3 Spiritual Books on the Enneagram
The Enneagram and Spiritual Growth
The Enneagram is a hot topic this past year. What is the Enneagram? It’s a system of personality typing, divided into nine main types. (Here’s a quick synopsis of each nine numbers. Which are you?)
While most of us identify stronger with one type over the others, we all have traits from every type.
But the Enneagram can do more than tell you about your personality today. It also can be used as a tool (one among many) that can help you grow in your relationship with God and with others in the future.
If you’d like to learn more about the Enneagram and spiritual growth, here are three books I highly recommend. Each one leans toward better spiritual health, not just psychological and relational health.
Three Spiritual Books on the Enneagram
1. For Beginners:
The Road Back to You
An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
This book gives a great overall explanation to help you find your type so you can better cooperate with God in your transformation. (Here are some of my favorite take-aways from The Road Back to You about how to love that OTHER number on the Enneagram.)
2. For Spiritual Disciplines:
The Sacred Enneagram
Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth
by Christopher L. Heuertz
Christopher Heuertz’ goal with this book is to help us “find our way back home, back to our essential nature, our True Self, and back to God.”
He exposes nine ways we lie to ourselves about who we think we are, nine ways we can come clean about those illusions, and nine ways we can find our way back to God.
Here are some ways to practice your Enneagram number from The Sacred Enneagram.
3. For Digging Deeper:
The Wisdom of the Enneagram
The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types
by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
Lots of details are in this book, but they’re easy to understand. This book goes into each type’s basic fear, basic desire, and distortions. It offers a spiritual jump start for each type, red flags, and an invitation to abundance for each type.
For Further Reading
I hope to do a 28-day series on the Enneagram in February 2020. I’ll share lots more about the Enneagram and how to use it to grow spiritually and relationally, including more books I recommend, links to podcasts, Enneagram quizzes, how to use the Enneagram in your everyday life, etc. Stay tuned!
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I’m sharing today with Katie at Doing Dewey for #NonficNov. This week’s assignment is to share three or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend.
Do you have a favorite Enneagram book or resource that you’d recommend? Please share in the comments.
More book recommendations from #NonficNov:
- My Favorite Nonfiction Books This Year
- Match This Nonfiction Book with This Fiction Book
- 3 Reasons You Don’t Read Nonfiction and Why You Should Anyway (+ LOTS of Recommendations)
Looking forward to your in-depth February journey into the Enneagram! I appreciate today’s post–Ian Cron’s is the only one of the 3 here that I’ve read, so I’m going to check out the other two.
Ian Cron’s book was among the first I read too. It’s a very good one! I still go back and reference it. His podcast is also great.
This is really interesting! My cousin introduced me to Enneagram numbers, and while I am still actually sorting through it all (I’m a 5w4) I never thought about it in connection with spirituality or religion. This is a great share, thanks! I am going to check out your book for beginners! 🙂
You may be my soul sister, Erin – I identify mostly as a 5w4 too. 🙂 Yay! There are some things that don’t resonate with me in the description, but more in this type than any of the others.
LOL! I agree, some things sound like me while others don’t, but for sure more this than others for me as well. 🙂
I just added The Wisdom of the Enneagram to my TBR! I loved the Cron book and refer back to it often.
I refer back to The Road Back to You, too. I think Cron’s book is probably the most accessible. He and Suzanne Stabile explain it in a way that is easy to understand! But I learned a lot in The Wisdom of the Enneagram. I’m currently reading The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut. But I’m having to take it in small doses; LOTS of new info to me in this one.
It’s good to hear about The Complete Enneagram, too. It sounds like it’s best saved for a little later, after I’ve read a little bit more. But I’m glad to know it’s there when I’m ready!
Yes, I had to work up to that one. 🙂 But it’s often the first book some people read. I’ve found I skip around in it more than other books that I read from beginning to end in succession.
I’m truly looking forward to the in-depth series you have planned, Lisa! In the meantime, thanks for the recommendations!
Blessings!
Thanks, Martha. I’me excited about getting the series planned out soon! There’s so much to share about the Enneagram. It’s been a fun tool to learn about.
Of course, I’ve heard of the enneagram, but I have no idea what it’s about. I guess these would be a good place to start. Definitely bookmarking your post for later.
I’ve enjoyed learning about the Enneagram. Of course it’s only art, not science, but I’ve found there are plenty of truths in it to make it worth my time to explore. Hope you enjoy it too when you have time to dive in, Bryan!
I listened to an episode of Cron’s podcast the other day, and it really threw me off balance about my number. I think I need to do more reading….
I’m intrigued now, Michele! I listen to Cron’s podcast too and sometimes get affirmation that I’ve typed myself correctly, but other times it makes me question my decision. It’s definitely not an exact science, and we’re all individuals with distinct differences. I just have to go with the overall picture, which keeps me as a five. For now that’s what I think anyway. 🙂 I’d love to talk to him in person about it. I did talk to Suzanne Stabile in person at their conference; she convinced me I wasn’t a one.
I love that you are sharing books that have a spiritual element. Everything we do and learn about ourselves should, ultimately, point us back to Jesus.
I agree, Rebecca. Even when we don’t recognize it, all roads lead back to him, the author and giver of life and truth.
I might have to join the band wagon. I have steered away from it. Thank you for including a place to start.
I understand; I did the same thing for awhile. But once I jumped in, I haven’t regretted it. 🙂 I just remind myself that it’s not definitive. I appreciate Ian Cron’s philosophy about that as well. He strongly believes in using the Enneagram to help us grow, but he keeps a healthy view on its limitations.
