Good question. I take responsibility for the initial rabbit trail. I think that it started because we were wondering what our fears and personalities were that lent to congenial discussion (or lack thereof). Looks like Christy has more info on validity of the personality assessments, but reputable people use MB from my understanding. I introduced Harry Potter’s houses whimsically. Sometimes I think that it helps to have non STEM to leaven the lump for humor’s sake. Also, both Catholic and Protestant circles do use the Enneagram and Gary Smalley personality assessmensts in their counseling as tools, though not confirmed by a lot of studies, I think. Critique gratefully received though. Thanks.
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Here’s what the Gospel Coalition has to say about the enneagram:
Basically, it’s occult woo. Think I’ll give it a miss.
You mean HR departments in big corporations? Myers-Briggs is probably best described as “Enterprise Astrology™.”
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Wow, interesting; thanks. I did not know that. the MB was used by my missions agency in assessing my wife and me in application. 
here’s the assessment statement
The Myers Briggs is not a clinical instrument describing problem areas in a person’s life but is simply a profile describing one’s preferences which fall on a continuum of varying strengths between opposite traits. The narrative description of the person in this report should be taken as a general guideline not intended to apply to all situations, and, depending on circumstances in a person’s life, the behavior and attitudes exhibited and the feelings expressed by the individual may vary significantly from what one would expect after reading the profile.
Regarding the Enneagram, I did not know that. I talked to a psychiatrist who really liked it as a tool.
Anyway, out of curiosity, do you know of any other assessments that work well for the topic–why we interact the way we do (rather than Harry Potter)?
thanks for your input.
LOL. Those would be fighting words for a lot of people.
Myers-Briggs has its detractors, but it’s also recognized as a useful tool by many psychologists. Should you use it as some kind of horoscope to predict your future and plan your life? Or to decide who to marry? No, probably not.
The enneagram is no doubt quite controversial and definitely revived in the US by some hokey New Age types. It still kind of weirds me out. But, when I looked into it, I’ve found that a lot of the spiritual formation stuff that has been developed over the last couple decades has been based in the idea that the enneagram does have some ancient insight into nine archetypes of the human soul, and when combined with insights from modern psychology and the Bible, it can be a useful tool for introspection and spiritual growth. (Since spiritual growth is not scientific, I don’t really expect it to be something that has been rigorously scientifically tested and think it should instead be evaluated on the basis of reliable testimony of people I respect and spiritual discernment.)
The books my mom handed me that referenced enneagram in “soul care” were all on the reading lists of her courses at Moody, which I would consider a conservative Evangelical school. Enneagram related stuff is also taught at BIOLA in their spiritual formation degree. It’s been used and promoted by WIllow Creek and Saddleback. So I don’t think it’s as far out of the Evangelical mainstream as you might think. Of course, John MacArthur and company are not fans. But I can name a few other things I like that he isn’t a fan of, so, oh well.
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I see the reason! Do you think there is anyone who has a reasonable psych degree that can recommend a good personality assessment, that avoids weird stuff?
But the association with Moody etc implies that it’s a bit like yoga or karate–you can take some of it out and leave some illustrative purposes, I guess. @jammycakes, if you know of any you’d recommend, let me know. I was surprised about the MB in particular because the psychologist who interviewed us (not a psychiatrist) was pretty reliant on it. Not that I was all that thrilled with the result. I accidentally said “yes” to something like “I feel people are out to get me,” instead of the opposite, and that made him rather seriously ask me about paranoia! (big smile).
From a discourse and faith standpoint, just for fun, I really think I am a Harry Potter Hufflepuff–more loyal than brave and more well intended than smart (to contrast with Gryffindor and Ravenclaw). I suppose we all have a bit of Slytherin in us, so my family and acquaintances will have to judge that part for themselves. (but I do realize that HP isn’t validated or Christian, though I’m surprised at all the biblical imagery in the series).
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I think there is something about humanity that wants to order their observations, classify things and give them names. I think that is a biblical part of dominion, going back to Adam naming the animals.
So I personally see the identification of personality archetypes in the same category. It is part of humanity’s effort to understand the world, the human psyche is part of the world, and people have trying to impose order on it for a long, long, time from many different perspectives and traditions. All classification systems are constructs designed to help you see relationships between truth and reality. The classification system itself is not a truth or a reality.
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My husband says the Enneagram reminds him too much of “vortex-based math,” and as a legitimate math teacher there are fewer things that get his dander up more than that. 
