What is the Enneagram of Personality?

Definition and Overview

The Enneagram of Personality is a model that outlines nine personality types. Each type is often described as having particular motivations, fears, and desires. Many use the Enneagram to explore personal habits, relational patterns, and emotional tendencies, often in pursuit of increased self-awareness. Its popular diagrams consist of a circle connected by lines and a triangle, with each of the nine types occupying a distinct point. While it can appear at first glance to be a simple system, its proponents claim deep, layered insights into human nature.

Some individuals view the Enneagram as a modern tool with ancient roots, sometimes associating it with mystical or esoteric traditions. Others have embraced it in various spiritual applications or counseling settings, highlighting areas where it seems to place emphasis on personal growth. Nonetheless, this model is not recorded in the Bible, and many questions arise regarding its compatibility with a biblical view of humanity, sin, and redemption.

Historical Background

Various sources trace the Enneagram’s origins to different cultures and historical figures. Common names associated with its development include George Ivanovich Gurdjieff in the early twentieth century, Oscar Ichazo in the mid-twentieth century, and Claudio Naranjo soon thereafter. They explored how the nine points on the Enneagram might describe distinct ways people engage with the world.

Some Enneagram advocates connect its heritage to the Desert Fathers or Sufi mystics, although direct evidence for such a lineage is uncertain. The model as commonly taught today was refined in contemporary settings rather than in ancient Christian or biblical contexts. This relatively modern framework, therefore, frequently mingles with concepts from psychology, personal well-being, or spirituality but does not originate in scriptural doctrine.

Basic Structure and Claims

1. The Nine Types: The Enneagram identifies nine personalities, often given names such as The Reformer, The Helper, The Achiever, and so on. Each type is said to have core fears (e.g., fear of being bad or unloved) and core desires (e.g., desire to be valued or at peace).

2. Wings and Integration: Proponents of the Enneagram speak of “wings,” typically the adjacent numbers on the Enneagram circle that shape an individual’s specific expression of the main type. They also discuss paths of “integration” (health) or “disintegration” (unhealth), indicating how a personality may respond to stress or growth.

3. Self-Discovery and Transformation: Many teachers emphasize the Enneagram as a path toward personal transformation. By recognizing perceived strengths, blind spots, and motivations, individuals aim to change or mature behaviorally and spiritually.

Appeal and Critique

One of the primary appeals of the Enneagram is its promise of clarity regarding an individual’s internal motivations. Some find it helpful within counseling contexts or team-building sessions, reasoning that greater self-understanding leads to improved relationships. However, others critique the Enneagram on several grounds:

• Ambiguous Sources: The Enneagram is not clearly derived from any singular, historically verified Christian tradition. Its origins are tied more to modern psychological or mystical teachings than to any authoritative biblical foundation.

• Potential for Misapplication: In certain contexts, the Enneagram is co-opted into broad spiritual practices aligned with Eastern mysticism or esoteric philosophies. This raises questions about whether it may conflict with a theistic, Scripture-based understanding of humanity’s nature as described in passages like Genesis 1:26–27, which teaches that every human is created in the image of God.

• Reductionistic Tendencies: Assigning a person to one of nine types risks oversimplifying the complexities of the human heart. Scripture consistently speaks to the depth and variety of human sin and motivation (Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure—who can understand it?”), reminding believers that all aspects of human nature need redemption through Christ, not merely personal reformation.

Biblical Perspective

Scripture provides comprehensive guidance regarding the condition of humanity, the nature of sin, and the transforming power of divine grace. Several passages underscore the caution with which believers might approach tools like the Enneagram:

1. Authority of God’s Word

2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” This anchors a believer’s worldview in the Bible as the lens through which all thoughts and theories should be evaluated. Any personality theory, including the Enneagram, remains secondary to God’s revealed truth.

2. Testing Teachings

1 Thessalonians 5:21 exhorts, “but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.” While it is possible that certain observational insights about human behavior might be considered beneficial, one must test them in light of biblical teaching. When the Enneagram’s claims conflict with Scripture’s portrayal of redemption, identity, or morality, Scripture takes precedence.

3. Focus on Sanctification

Romans 12:2 reminds believers, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” True transformation is a work of the Holy Spirit, rather than merely a process of self-assessment or self-improvement. Tools like the Enneagram may highlight patterns of thought but cannot effect the spiritual regeneration offered only by Christ.

Practical Considerations

• Cautious Examination: Some find the Enneagram beneficial as a rudimentary tool for self-reflection. Others find its roots and some associated practices to be incompatible with a biblical worldview. This calls for careful discernment in how (or if) it is employed, ensuring it does not supplant the primacy of Scripture.

• Motivation for Use: If one encounters the Enneagram, it is crucial to maintain focus on glorifying God rather than looking inward for ultimate meaning. James 1:5 declares, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Genuine wisdom comes from divine revelation, rather than a human-devised system.

• Guarding Against Syncretism: Throughout biblical history, Israel often erred by mixing worship of the true God with pagan systems (e.g., 2 Kings 17:7–12). Believers today likewise must ensure that they do not merge new age or mystical interpretations into Christian theology. The exclusivity of Christ as the way to salvation (John 14:6) and the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification must remain at the forefront.

Conclusion

The Enneagram of Personality is a modern framework claiming to map out nine basic human types. While certain insights on motivation may resonate with everyday observation, its foundations are not derived from Scripture, and some of its philosophical underpinnings contrast with a biblical worldview of humanity’s sin and God’s redeeming grace.

As with any tool not explicitly taught in the Bible, believers do well to approach the Enneagram discerningly, testing its ideas against the authority of Scripture and resisting any teaching that supplants Christ’s work of redemption. Ultimately, the most reliable path to understanding oneself and growing in holiness is found in God’s revealed Word, the power of the Holy Spirit, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.