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- A major deception in the
church today is the so-called spiritual application of
pseudo-psychological temperament theory for individual
personality assessment, which in actuality is derived from pagan
and occultic philosophies. (The "temperament" can be defined as
the unique mental and emotional disposition identifiable as the
personality.) The study of the temperaments, which are
man-centered, self-oriented, and psycho-paganistic, are being
offered to the unwitting as a sophisticated, almost magical way
to understand our deepest natures and our personality type. In
actuality, Christians could be unknowingly lured into the occult
by practicing the temperaments and other New Age personality
typologies.
- The underlying basis for
the four temperament types (Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and
Melancholy) is in ancient astrology, which is defined by the
Bible as divination:
The
"forth-telling" of time and destiny; seeking to foresee the
future or discover hidden knowledge about the past, present, or
future through occultic methods, such as astrology, channeling,
crystal balls, tarot cards, etc.
The casual observance of
temperament/personality types brings to memory a time 20 years
ago when the most popular question to ask was, "What's your
sign?" Now the question is, "What's your temperament type?" Back
then, astrology claimed that one acts in a certain way because
he was born under a particular sign of the constellation. Now it
is believed that a Melancholy will act in a certain way because
he has been classified as a melancholy temperament type.
The four temperaments connection
to astrology is not accidental, but rather by original design.
Both astrology and the temperaments are branches of the same
tree -- ancient Babylon! (The practice of astrology is not
simply limited to knowing various charts and relating the
configurations of the sky with the person's birth. Astrologers
have admitted they receive psychic knowledge about people beyond
their abilities to use and understand the horoscope. They are
evidently given special information concerning individuals
through demons. Similarly, anyone who reads auras and types
people accordingly receives
information from demon spirits.)
- The twelve zodiac
personality types are arranged in four sets with three signs in
each set. These are called trigons or triplicities.
Each triplicity corresponds with one of the four elements of
Empedocles. Furthermore, each triplicity corresponds with one of
Hippocrates' four humors. And each triplicity corresponds with
one of the four temperaments. From Empedocles to Galen, each
person who developed those categories also believed in the
influences of the planets and the stars on the elements, humors,
and temperaments. Synthesizing ideas from classical Greek
medicine and astronomy, a theory of temperaments prevailing well
into medieval times held that, for example, a sanguine
disposition reflected a particular combination of humors in the
body and that, in turn, this combination had been fixed by a
certain configuration of the stars at the time of an
individual's birth. The four temperaments were finally devalued
and considered relics of limited, ancient attempts to understand
and deal with individual differences. Although they remained a
point of historical novelty, they are often totally ignored in
current psychology textbooks. In fact, few scholars give serious
attention to the four temperament classifications except as
historical reference.
Nevertheless, the four
temperaments are more popular than ever today, especially among
astrologers and professing evangelical Christians. The twelve
signs of the zodiac are arranged according to the elements
(fire, earth, air, and water), the humors (yellow bile, black
bile, blood, and phlegm), and the temperaments (choleric,
melancholy, sanguine, and phlegmatic), three times round in
sequence. It was only as various psychologists examined the four
temperaments or drew from them to form their own personality
theories and categories that the four temperaments have been
treated as though they are independent from astrology.
Nevertheless, while they may appear to stand on their own,
the four temperaments are intrinsically part of astrology.
They constitute an inadvertent way for people to practice an
astrological kind of psychic and esoteric determinism without
casting a horoscope and without even realizing that they are
practicing the essence of astrology. Neither astrology nor the
four temperaments theory is scientific. Both are deceptive and
invalid. Both reinterpret Biblical doctrine. And both are bound
to their occult roots. Astrology is anathema to the Christian.
And since the four temperaments are an intrinsic component of
astrology, the four temperaments should be avoided as well.
- Under the
"Christianization" of the temperaments, one's temperament type
is determined by listing both positive and negative word
descriptions describing personality traits, thereby describing
one's strengths and weaknesses. The category with the most
personality traits indicates the appropriate temperament type,
which then, according to the theory, somehow magically opens the
door to a better and deeper understanding of oneself and others,
revealing the true nature of the personality with all its
strengths and weaknesses, and facilitates the transformation of
one's weaknesses into strengths (see
Tim LaHaye's Transformed Temperaments). At this
point, the temperament theory is interspersed with Scripture,
specifically the Holy Spirit's power and the Fruit of the Spirit
(Gal. 5:22,23). But attempting to wed temperament theory with
the doctrines of salvation and sanctification leads to
theological mish-mash that is in essence a religion of works.