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I think what you are trying to find out matters. Anything that is trying to get at your deepest woundings, most definitive spiritual battles, and highest ideals is by necessity delving into “weird stuff.” As someone who operates out of my mind, not my heart (according to MBTI and Enneagram), that has an inherently terrifying component that I would like to discount and typically avoid.
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Wow, never heard of this before. Math is bad enough for me. Sounds like kinesiology and reiki for a doc.
Yeah. My mother has been encouraging me to take a look at some of this stuff because she is worried about me (for good reason, I’ve not been in a good place mental health-wise) and my immediate reaction in the last couple days (as before when I’ve read the same kind of stuff) has been to throw the book aside every couple paragraphs.
But if I am honest, it’s because the idea that God’s “invitation to weep” is the key to fixing some of my messiness sounds like the last thing on earth I want to open myself up to. I can rationally agree that that rebellion in me could be a signal that it’s exactly what I need to do. But, I would much rather have stuff to think hard about and analyze than an admonition to sit in solitude and silence and lament in Jesus ’ presence all the things I have cannot fix, cannot keep, cannot control, and cannot change. I feel kind of sick just typing this. 
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I understand the one that psychologists tend to take at least semi-seriously is the Big Five Personality Traits. From what I can make out though it’s used more as a statistical tool than for trying to pigeonhole people.
Yeah, anyone who doesn’t like New Age woo.
To be honest, this is what I mean when I say “occult woo.” I’m not a fan of a pick-and-mix approach to spirituality: if it isn’t firmly rooted in either the Bible or peer reviewed science, you never know what you’re getting into.
Sounds like something we all do. I really like Pete Enns’ prayer and Audrey Assad’s song “I Shall Not Want”
Deliver me, O Lord. Save me . . .
from broken relationships
from fear for my family
from the fear of what might be or might not be
from not knowing
from the need to know
from the need to be right
from this horrid and subtle self-centeredness
from looking down on any other human being
from feeling misunderstood and undervalued
from being defined by my past
from judging others by their past
from manipulating my neighbor with clever words
from feeling not enough
from what I cling to
from all my failings
from all my accomplishments
Not later. Not at some point in time. But now.
Right this minute. I want change, deliverance, peace . . . salvation
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thanks, @jammycakes. Looks good. I will read more about this as able. But you have to understand, it’s pretty difficult when a psychiatrist and psychologist we run into recommends the MB and Enneagram, to see through the forest!
“Woo” must be an English term. --like New Age fluff?
I understand the concern. But I don’t believe there is such a thing as “pure biblical truth.” All the truth you get out of the Bible is going to be hooked into and understood in the context of your experience and cultural reality. I don’t believe human culture is so depraved that no human cultures stumble upon the truths about humanity from experience and natural revelation. The Bible has been repeatedly contextualized as Christianity has been handed down, and it has been framed and reframed in terms of the wisdom of all kinds of human cultures. I don’t consider that a corruption so much as a natural attempt to understand something that will always be a little beyond us.
I think a lot of the spiritual formation stuff that gets labelled New Age by some Christians is probably best categorized as a Romans 14-15 kind of thing. If it violates a person’s conscience, they should stay away. But those who feel compelled to stay away should try not to judge those who don’t.
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Woo is salesmanship based on completely unprovable or unproven claims.
Like that vitamin supplements or essential oils cure certain sicknesses.
Or that chiropractics aids infertility.
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Okay - I’m a math teacher too; but I’ve never heard of “vortex-based math”! One googlage link into that makes it look to me like it’s mostly making (and interpreting) pretty patterned diagrams, with some fun base 11 math thrown in.
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I’m mainly going by what I read in the Wikipedia article on Myers-Briggs here:
That, plus the Forer effect. As far as I can tell, the enneagram is pretty much the same, except it was invented by some occultist or other.
I wouldn’t say it’s judging anyone. Rather, it’s just saying, be careful.
If the RationalWiki page about it is anything to go by, it’s a whole lot crazier than that. It sounds to me like its inventor believes that the number nine is The Answer To The Ultimate Question Of Life, The Universe And Everything.
Sounds like it might be a bit like Calvin’s approach to math too. (I’ve probably posted this before… but I never get tired of this.)
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It was systematized by a New Age guy in the twentieth century based on wisdom traditions that go much further back.
People who have looked into it have found various forms of the basic ideas in many religious traditions dating back to ancient times. A Christianized version was used by the Desert Fathers.
Here is a CT article:
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Good one! I saw that but hadn’t read it yet.