Dear Evangelicals:
It's heartening to see some of you at long last digging out from church culture to get closer to Jesus, who demonstrated profound emotional understanding here on earth.
Too often, Christian culture teaches us to treat our emotions like the monster under the bed. This approach is designed to instill emotional maturity. Instead, it has the opposite effect; Christians often display the hallmarks of narcissism when, in truth, they've simply been terrorized into foregoing their emotional development.
For those who seek to enter emotional adulthood, to be like Jesus on an emotional level, the following books are trustworthy guides.
The Enneagram: The first book I ever read about the Enneagram, and still my most treasured -- maybe because, like me, Palmer is a Type One. Initially, I found the questions at the conclusion of the chapter on my type to be almost unbearably-challenging. Now, I find Palmer's reasoned, ecumenical approach grounding as well as honest. (left)
The Enneagram in Love and Work: Helen Palmer applies her adjudicatory skills to the Enneagram in business settings and love relationships. The best part? Substantial discussions of how each type relates to the another in both settings. I consult this one more often than her first book these days. (above left)
Personality Types: Like Palmer, Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson were part of the first wave of teachers of the contemporary Enneagram. This book was a classic when it was first published, but has benefited immeasurably from a major revision in 1996. The Levels of Development are key to identifying red flags for each type. The division into 18 types with wings is interesting, although I find myself using both wings, depending on the situation.
For conservative Christians, the most crucial reading will be the portion that debunks the theory of the Sufi origin of the Enneagram. FWIW, even before I became a Christian, I thought the Enneagram symbol of a nine-pointed star looked, if anything, like a crown of thorns. (above left)
It's heartening to see some of you at long last digging out from church culture to get closer to Jesus, who demonstrated profound emotional understanding here on earth.
Too often, Christian culture teaches us to treat our emotions like the monster under the bed. This approach is designed to instill emotional maturity. Instead, it has the opposite effect; Christians often display the hallmarks of narcissism when, in truth, they've simply been terrorized into foregoing their emotional development.
For those who seek to enter emotional adulthood, to be like Jesus on an emotional level, the following books are trustworthy guides.
For conservative Christians, the most crucial reading will be the portion that debunks the theory of the Sufi origin of the Enneagram. FWIW, even before I became a Christian, I thought the Enneagram symbol of a nine-pointed star looked, if anything, like a crown of thorns. (above left)
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