Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Authority of Scripture, the Enneagram, and faithfulness
Is the tent too big or is it too deep? But this isn’t about people; instead it’s about the Christian faith. How do we know who Jesus is? How are we sure of our salvation and the righteousness Christ has given to us? How do we know that the work of Christ is sufficient? Where is our authority?
Our new Vice-Moderator, Rev. Landon Whitsitt, referring to Phyllis Tickle and her book, The Great Emergence, states “Sola Scriptoria is dead most places and dying rapidly in others.”[1] So the emerging and progressive side of the church will now, it seems, look in all directions for authority.
The sign of this is the various kinds of technique that leaders within the church offer as a means of meeting what seems to be lacking in the salvation Jesus provides. If proclamation is not grounded in the word of God, hell will provide its own version of authority.
For instance in an upcoming conference on church transformation posted on the PCUSA web site, 2010 Transformation Conference brochure, it seems the Enneagram might override the authority of Scripture The lady chosen to deal with spirituality, Suzanne Stabile, is the expert on the Enneagram. A video introduction can be heard here: Enneagram Intro or quickerIntro.
In the introduction she states that Paul, in his 7th chapter of Romans would have had an answer to why he could not do what he wished to do if he had known about the Enneagram. She also tells her new students that their introduction to the Enneagram will be equivalent to having children or “Jesus coming into your life.” She also speaks of the emerging church and states that we need “an added value that stands aside from all our differences.” For Stabile this is the Enneagram.
The Enneagram, in reality, has its roots in the occult and was first introduced by George Gurdjieff an occultist and founder of Esoteric Christianity. (Although many including Stabile consider it to be ancient there is no prove that it is.) The Ennagram filtered into the Catholic Church through the teaching of Chilean Oscar Ichazo, another occultist who developed, alongside others, a numbering system which supposedly applies to personalities. Father Robert Ochs trained with Ichazo as did others in the Catholic faith.[2]
I use this as an example, although I think this particular teaching in the church should be addressed. What can the orthodox in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) do as they watch their faith be torn apart, the Holy Scriptures devalued and the morality of the Church dismissed as unimportant?
Only what Christians everywhere and in all times have done. Remain faithful to the Lord of the Church and the word of God. Keep proclaiming, teaching, praying and worshiping according to the apostolic witness of God’s word. That is, keep proclaiming that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Keep telling the good news that in our union with the resurrected Jesus we are adorned with his righteousness. His work is sufficient.
Keep insisting that the word of God written is the Bible. Sola Scriptoria: our authority.
In some cases faithfulness means participating in renewal work. But above all it means walking straight ahead on the path that Jesus Christ has chosen for each of us individually and together as his Church. Some will leave this denomination. That is the judgment God gives as he begins the work of blowing out the candles of the western mainline churches. (We can still repent and be renewed but that is God’s other business) Some, including me, will remain because God has called us to be faithful in this place.
Paul’s advice to Timothy comes as truth for now and a bit of a pun for our moment.
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn to myths” (2 Timothy 4: 1-4). (my italics.)
[1] See my posting Sweeping Church History: A review of The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why
[2] An excellent article about the Enneagram is Tell me who I am O Enneagram by Mitchell Pacwa S.J.
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19 comments:
“Sola Scriptoria is dead most places and dying rapidly in others.”
Dead according to whom?
It has always been dead to those who chose not to follow Scripture. It hasn't changed. People haven't changed. This suggests the absurd notion that we are too sophisticated now, or that we have increased in our understanding to the point that we have outpaced it.
It is not dead because it is not true, it is "dead" in the opinion of those who don't want it to be true.
That has always been the contention of those who rejected Scripture as authority because they didn't like what it said. It has always been the impulse to pick what you like and cling to it, and reject what you don't. Here (delusional and self-serving) this impulse is being given free rein.
Interestingly, the ones sounding this new tone have been the same ones who have argued that interpretation of Scripture was impossible (or any interpretation was valid), who have berated theological 'conservatives' for their selective readings - sometimes rightly, often quite falsely. These same people - who depend on the non-reliability of Scripture attempt (with varying degrees of competence and incompetence) to use Scripture to harangue those who disagree with them.
