In our Lenten Series, “Evagrius of Ponticus, the Roots of Our Passions (Sin), and the Enneagram,” we will explore the history of “sin” through the lens of desert father, Evagrius of Ponticus. Evagrius was a 4th century revolutionary thinker and spiritual practitioner, a man of depth and wisdom about the human condition and the inner life. He provided spiritual practices in observation that can lead us toward freedom from our passions and fixations.
We will also introduce the enneagram, an ancient symbol and spiritual tool, that finds part of its origin in the teachings of Evagrius. The enneagram has nine points that reflect the nine passions that ensnare us: anger, pride, self-deceit, envy, avarice, fear, gluttony, and lust. This ancient symbol also reveals to us our virtues which are prevented from manifesting when we are caught in our particular passion pattern: serenity, humility, veracity, equanimity, non-attachment, courage, sobriety, and innocence.