#TrendingTuesday

With the numerous personality type tests available, one of which I talked about during a #SelfieSaturday in January, do we really need another one? Well, no. No, we don't but that hasn't stopped several type indicators from being developed. In fact, Gretchen Rubin came out with her type indicator recently. But for this #TrendingTuesday I want to talk about a type indicator that is a little different from the ones we are used to hearing about.

The Enneagram is a typology of nine interconnected personality types. It's thought to have been around since the 4th century but nobody seems to know for certain. What we do know is it came into conversations in the 1950's with Oscar Ichazo and then later, in the 1970's, with Claudio Naranjo. It gained popularity with the spiritual community when some Jesuit priests heard Naranjo teach on it and felt it spoke strongly to the spiritual component of our lives. Since that time it has grown a following that has been gaining momentum more recently. (For more general information about the Enneagram click here.)

I first heard about the enneagram a couple of years ago while reading a book by Richard Rohr. Father Rohr is widely considered to be an enneagram expert as he was one of the Jesuit priests who learned about the typology in the 1970's and published one of the first books in english about it. In the past year or so the enneagram has been part of my vocabulary more because one of my closest friends is just a tad obsessed with it. She has become a podcast junkie over the enneagram, plus reading several books on this typology. While my curiosity has been poked I'm just now getting around to deciding to take a closer look at it.

Just as with all things the enneagram has come under some criticism and in part because it has been studied and taught from more of a spiritual perspective. This opens it up to all kinds of criticism from Christians. In order to fairly report on the enneagram trend you can click here to read a criticism of the typology from Kevin DeYoung at The Gospel Coalition. What I dislike the most about DeYoung's dismissal of the typology is his dismissal of the diverse ways faith can be expressed. Because he dismisses expression of faith that falls outside of traditional evangelical circles he dismisses the typology. He focuses his criticism around Ian Cron's book, The Road Back to You, and while he doesn't state this in his article I am wondering if one of the reasons he is so critical of Cron's book is because Cron is an Episcopalian priest. I'm not sure but I think given his dismissal of people of faith like Merton and Rohr it's plausible.

Have I taken the test to see what number I am...and am not? Yes but I'm not convinced it's the best descriptor of me so I've decided that during 2018 I will dig a little deeper into the enneagram and see what's what with this particular personality type indicator.