Will I agree with all that you write. And I found in the interview nothing that assures the Church that Jesus Christ is Lord and that our leaders are framing our future around his leading. It is as though inclusiveness and emergent is the two main topics that will rule the day.
Our new Vice-Moderator, Rev. Landon Whitsitt . . . states “Sola Scriptoria is dead most places and dying rapidly in others.” Whitsitt fails to state by what authority he is able to make such a broad declaration. Christians through the last 20 centuries have rather died for their faith in Jesus Christ as our "solid Rock," rather than wander in sinking sand. Maybe Whitsitt hasn't yet felt the sand sinking under his feet.
Brad Larson
I read Tickle's book. She builds her arguments on facile view of church history--one that artificially slices up the centuries in order to "prove" that something really big is happening or about to happen, and the church has got to get with or lose out. This is pure hype--the same stuff that fills church leaders' shelves for very short periods. After generating something like anxiety over the possibility of "missing out," Tickle takes pot-shots at traditional Christianity, which has always been a very easy target. Unfortunately, her alarmism fails to do justice to the Church's resilience through all of the former upheavals of history. The sky is not falling; there is no reason to go sniffing after newly-hyped hermeneutics.
Agreed Noel,
And notice that while she starts with 500 year spans her time lines get longer and longer in order to make her theory work.
It occurs to me that the authority of Scripture may be less the point. Yes, it is certainly being challenged - including expressly in Tickle's work.
But it strikes me that people misunderstand (intentionally in some cases, accidentally in others) the concept of biblical authority. People often hatefully and falsely portray this as something coercive or 'authoritarian' in the arrogant sense.
The more important consideration is the truth of Scripture. Sola Scriptura presupposes the truth of Scripture. It also presupposes that Scripture is plainly able to be understood - though not all parts in equally isolation. I think what we're dealing with in many cases is not (contrary to the arguments often advanced) differing understandings of the meaning of Scripture as much as plain disbelief in its truth.
I think Whitsitt said both, perhaps without meaning to. To say scripture has no authority is rejecting scripture. Since he doesn't believe in the authority of scripture how does he believe anything.
From Iona Kells Theme (from CD Book of Kells)
His word shall live forever
His word shall live forever
The word is a sword that pierces the heart
The truth is a light that cuts through the dark
Of this world
Nations shall rise, nations shall fall,
Nothing shall stand
In the way of the word
The word is a sword that pierces the heart
The truth is a light that cuts through the dark
Of this world
Nations shall rise, nations shall fall,
Nothing shall stand
In the way of the word
pretty much says it all, yes?
YES!!
It's really too bad this was people's introduction to the Enneagram. I find it to be an excellent tool, and it is no more "occultic" than Myers-Briggs or other personality inventories that are used everywhere, including in psychological assessment of every ministry candidate in most Protestant denominations.
I had a great conversation about the Enneagram just last night, actually, and have found it to be incredibly valuable in my ministry both in the hospital as a chaplain and in the parish, as well as in my own personal development.
But then again, Viola would never call me "orthodox" Presbyterian.
For anyone else, though, I recommend reading about the Enneagram for yourself if you're interested in personality inventories/assessments of any kind. It is the best one I've encountered by far.
Doug,
The history of the enneagram, which I have provided here with a link is a fact. You may not be using it that way but that is its foundation. And in this case, Susan Stabile, it is being used as an idol set beside , really even above Jesus Christ and his word.
@ Viola
The history you linked to does have some facts, as well as some conjecture, and it is far from exhaustive. I'm using the enneagram, and continue to use it (I used it today, actually, to great effect) the only way I've seen it used - as a tool for understanding ourselves and other people. I think the article "Tell me who I am, O Enneagram" is actually quite ignorant of it's own topic.
Not that it's really that important one way or another. Just, for the record, I don't think what you're reacting against is the enneagram, but rather whatever this person I've never met was saying and doing, which sounds pretty foolish.
