I theoretically like all the personality tests and approaches, and one that I have been drawn to is that of the ‘Enneagram’. Like other similar approaches it does not box one in but helps one to see what box one is already within. I say I theoretically like it as I probably pay no attention to it when it comes to myself! But ever so useful for all other people on the planet. It helps / could help them to grow to maturity. Anyway that is enough self-disclosure for the year.
We love to think that our faith in God is ever so objective. There is God out and over there and we know exactly who HE is and we have a relationship with that person called God. We read in Galatians 4:9 how that perspective is somewhat skewed:
Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God (emphasis added).
I know the God who is the one I have created and as my faith strengthens so does my belief in that God, hence if I truly have some knowledge of God the image of God I have will change and develop. There will come a day when I know as I am known, but until then there will be a process that is incomplete. (I cheekily wrote in the paragraph above the word ‘he’ in capitals, though sadly it is not cheekily enough. There is an old joke about a preacher who was very clear on male headship (for headship read ‘top dog’) and an implicit underlying white-superiority belief and that they died and thus experienced a major shock post-death when they discovered that she was black.) I grew up with the ‘hell-fire’ belief and when I first met people who held to a view of unconditional immortality my ‘faith’ was given a knock as I thought ‘why then be a Christian’ if it is not to escape the wrath of God!!! It was not my belief in eternal punishing (side note: not the same as eternal punishment) that was shaken but my belief in ‘my’ God that was shaken – my belief in MY God.
Back to personality types and faith. I am not likely to end up with an expression of faith that includes genuine meditation and quietness. I am too busy trying to justify my being by activity for that (one could at this point say ‘too immature’ but my personality has a strong gift of denial within it so that observation would not stick). I will not drift that way simply because it is not ‘me’ as I present myself to the world.
In certain charismatic circles I have noted a combination of personality numbers 8s and 6s (enneagram number). The faith of the 8s in that setting are convinced the world is an evil place and we need to be vigilant and are in a state of war. Add to that their incredible knowledge of Scripture and they can teach where things are at and where it all goes. Then along come the 6s who have a strong sense of anxiety and know the world is not safe. The 8s confirm that their anxieties are based in reality and as their anxieties inevitably raise their level of concern over the future so they look for authority to help them find a safe place. Surprise, surprise the 8s end up as the anointed leaders and the 6s the wonderful followers, with any younger 8s among them on track to become the next generation of leaders. A marriage made in heaven… or something a little different to that!
The charismatic world is the Christian world I have inhabited for some 50 years so is the one I know best; other expressions probably could be viewed similarly using the same kind of lens. In other words our faith is not simply objective but is our faith, we connect to God (and to ‘god) through who we are, through our personality. That is how it always will be for it is not possible in that full sense for me to enter into God’s world, or to know God… wonderfully s/he enters my world, meets me.
One of the challenges regarding maturity is that we can mature in ‘our’ faith, but in reality the faith we have is simply being strengthened through greater knowledge, that then goes on to re-enforce our behaviour. That sadly is not a true reflection of maturity. A big part of maturity probably includes a measure of uncertainty. And given that I am certain of that…