Scan barcode
A review by leswag97
Enneagram and the Way of Jesus: Integrating Personality Theory with Spiritual Practices and Biblical Narratives by A.J. Sherrill
3.0
This short booklet is a helpful tool for the purpose of spiritual formation and discipleship. Especially in the West, where the emphasis on spiritual practices and apprenticing the way of Jesus only goes as deep or broad as Scripture reading and attending a Sunday morning service, A.J. Sherrill's brief work serves followers of Christ in aiding them to discover not only more about their personality, their self, or Enneagram Type, but even more so, he uses the Enneagram as a means to a far greater end: discipleship.
Rather than sitting comfortably with a "one-size fits all" mentality when it comes to discipleship and becoming more like Jesus, Sherrill has realized that the Body of Christ is diverse, and therefore, the ways in which we commune with God and that we are transformed more into the likeness of his Son are diverse as well. For Sherrill, the Enneagram is a helpful way to lead followers of Christ into greater self-awareness and self-understanding, not for that sake alone, but rather to help each apprentice of Jesus know their strengths, weaknesses, vices, and virtues better, in order to better set themselves up for success in the journey of becoming more like Christ.
While the first half of the book looks at briefly at what the Enneagram is, how to "type" oneself, and what the implications are for each specific Type, the second half integrates the self-understanding that comes from the Enneagram with the biblical narrative and a host of spiritual practices. Truly, the second half of the book is where the true "gold" of Sherrill's work lies. For every Enneagram Type, he creates a connection between the Type and a biblical character or narrative; ultimately, he gives helpful insight into what practices or spiritual disciplines are most helpful for each Type. He does so by labeling a practice (or for some, multiple practices) as "downstream" or "upstream"; downstream practices are ones that a specific Type would find easy, enjoyable, and life-giving, while on the other hand, an upstream practice could prove to be a more difficult practice for any given Type, but will serve each person in transformative ways. Finally, Sherrill also draws each Type's attention to the season (or day) in the Church Calendar that would be the most helpful or important for that Type.
If you are at all interested in the Enneagram, then this book would be extremely helpful, especially in seeing how this personality theory could help us in our walks with Christ, in becoming more like him. If you are like me, in that you have not given the Enneagram much thought or consideration, I still would encourage it as a resource, because all members of the Body of Christ are unique, serving different functions, and experiencing God in a host of ways. If anything, it will be helpful in your interactions with others who are experiencing health and help from the Enneagram, and could aid you in the process of disciple-making.
Rather than sitting comfortably with a "one-size fits all" mentality when it comes to discipleship and becoming more like Jesus, Sherrill has realized that the Body of Christ is diverse, and therefore, the ways in which we commune with God and that we are transformed more into the likeness of his Son are diverse as well. For Sherrill, the Enneagram is a helpful way to lead followers of Christ into greater self-awareness and self-understanding, not for that sake alone, but rather to help each apprentice of Jesus know their strengths, weaknesses, vices, and virtues better, in order to better set themselves up for success in the journey of becoming more like Christ.
While the first half of the book looks at briefly at what the Enneagram is, how to "type" oneself, and what the implications are for each specific Type, the second half integrates the self-understanding that comes from the Enneagram with the biblical narrative and a host of spiritual practices. Truly, the second half of the book is where the true "gold" of Sherrill's work lies. For every Enneagram Type, he creates a connection between the Type and a biblical character or narrative; ultimately, he gives helpful insight into what practices or spiritual disciplines are most helpful for each Type. He does so by labeling a practice (or for some, multiple practices) as "downstream" or "upstream"; downstream practices are ones that a specific Type would find easy, enjoyable, and life-giving, while on the other hand, an upstream practice could prove to be a more difficult practice for any given Type, but will serve each person in transformative ways. Finally, Sherrill also draws each Type's attention to the season (or day) in the Church Calendar that would be the most helpful or important for that Type.
If you are at all interested in the Enneagram, then this book would be extremely helpful, especially in seeing how this personality theory could help us in our walks with Christ, in becoming more like him. If you are like me, in that you have not given the Enneagram much thought or consideration, I still would encourage it as a resource, because all members of the Body of Christ are unique, serving different functions, and experiencing God in a host of ways. If anything, it will be helpful in your interactions with others who are experiencing health and help from the Enneagram, and could aid you in the process of disciple-making.