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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
MBTI, Enneagramm - Personality Types in general?	Roland	Thursday, November 18, 2004
Question: Dear Brother! My name is Roland. A Roman Catholic from Hungary. Firstly, I would like to thank you for your service, it is giving many answers on questions battling with my conscience. Thank You! I was very happy to read your previous answer on Enneagram, as reading a couple pages of a book on it, my conscience was telling that this is not the right way. Please let me know if the case is the same with the MBTI Types? I have huge pressure from my workplace (an american multinational) to use this, though I have big concerns based on an article claiming that MBTI is building on Jungian psychology and occultism of 4 elements. Am I on the way of ortodoxy thinking that it is heretic to lay our beleives in any personality type models? Please advice, on the approach I should take on this. The MBTI tool is just about to be further deployed in our organization. It is positioned as a fully scientific tool based on the psychology of Jung. No words on any occultic roots. I am not in charge of decision, but I have the opportunity in my work to inform the complete organization on the dangers of this tool. What do you suggest to do? My second question is on the Enneagram. It is scary that Catholic book stores are selling this book. Could you help with details of our Holy Fathers opinion on Ennagram. Where did he talk on this. I would like to go back to the store and show them, as I think they have no idea what they are selling.. Thank you for you answer in advance, Roland
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Roland: In terms of the Enneagram, my previous postings on this pretty much tells the story about this. There is really nothing more I can add. The Enneagram is something that Catholics should not participate in. The book by Fr. Pacwa and the article both mentioned in my last post are the best reference sources to use on this. The MBTI (Myers Briggs Type indicator) is similar to the Enneagram in that it is derived from Jungian pyshcology. To quote from a MBTI website: Personality Type or Psychological Type are terms most commonly associated with the model of personality development created by Isabel Briggs Myers, the author of the world's most widely used personality inventory, the MBTI or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Myers' and her mother, Katharine Briggs, developed their model and inventory around the ideas and theories of psychologist Carl Jung, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and a leading exponent of Gestalt personality theory. Beginning in the early 1940's, Briggs & Myers extended Jung's model with the initial development of the MBTI. They put Jung's concepts into language that could be understood and used by the average person. Isabel Myers' book "Gifts Differing", published posthumously in 1980, provided a comprehensive introduction to the Jung/Myers theory. Myers' book and her philosophy of celebrating human diversity anticipated the workplace diversity movement. Jungian psychology, in general, needs to always be suspect for a Catholic given Jungs person philosophies that included and occult influence and other cosmologies and worldviews inconsistent with Catholicism. As for your workplace, it is unlikely that you will convince your employers about the dnagers of these things, but as an employee I would not submit to the Enneagram or the MBTI. That might meaning losing a job. It is a decision you must make. It is not heresy or sin to submit to an employer's demand to be tested, but it is not prudent or wise as a Catholic. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

MBTI, Enneagramm - Personality Types in general?

Roland

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Question:

Dear Brother!

My name is Roland. A Roman Catholic from Hungary.
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your service, it is giving many answers on questions battling with my conscience. Thank You!

I was very happy to read your previous answer on Enneagram, as reading a couple pages of a book on it, my conscience was telling that this is not the right way.

Please let me know if the case is the same with the MBTI Types? I have huge pressure from my workplace (an american multinational) to use this, though I have big concerns based on an article claiming that MBTI is building on Jungian psychology and occultism of 4 elements.

Am I on the way of ortodoxy thinking that it is heretic to lay our beleives in any personality type models?

Please advice, on the approach I should take on this. The MBTI tool is just about to be further deployed in our organization. It is positioned as a fully scientific tool based on the psychology of Jung. No words on any occultic roots.

I am not in charge of decision, but I have the opportunity in my work to inform the complete organization on the dangers of this tool. What do you suggest to do?

My second question is on the Enneagram. It is scary that Catholic book stores are selling this book. Could you help with details of our Holy Fathers opinion on Ennagram. Where did he talk on this. I would like to go back to the store and show them, as I think they have no idea what they are selling..

Thank you for you answer in advance,
Roland

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Roland:

In terms of the Enneagram, my previous postings on this pretty much tells the story about this. There is really nothing more I can add. The Enneagram is something that Catholics should not participate in. The book by Fr. Pacwa and the article both mentioned in my last post are the best reference sources to use on this.

The MBTI (Myers Briggs Type indicator) is similar to the Enneagram in that it is derived from Jungian pyshcology. To quote from a MBTI website:

Personality Type or Psychological Type are terms most commonly associated with the model of personality development created by Isabel Briggs Myers, the author of the world's most widely used personality inventory, the MBTI or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Myers' and her mother, Katharine Briggs, developed their model and inventory around the ideas and theories of psychologist Carl Jung, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and a leading exponent of Gestalt personality theory.
Beginning in the early 1940's, Briggs & Myers extended Jung's model with the initial development of the MBTI. They put Jung's concepts into language that could be understood and used by the average person. Isabel Myers' book "Gifts Differing", published posthumously in 1980, provided a comprehensive introduction to the Jung/Myers theory. Myers' book and her philosophy of celebrating human diversity anticipated the workplace diversity movement.

Jungian psychology, in general, needs to always be suspect for a Catholic given Jungs person philosophies that included and occult influence and other cosmologies and worldviews inconsistent with Catholicism.

As for your workplace, it is unlikely that you will convince your employers about the dnagers of these things, but as an employee I would not submit to the Enneagram or the MBTI. That might meaning losing a job. It is a decision you must make. It is not heresy or sin to submit to an employer's demand to be tested, but it is not prudent or wise as a Catholic.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.