I keep saying I need to take the Enneagram, maybe I just need to schedule it in so I do it! I’ve heard of the first one, and that’s the one that got me really interested in the test. Must. go. schedule. now!
I’ll be curious to find out which number you identify with, Anita! You have a strong social justice ethic and are such an outgoing helper to those who are marginalized.
I am re-reading The Road Back to You right now and think I might try The Path Between us too. laurensparks.net
I love The Path Between Us because it focused so much on interpersonal relationships between the types. It’s so fun to talk with my friends about the Enneagram who are a different type than me (which almost all my friends are a different number than my five).
Thank you, Lisa. For years (and it’s been around for years), the only temperament types I studied was Tim LaHaye’s “The four temperaments.” I’m not very familar with Enneagram. I think I saw it first referred to on one of your past blog posts and a few other bloggers I know. But haven’t taken the test or completed any reading on it. So this is helpful to learn more and use it as a tool. I think things like this are fascinating.
Yes, I remember his four temperaments as well! Good stuff. All these typing systems contain certain truths that can help us grow. Anne Bogel’s book “Reading People” does a great job giving short summaries of strengths and weaknesses of all these systems.
If you have read some of the amazing spiritual author Thomas Merton (Trappist monk – Roman Catholic), this book is fabulous:
Merton: An Enneagram Profile
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2241062.Merton?from_search=true&qid=Tp0KHyUzEb&rank=1
I read lots of spiritual books (Eastern Orthodox), but today my post is on birds: https://wordsandpeace.com/2019/11/12/nonfiction-november-2018-expert-on-bird-books/
I’ve read so very little from Thomas Merton but have heard so much about him. This book is new to me so I’m glad you brought it to my attention, Emma! I’ll add it to my TBR list.
Lisa! Just listened to The Road Back to You. It was so good.
A fun, easy book about the Enneagram that has cartoons and bullet points and is a quick read and great overview is, The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. Wanting to read your February posts.
That sounds like a delightful book about the Enneagram, Theresa. Thanks for sharing this one. I’m looking it up now!
I will definitely check out the February series.
Thanks, Susan. I’m excited to get started planning the Enneagram series soon!
Interesting. I’ve only read one book on the Enneagram, but I thought it was quite enlightening. I didn’t believe some of the stuff it said about me, but it turned out to be true. lol
I didn’t want to be the number I think I am (a five) because I didn’t like the things it described. ha. And while some of it is NOT true about me (I think so anyway), a LOT of it is. It’s not easy to hear some of the things, but when they hit home, I know I need to pay attention. Thanks for sharing your experience too, Rachel.
The Enneagram is a brand new subject for me! It sounds interesting and I’ll have to do some more research on it.
Congratulations on your new granddaughter! Both girls are adorable
Thanks, Pat–I can’t get enough of my baby grandgirls. 🙂
The Enneagram is definitely interesting. I don’t find it to be exactly true on everything for each person, but it has plenty of truth to make it very worthwhile. And challenging!
Lisa, I’ve seen this around of course. I even took the test to find out what I am. I can’t remember for sure but I think I’m a 6. I had no idea people had written books on it. Interesting.
Pinned.
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
“They” (whoever the infamous “they” are) say that the most common number is a 6. I definitely have 6 traits in me (I tend toward what-if scenarios a LOT, ha). I think I’m either a 5w4 or either a 5w6. My sister relates the most to a 6. It’s uncanny how many of the things ring true for us.
What an interesting combination! I’ve never thought about how the two intersect.
What an interesting & original topic to hone in on for this week’s prompt. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about and mention enneagram, but never really explored it too much… I think I will be now! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jade. I started reading about the Enneagram a few years ago when there wasn’t a lot of material available, but there are many books out there now. And more on the way. The market responds to the hot topics. 🙂 But I want to be discerning about which books are truly helpful and which ones aren’t.
We were just talking about this personality assessment in my Bible study group. The ladies there will be so excited to hear about these books!
Glad this came along at the right time for you, Shannon! We bring up the Enneagram a lot in my book club group, even when it’s not the main topic. 🙂
I’ve never heard of it, thanks for introducing me to a new topic.
Please stop by to see my NonFicNov: Become The Expert
And ditto. Your expert topic is new to me, too. We’ve had several cases in my state lately of females being kidnapped by males, of course. Rarely hear of it in reverse. Wish it wouldn’t happen to anyone, male or female, by either male or female!
Yep I have all three. I am learning so much about the enneagram and look forward to your upcoming series. Let me know if I can help in any way.
Thanks, Jean! I may very well tap into your expertise in this area once I get organized. I have a book on hold at the library that I’m picking up tomorrow, Milleangram: The Enneagram Guide for Discovering Your Truest, Baddest Self. Have you heard of it? It looks like a fun modern take on the Enneagram. 🙂
You and I are sooooo alike. Yes I not only heard of the book but bought it a few weeks ago. Gave it to my daughter who is so into the Enneagram this year. I think she will end up getting certified in this. Has helped her tremendously – mentally and emotionally and spiritually
How neat that your daughter may get certified in the Enneagram! I have a friend who briefly thought about it, but didn’t. Keep me posted if she does. I’ve begun reading Millenneagram and am enjoying this author’s take on it (although her language is quite messy). I’m trying to read it sequentially and not skip straight to my number. ha.
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Hi, thanks for sharing. The #LMML community clicked your post the most this past week. I enjoyed learning about theses great books.
Thanks for letting me know, Mary! I enjoy the LMML community a lot. I appreciate you hosting us there.