Hello, Folks ~ Having just come from Suzanne Stabile's presentation on the Enneagram in Albuquerque, I have to say that I think your attack on the Enneagram and her work with it is sorely misguided. Consider all of us folks saved by the blood of the Lamb. Are we not still, like Paul, caught in the ways of the flesh much of the time inhibiting the exercise of our own freedom in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit . . . and adding confusion and discord to the Body of Christ. The Enneagram can help one identify one's habitual pattern of sinning . . . and freshly bring one to ones knees (again) before our restoring, forgiving Saviour. It is a tool that can provide a structure for "speaking the truth in love" within the beloved community. This is how Suzanne Stabile presents it, and with a healthy dose of humor. Many of her statements such as the ones you quoted are not presented as sober truths . . . but are provocative and meant to be funny. Okay, I did wince a bit when she compared meeting the Enneagram to meeting Jesus. She had to be using hyperbole (one of Jesus' favorite ways of making a point). She is a woman deeply grounded in her faith speaking to people that I imagine she assumes are deeply grounded in their own love and dependence upon the Lord. The Christ of Holy Scripture alone saves and redeems. The Holy Spirit that Scripture says was given to his followers empowers and guides us to walk in His Way. The Enneagram might be an assist in this walk, opening one's eyes to the particular potholes and delusional mountaintops that seduce even His most devoted followers. There is nothing in Ms. Stabile's understanding of the Enneagram that suggests that it has salvific power . . . but it can help one see one's ongoing and desperate need of Christ Jesus, maybe even and especially the proud and doctrinally correct.
Christine Wagner
Christine-
“The Enneagram can help one identify one's habitual pattern of sinning . . . and freshly bring one to ones knees (again) before our restoring, forgiving Saviour. It is a tool that can provide a structure for "speaking the truth in love" within the beloved community.”
This comment alone is telling. Anytime such a tool, outside of Scripture, is used by the body to as you say-“Speak the truth in love,” there will be spiritual manipulation. This is one of the very reasons some are bothered by the enneagram.
Let me suggest instead, Bonhoeffer’s book Life Together which helps the reader to understand that all of our relationships are mediated through Jesus Christ.
And I listened to the video. If those are jokes they are not funny.
I find your comments on the Enneagram to be most insightful. I am right now writing an article on the Enneagram - not so much its history but an attempt to provide a biblical evaluation of it. I am astounded and saddened it has entered the church. Your last comment to someone who objected to what you said really hit the nail on the head. Thanks, Viola!
Hi Marcia,
I just realized that was you. I miss seeing you. Please send me a link to your article when you are finished and I will post the link on my blog.
I’d like to offer a different perspective from a fellow sister in Christ who has taken an in-depth look at the Enneagram for years. The Enneagram is a tool that can reveal the specific ways we are held captive to our old self and helps us identify the exact places sin and brokenness make us fall short of the glory of God—those exact places that need the transforming presence of CHRIST. The idea is not to start looking more inwardly at the self than we are looking upwardly at the cross, but rather to identify those parts of ourselves that need to be cut away as part of the “old self” scripture tells us to take off. It indeed requires some careful inward reflection to do that. We cannot change what we don’t acknowledge and ultimately the goal of using this tool is to learn to die to “self” daily.
The Enneagram helps us take a look at why we are fearful, critical, need approval, are preoccupied with worldly success, selfish, angry, etc. for the purpose of submitting those vices to Christ and asking the Holy Spirit to change those habitual patterns in our lives. It’s not divorced from our walk with Jesus, but rather helps us make sanctification specific as it helps me identify those parts of my life that are still not surrendered to the Lord. There is nothing salvific about the Enneagram nor does it make such a claim. It is a tool and as such it does not transform us, but rather makes us aware of the things that need to be submitted at the feet of Jesus so HE can transform us more and more into his likeness.
