Don Veinot - Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret

March 2020 by:

Don Veinot, Joy Veinot, and Marcia Montenegro

Published by:

MCOI Publishing LLC

Wonder Lake, IL 60097

Printed in the United States of America on FSC and SFI certified paper by:

BookBaby

Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other methodwithout prior permission of the publisher except for brief quotations in printed reviews.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Readers should be aware the internet websites offered as primary-source citations and/or other sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read. MCOI has many of the sources stored when they were accessed. Documentation provided upon written request.

ISBN 978-1-09-830655-7 (eBook)

Enneagram, Christian Apologetics, Occultism Religious Aspects, New Age Movement, Evangelical Doctrine, Ritual Religious Practices, Christian Mysticism, Perennialism, Panentheism, Pantheism, Divination, Gnosticism

Cover and book design and layout: Sherwin (Todd) McGehee

Editing and proofreading: Donna (Corkey) McGehee

Dedications

I would like to dedicate my chapters to the late Dr. Norman Geisler and to Southern Evangelical Seminary. The Bible-based, sound theological teachings I received gave me the tools for not only understanding and appreciating Scripture, but also for evaluating whatever theologies and ideologies I might come across. I used those tools for my analysis of the topics of/in this book, and I am forever grateful to Dr. Geisler and my professors. Dr. Geislers immense knowledge and his love for the Lord were contagious and all students like me benefited.

Marcia Montenegro

Founder,

Christian Answers for the New Age

www.christiananswersforthenewage.org

Working on a project such as this, we sometimes ask ourselves how church leaderseven those who once seemed so solid in their own teachingcan become so blind to error that they could permit such a widespread invasion of false teachings into the church? Additionally, how and why it is that individual Christians within these churches cannot see that teachings which are being presented are far removed from the faith once for all delivered to the saints?

We have a friend, associate, and member of our Advisory Board, Bill Honsberger, who occasionally makes it his mission to call and give me a simple four-word sentence as a reminder of why we do what we do. The sentence: God loves the church. Thats true. It is, in fact, His church. With that in mind, we dedicate this work to the Lord and to His churchthe b ody of Christ. We pray our offering is useful to awaken His shepherds and protect His people.

L.L. (Don) and Joy A. Veinot,

Founders and President,

Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc.

www.midwestoutreach.org

Index of Illustrations

Table of Contents

Editors Note:

All underlines found inside quotes are added by the authors for emphasis.

Foreword

I was encouraged when Don and Joy Veinot and Marcia Montenegro chose to tackle the unfortunate slide of many within the evangelical church into a fascination with an occult and New Age religious perspective and method known as the Enneagram. The announced intention of this psychological approach is to help Christians in personality development, Christian maturity, and spirituality. Several popular authors advocate this approach, but probably Richard Rohr has the most influence with the Christian church, even the evangelical wing.

Though this ideology makes a claim for legitimacy within the history of Christian thought, the evidence is non-existent. In fact, it comes from esoteric, Gnostic-like teachings. In order to support its themes and history to arrive at its conclusions, there is need for considerable imaginationeven attempts to find connection with the Tower of Babel and ancient Egypt. Such, however, were it true, does not demonstrate that it flows from the historical revelation of God to the patriarchs, the people of Israel, the first-century church, or the orthodox, patristic community. The only basis of its connection to Christian history is that some of its ideas are akin to aspects of early Christian heresy of the second century and the unfortunate move, in some Roman Catholic communities in the Medieval period and today, towards an unbiblical and unhealthy mysticism. The focus is on looking within and following the nine-point symbol of the philosophy to become like the Christ.

Why would such a viewpoint be invited into the Christian church of today? The only reason that I can deduce is that the current commitment of many within the modern church is to post-modern and existential ideas and inner experienceviews that fail to recognize the truth of Scripturerather than the Scriptures which are able to build us to become like Jesus the Messiah. When the church neglects or rejects careful and systematic study of the Scriptures, people start looking for something else to solve their problems and yearnings. Unlike the writer Jude, who says that we are to contend for the faith that is once for all committed to the saints ( Jude 1:3), many within the modern church have largely given lip service to the written revelation of God and the necessity to faithfully study the pages of Scripture with a historical and grammatical interpretative method. Rather, the Bible is proof-texted by many preachers to push for personal introspection based on following ones heart. In addition, contemplative prayer and meditation has become a substitute for the blessed believer of Psalm 1 who meditates day and night ( Psalm 1:2) in the instruction of God in the Word.

The teaching of the Enneagram is so far removed from the teaching of Scripture, that it becomes problematic to understand why evangelical publishing houses would even print these New Age books, unless they are just publishing what sells and not what follows Scripture and moves the Christian to be spiritually mature. Every major Christian doctrine regarding God, Jesus, salvation, and sanctification, et al, is denied, distorted, or assaulted by this occult religious teaching that attempts to robe itself in Christian dress. I commend Don and Joy Veinot and Marcia Montenegro for faithfully addressing and explaining this heretical departure from the Christian faith in the spirit of the Christian apologists of past centuries.

H. Wayne House, M.A., Th.D., J.D.

Distinguished Research Professor of Theology, Law, and Culture,

Faith International University and Faith Seminary

What Leaders are Saying

THE ENNEAGRAM IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH! Want to know why? Read this eye-opening book. Its written by trustworthy apologists who are well-versed in the hidden dangers of the Enneagram. Highly recommended.

Dr. Ron Rhodes

Christian Apologist & Author

False ideas are one of the greatest obstacles to the Gospel and can lead even orthodox Christians astray. Most Christians can identify some of these false ideas: Marxism, Humanism, Evolution, and the New Age Movement. But few would be able to list the Enneagram as a false and dangerous idea. Richard Rohr, and those whom he has mentored, are spreading this idea. That is why this book is so important. It is a warning to Christians who might adopt it into their theology, and it is an obstacle to non-Christians who accept its teachings rather than the truth of the Gospel.