The temperament theorists fail
to understand that we are unable to exhibit the Fruit of the
Spirit by improving our personalities (through the "flesh"), but
that the Fruit of the Spirit shines forth only as one possesses
the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God (through the Spirit). In
fact, examining closely a list of temperament strengths and
weaknesses, one will notice that not one of the nine-fold Fruit
of the Spirit is even listed! Again, this is because the
strengths and weaknesses are by-products of the "flesh," not the
Spirit. Temperament theory put into practice is nothing more
than a fleshly approach to sanctification. (What actually ends
up happening is that one's sinful behavior is relabeled as
"weaknesses," thereby replacing personal responsibility with
helplessness.)
- Confusion arises from
attempting to wed a pagan system of "strengths" and "weaknesses"
-- the four temperaments' astrological polarities -- with
Biblical doctrines of man. People who try to wed the four
temperaments (or any other such personality types) with
Scripture emphasize strengths and weaknesses of each type rather
than obedience and disobedience to God. To attempt to deal with
these differences through a four temperaments typology
undermines the Holy Spirit's work in a person's life.
Psychological systems for explaining and understanding man's
essence tend to replace relationship with the Lord Jesus with
formulas and techniques. Because of the system's pagan nature
and the errors involved, a Christian may come into the bondage
of trying to fix himself up through modifying his weaknesses and
exercising his strengths, rather than allowing the Holy Spirit
to work in His way. Scripture does not set forth a system of
personality differences, but rather one of putting off the old
self and putting on the new; of loving God and following His way
rather that the way of the self -- of loving one another
sacrificially as we already love ourselves. No matter what the
individual differences are between people, love is the issue and
obedience to the Lord is the response.
Understanding ourselves in
terms of typologies is unnecessary for walking after the Spirit
and bearing the Fruit of the Spirit. Concentration on such
categories only feeds the flesh and ultimately leads to works of
the flesh. Focusing on temperament and personality categories,
profiles, and tests avoids the real problem of sin and attempts
to fix us up with the ways of the world. Any system that focuses
on strengths and weaknesses of various temperament types is
limited to reaching the greatest potential of what the Bible
calls the "old man." In Philippians 1:6, Paul is not
talking about people reaching their greatest potential through
understanding themselves through temperament categories. He is
talking about the Holy Spirit's work in each person through the
process of sanctification whereby believers are transformed into
the image of Christ. The four temperaments and similar
typologies give false power based upon a lie. The Word of God is
true. It is quick and powerful. To replace it or assist it with
erroneous personality typologies is an insult to the Lord,
especially considering the occult relationship.
Nevertheless, the temperament
philosophy continues to strive to promote harmonious
relationships across the gamut of Christian living through
compatibility and the understanding of differences, and the
temperament followers continue to claim greater harmony and
interaction in personal relationships than those who use the
Bible alone. In actuality, the four temperaments and other
personality type systems are rival religious systems to
Christianity -- part of the philosophical/psychological pool of
man-made systems and personal opinions which attempt to explain
the nature of man and present methods for change.
- The leading so-called
evangelicals today who consistently peddle the idea of the
temperaments as Christian, are
Tim LaHaye [Spirit-Controlled Temperament (1967);
Transformed Temperaments (1971); and Why You Act the Way
You Do (1984)], and Florence Littauer: [Some others in the
professing Church promoting temperament typologies, personality
inventories, and/or tests of spiritual gifts are
Charles Stanley,
Larry Burkett,
John MacArthur,
Gary Ezzo, H. Norman Wright, Ken Voges, Ron Braund, and
Hal Lindsey.]
(a) In LaHaye's book Why
You Act the Way You Do (as well as in his other books), one
can readily see the underlying astrological roots of temperament
theory -- he labels Christians as Sanguine, Choleric,
Phlegmatic, and Melancholy, and applies this to explain why
people are "locked-in" to behaving the way they do; according to
LaHaye, the strengths and weaknesses of one's temperament type
determines how he acts.
