Thursday, July 09, 2015
Good Idea? Bad Idea?
Laura Turner writing in CT looks at an ancient personality inventory that seeks to uncover our sinful nature:
I am nowhere near Catholic enough to think that we need a deep inventory of our specific sins, but I do think a personality inventory that emphasizes the fact that we are sinners is a grand idea.
So, the question is how do we use such a tool? It is in that that this thing as a good idea or a bad idea will be determined.
I am not too sure, but technically, this piece is a book review. Maybe handing the book out is a good place to start.
books personality inventory sin
The Enneagram is an ancient personality typology, understanding people through the lens of their passions and their temptations.I tend to hate personality inventories, but then I'm a guy and this is a women's column at CT. Normally, I would have moved on, but this paragraph is a big deal:
This is where the Enneagram differs from all the other strengths-oriented personality indicators out there. The fact that it is rooted in a fundamentally dark view of humanity—that we are sinning people who are inclined to sin in specific ways—isn’t exactly a cheerful view.In the world of Evangelicalism where the gospel is entirely happy-clappy, love one another, good news this thing is likely to go over like a lead balloon. But it may be just the ticket.
I am nowhere near Catholic enough to think that we need a deep inventory of our specific sins, but I do think a personality inventory that emphasizes the fact that we are sinners is a grand idea.
So, the question is how do we use such a tool? It is in that that this thing as a good idea or a bad idea will be determined.
I am not too sure, but technically, this piece is a book review. Maybe handing the book out is a good place to start.
books personality inventory sin
