SojoMail - Does the Enneagram actually matter?

Can the Enneagram Make Us Better Christians? In 2011 — long before you could buy books about the Enneagram at Target — I took a course at my Christian college about the now-very-popular personality type system that has roots in 4th century Christian contemplatives. Although I was only 21 years old, I was already a hardened personality test veteran. I could tell you my DiSC style and my Meyers-Briggs type. I never found the results to be very flattering or illuminating, but my friends would pour over the findings and then, in a rather accusatory tone, remark, “Totally you.” For many people, the Enneagram and its system of nine personality types promises a tantalizing peek into one of life’s ultimate questions: Why am I the way that I am? Yet these days, “know thyself” feels less like a thought-provoking aphorism and more like a cultural imperative lauded by the self-help industrial complex, worker productivity, and Buzzfeed quizzes. The question that has nagged me since that college course is whether the Enneagram is just another example of this self-help trend, or as I write in the latest issue of Sojourners: “Does the inner work that the Enneagram encourages manifest itself in the outer world through justice work, or is the Enneagram primarily a tool meant to encourage people to focus on individual healing, career, and spirituality?” —Josiah R. Daniels READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Our Latest New Moms Die More Often in the Bible Belt. Pastors Want to Fix That (by Bekah McNeel) Faith leaders in the South say it is “unjust and unholy” that lifesaving treatments are too expensive for many to attain. The Trinity Delights In My Unique Trans, Nonbinary Identity (by Mick Atencio) My gender does not define me first; rather, I am first a human and a beloved child of God. In ‘Ted Lasso’ as in the Gospel: Forgiveness Is Frustrating (by Joe George) I mean, who doesn’t want Nate to get his due for ripping the “BELIEVE” sign in half? Christians Should Denounce Anti-Trans Laws, Not Write Them (by Adam Russell Taylor) Let’s show trans kids that there are Christians who believe in the inclusive love of Jesus.

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From the Magazine Apocalypse Stories Reveal How to Create a World Worth Saving (by JR. Forasteros) From Revelation to The Last of Us, our end-time imaginings can show us who we are — and who we could be.

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La Verne Church of the Brethren seeks Copastor The La Verne Church of the Brethren, a progressive, Anabaptist, historic peace church in Southern California seeks a copastor. Candidates must be comfortable in a collaborative team ministry, skilled in worship, and embrace an inclusive theology that champions social justice. Contact Kara Evans kevans234@gmail.com and Jack Meek jwmeek@me.com for information. Progressive, Vibrant, Creative, Justice-Minded Church Seeking Lead Pastor Seeking a full-time pastor to provide engaging pastoral and prophetic preaching, compassionate pastoral care, strong leadership in our community service and social justice efforts, guidance for staff, and a great sense of humor! Apply by sending your resume/profile, statement of faith, and cover letter to searchcallcucc@gmail.com. Sojourners community subscriptions now available!   Explore current issues of faith, social justice, politics, and culture with your community. Sojourners offers commentary and feature articles that are sure to spark great conversation. Sojourners magazine is great for Bible studies or small groups and is the perfect way to introduce your congregation to social justice issues.

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