The Sacred Enneagram covers much the same territory as other works on the Enneagram, such as a description of the nine types and its origins. As Heuertz sees it, “The paramount question plaguing humanity, has to do with identity. Who am I” (p. 16)? He believes the Enneagram is a valuable tool in self-identity because it “offers a sacred map for our souls, a map that when understood, leads us home to our true identity and to God” (p 26). That is because “it exposes nine ways we lie to ourselves about who we think we are, nine ways we can come clean about these illusions, and nine ways we can find our way back to God” (p. 25). Strangely, however, the author admits that “the Enneagram of Personality is clearly a modern invention in its infancy [and] . . . it is no overstatement to suggest that we hardly…

One of the rapidly growing fads within evangelicalism is the Enneagram of Personality. The Veinots, who lead the discernment ministry, Midwest Christian Outreach, joined by Marcia Montenegro, former New Ager, who ministers through Christians Answers for the New Age, have decided to address this movement. Their conclusions expose the Enneagram as emerging from occult and mystical sources, lacking biblical foundation, and spreading numerous errant theological views, including a false gospel and defective means of sanctification. This small volume is not a detailed study of the Enneagram. Only in the first chapter is much attention given to the Enneagram as a system, and only on page 40 is an attempt made to detail the meaning behind the nine types that make up the Enneagram. Rather, the contribution made by the authors focuses mainly on the origins, the promoters and the unbiblical claims made by supporters of the Enneagram. Concerning the origins,…

As I write this review I am in the process of using The Enneagram, A Christian Perspective as a primary sourcebook for a larger article on the Enneagram; reference to that article will reveal further insights into this particular book. Written in 1989 under the title of Discovering the Enneagram: An Ancient Tool for a New Spiritual Journey, and somewhat revised for this printing, Rohr’s and Ebert’s work is foundational for a modern understanding of the Enneagram.  Originally, the authors believed the Enneagram system was derived from medieval Islamic (Sufi) sources, but by this printing, they trace its beginning to the Christian desert fathers and mothers, primarily to Evagrius Ponticus (d. 399) and the Franciscan Blessed Ramon Lull (1236-1315) (p. ix). Its roots may even go back to pre-Christian times (p. xi) and finds common ground in mysticism which resides in many major religions (p. xii). This is because “all…

Allie Beth Stuckey is a writer, speaker and host of the podcast Relatable sponsored by Blaze Media.  In You’re Not Enough, Stuckey takes on the self-love culture which insists that people are perfect the way they are, that love of self is their primary obligation, and that lives should be centered around worship of self (“meology,” pp. 64-72), rather than God.  Self cannot be both our problem and our solution, the author insists (p. 9).  Stuckey’s thesis is that “the world’s answers to our very real feelings of self-doubt, self-loathing, incompetence, and insecurity aren’t sufficient….  This book is about dismantling the lies fed to us and replacing them with God’s truth” (p. 13).  In order to accomplish her goal, Stuckey dismantles five myths that the self-love culture teaches. 1. You are enough (pp. 15-48). This worldview tells us that we can’t do anything until we love ourselves first (p. 5),…