answer that question 100% yet, but I confess I would be very slow to embrace it as THE answer for one's struggles in life, even as a born again believer. Everybody who interacts with it will have to answer that question for themselves. But if your criteria is "whatsoever things are pure", it strikes me as being inherently polluted, though some of it's negative effects may well not show in the short term.
Sorry, that really was the short (and technically incomplete) version...
I'll take a look at the list of everything I've gone through and try to post them here for you.