(b) Littauer, in her books (After
Every Wedding Comes a Marriage, Your Personality Tree,
Personality Plus, and Personalities in Power),
also espouses the virtues of temperament theory. In fact,
Littauer followed in LaHaye's steps after reading his book
Spirit-Controlled Temperament. Since that time she has
conducted seminars and written a number of books focused on
personality types. She encourages self-analysis through
understanding and applying the four temperaments because she
believes that such knowledge can help people truly become what
God intended them to be -- that they can reach their full
potential. According to Littauer, God is the One who is using
the four temperaments. She says that she is "amazed at how God
uses this tool to open people's eyes to themselves and their
relationships with others ... We will never reach the potential
that is within us until we pull off the [temperament] mask and
become the real person God intended us to be;" i.e., she
believes that God meant each person to be one of the four
temperament types! Littauer's system [she has developed the
(unsubstantiated and statistically invalid) Personality Profile
Test (PPT)] promises that besides being free to be oneself, an
individual will know how to get his own
unique-to-his-temperament needs met; she says that if their
needs are not met, they are vulnerable to temptation.
- Christians using LaHaye's
and Littauer's books claim that the similarity between astrology
and the temperaments results because astrology borrowed the
"truth" of God's Word concerning the understanding of
personalities through the temperaments and misapplied it as
"false belief" through astrology! Yet the Bible knows nothing of
personality-typing to understand behavior.
Whatever the label Christians will give to the latest fad in
New Age personality systems, its origins can be traced to
ancient pagan philosophy or occult religions, not the Bible.
Even when combined with Biblical teachings, the four
temperaments do not become transformed. They are forever being
tempered within the confines of determinism. True freedom does
not come from figuring out one's temperament according to the
relics of the four temperaments and astrology. Jesus already
gave us the way to freedom, and that is through believing the
Word of God and living by that Truth (John 8:31-32).
True freedom does not come
from learning the four temperaments and then redefining the
Fruit of the Spirit into so-called temperament traits of the new
nature. The four temperaments are rooted in paganism and
astrology. Christians do not need pagan beliefs and practices,
such as the four temperaments, to grow spiritually. If they did,
the Bible would have included such teachings. The four
temperaments were certainly available at the time, along with
all other pagan practices that were an abomination to God.
Instead of incorporating the Greek teachings of the humors and
temperaments for self-improvement, Paul insisted that there is
only one true Gospel and that "the hope of glory" is "Christ in
you."
- The four temperaments
theory of personality is among the worst kinds of psychology.
Furthermore, it is a means of opening Christians to other
psychological theories dressed in Bible verses. Those who
integrate the four temperaments theory of personality are doing
the same thing as those who integrate any other personality
theory with Christianity, be it
Freud's,
Jung's,
Adler's, Maslow's, Rogers', Hippocrates', Galen's, or
Kant's. Those who enthusiastically promote temperament theories,
personality profiles, and other typologies are introducing
foreign paradigms which originated in paganism. Once such
foreign paradigms are introduced, they are used to understand
and explain the human condition undergirded by a new
interpretation of Scripture.
Note on Psychological
Testing: Psychological
testing is the categorical term normally applied to the kind of
temperament/personality typing discussed in this report. With
the rise of science and the use of mathematics in the nineteenth
century, hope was raised that mathematical models could be
harnessed to understand and explain man and to make predictions
about him. The hope still is that, through the use of
mathematics, psychological tests can be developed that will use
a small sample of man's behavior (as exhibited on the test) to
reveal a great deal more about him. The psychological test is an
attempt to diagnose some broad and significant aspect of an
individual's behavior in order to reveal something about him or
to predict how he will perform in the future.
Psychological testing can be
categorized under the following three general headings: (1)
tests of general intellectual level, (2) tests of separate
abilities, and (3) personality tests. A Christian's primary
concern should be with the last category, which includes
personality inventories and temperament tests [such as the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the DiSC Personal
Profile System (PPS), the Biblical Personal Profiles (BPP), the
Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (TJTA), the LaHaye
Temperament Analysis (LTA), the Personality Profile Test (PPT),
the Spiritual Gifts Inventories (SGI), etc.], all of which have
pagan astrology as their basis, and/or were developed by, or
were based upon, the underlying theories of men who were godless
atheists. As demonstrated in this report, not only are these
tests and what they purport to explain unbiblical, but they have
also been proven to have extremely poor statistical reliability
and validity.
*
Must reading for anyone desiring a fuller understanding of this
subject would be
Four Temperaments, Astrology & Personality Testing by
Martin and Deidre Bobgan, EastGate Publishers, Santa Barbara,
CA, 1992, 213 pages; and Tempora Mysticism by Shirley Ann
Miller, Starburst Publishers, Lancaster, PA, 1991, 169 pages.
Unless otherwise stated, all quotes and excerpts used in this
report come from these two sources.
Biblical Discernment Ministries - 8/92
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