The truth about the Enneagram, that anyone who takes a cursory glance will miss—including people are who are using it incorrectly, is that it’s actually saying you are NOT a number. The Enneagram is simply an examination of the false self of personality, a mask that you’ve unconsciously put on your whole life; a personality we’ve created, not God. We get the word “personality’’ from the Greek word “persona” which literally means “mask.” We are trying to get back to “poiema” which is what God calls us in Ephesians 2:10—his masterpiece or work of art. My personalty (or Enneagram number) has nothing to do with God’s “poima,” so it has to go. As a diagnostic tool, the Enneagram helps me my personality with clarity. It helps me see all the problems of my heart so I can take them to the heart surgeon, Jesus Christ, for surgery. The numbers actually show us who we are NOT, but rather what needs to be SHED so you can live a more surrendered life in Christ and have more compassion for others. Both of these concepts are the heart of the greatest command.
~Jennifer
Hi, Jennifer, The Enneagram cannot tell anyone about themselves because it's invalid. It is not diagnostic. It is not based on psychology, research, studies, personality theories, etc. The Types came via spirit contact in automatic writing. I hope you read Nancy's review of the book. The Enneagram is totally ad hoc. It was originally a diagram of the laws of the universe from a Gnostic teacher. Later, it was used by an occult teacher, Oscar Ichazo, to help people supposedly uncover the "pure essence" of Self. Claudio Naranjo, a New Age spiritual seeker, admits on 2 videos had added the Types via automatic writing (Ichazo did spirit contact as well and even named the spirits). The reason you think it has value is because 1) we are self-deceived and will read into things and we look for patterns to identify 2) it works the same way as astrology works. You realize, I assume, that millions of people believe in astrology. I was a professional astrologer and did birth charts for people which are far more complex than the Enneagram is. Every single client thought it was super accurate as far as who they were, their life, their talents, their past, their relationships, etc. The deception of the Enneagram works the same way. All the stuff you read online about it from Enneagram teachers or in Enneagram books are from people who are deceived. The Enneagram was in the New Age a long time before it came to the church. New Agers don't care about validity or where something is from. They added the wings and more layers of so-called meaning into it. The Enneagram is replacing the Bible now. God's word is sufficient for us to know who we are and we are being conformed to the image of Christ. Christ is the model, not some kind of True Self or need to shed things according to a false tool. A tool formed in the occult and New Age cannot help in the sanctification process. Please get the book and read the facts. The Stream just came out today with a favorable review of this book about how the Christian publishers have perpetuated lies about it. The church has been deeply deceived. And now more people are speaking up and willing to expose it. I'm doing program after program on this because Christians are willing to face the facts. I hope you are one of them.
Jennifer,
You write this, “The truth about the Enneagram, that anyone who takes a cursory glance will miss—including people are who are using it incorrectly, is that it’s actually saying you are NOT a number. The Enneagram is simply an examination of the false self of personality, a mask that you’ve unconsciously put on your whole life; a personality we’ve created, not God.”
In truth we do not have a false self, we have a self which consists of body and spirit/soul. We, because of the fall, are sinful. That is what God’s word tells us. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Our sinful nature is not a false mask it is us, who we are. That is why Jesus Christ died for us, because we are sinners who need to be reconciled to God.
You also write< “As a diagnostic tool, the Enneagram helps me my personality with clarity. It helps me see all the problems of my heart so I can take them to the heart surgeon, Jesus Christ, for surgery. The numbers actually show us who we are NOT, but rather what needs to be SHED so you can live a more surrendered life in Christ and have more compassion for others. Both of these concepts are the heart of the greatest command.”
First my sins are a symptom of my condition—I sin because I am a sinner. Jesus came to die for me because of my sin nature. He replaces my sinfulness with His righteousness- only His not mine. Then He begins to transform me not through the Enneagram showing me my personality but through the Holy Spirit, God’s word, the Church of Jesus Christ and the living Word of God, Jesus Christ, himself, teaching me, nurturing me, leading me. Anytime something outside of that guidance, whether it be the Enneagram, New Age technologies or anything contrary to what I have listed, is used as a means to disciple Christians that is in the end the wolf coming to steal the sheep away from the Good Shepherd.
I have a book review I wrote this year, 2020, of Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret. The book was written by Don & Joy Veinot and Marcia Montenegro. It is on this blog at http://naminghisgrace.blogspot.com/2020/06/richard-rohr-and-enneagram-secret-book.html If that does not work for you look on my blog for June 3, 2020.
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