I almost gave up after the first 1/3 of this book but I'm glad I didn't. The first part delves in deeply to the history of the enneagram and all the different variations of the enneagram. Great if you like that kind of deep dive but it didn't interest me so much.

The rest of the book was excellent with possibly the best descriptions of each of the enneagram types that I have read. I am still landing "mostly" on type 4. I also loved how he connected the enneagram to solitude and contemplation and while I didn't agree 100% with everything, it certainly challenged my thinking and that's always a good thing.

This is definitely more of a book for those who want to delve a bit deeper into the enneagram.

This was the first (and so far only) Enneagram book that I have read and it was interesting. I thought it went a little off the deep end in a few areas, such as childhood wounds and how they shape us; I realize that's the case for a lot of people but the most influential wounds in my life came long after I grew up. I had not determined which number I was while reading, so it would be interesting to reread the part about my number.

The Sacred Enneagram is perfect for those who have learned the basics of the enneagram and want to go the next level.

I enjoy personality psychology and learning about the different ways people have of understanding themselves in the midst of humanity. Enneagrams are still new to me in that I don't feel I fully understand them, but this book definitely helped me solidify that I am a TWO, but my wings and stuff still don't quite make sense to me.

I read this as a digital ARC, so the formatting was wonky which made graphics , charts and tables distorted and unclear. I enjoyed the Catholic perspective and the continual tie in to faith throughout the book. This is definitely a subject I want to continue learning about and I'm glad to have this book as a stepping stone on my enneagram journey.

I selected this book because my sister's super into personality types (primarily the Myers-Briggs -I'm an ISFJ), but the enneagram as well. I was interested to learn more about this "version" of the personality types. In the enneagram, I appear to be a cross mix of The Helper, The Questioner, and The Peacemaker. This is a very insightful book that should be read multiple times to glean full insight from it. I love that it is mixed with Christian to be applied to your spiritual life.

“Who am I? This is the fundamental question of our human experience, the one that compels us to search for meaning.”
– Christopher Heuertz

All nine types of the Enneagram have specific strengths and weaknesses. Why does it matter? According to Christopher Heuertz, the purpose is “to find our way back home, back to our essential nature, our True Self, and back to God.”

Here are the Nine types and their desires.

Type 1: Need to Be Perfect
Type 2: Need to Be Needed
Type 3: Need to Succeed
Type 4: Need to Be Special (or Unique)
Type 5: Need to Perceive (or Understand)
Type 6: Need to Be Sure/Certain
Type 7: Need to Avoid Pain
Type 8: Need to Be Against
Type 9: Need to Avoid

How do we meet those needs? In Parts 2 and 3 of Heuertz’s book, he suggests unique paths for spiritual growth for each triad of types in the following Intelligence Centers (Head, Heart, and Body):

For the Heart Center types (types 2, 3, 4), who are obsessed with connections, it requires:
Solitude
“Solitude, time by ourselves, teaches us to be present—present to ourselves, present to God, and present with others.”
For the Head Center types (types 5, 6, 7), who are obsessed with competence, they need:
Silence
“Silence actually teaches us to listen. . . . In silence we hear the truth that God is not as hard on us as we are on ourselves.”
For the Body Center types (types 8, 9, 1), who are obsessed with control, they need to engage in:
Stillness
“Stillness teaches us restraint, and in restraint we are able to discern what appropriate engagement looks like.”
By integregating knowledge with practice, we can form contemplative practices that bring us into more wholeness and less chaos.

“But listen to yourself: usually the way you judge yourself or ‘feel bad’ about your practice is the very thing that begins to open your type to the graces of the practice.”
The more we show up in the present moment, where God is, the more permission and awareness we give him to shape us into who he created us to be.

This book goes deeper into other areas as well, such as paths of integration and disintegration, the Intelligence Centers, and the Harmony Triads, which includes:

With the Relationists (types 2, 5, and 8), the intention is consent, with the Pragmatists (types 3, 6, and 9), the intention is engagement, and with the Idealists (types 1, 4, and 7), the intention is rest.

I’ve read several Enneagram books and this one may be the most complex so far. But possibly also the most practical.

Honestly, I'd heard of the Enneagram but only took the test because I knew I would be reviewing this book. The Enneagram and this book's analysis of it from a spiritual perspective was interesting. You could say I'm into personality tests generally, and this book gave me even more detail than I bargained for while presenting the Enneagram's ancient roots as more than a "personality test." The author, who seems to be Catholic, placed emphasis on the Enneagram types not being treated as self-serving caricatures of ourselves but instead as a tool to discovering the unique triggers and habits of each type that can hinder spiritual growth. I was concerned that it would misalign with the teachings of Christianity and veer into a troubling realm of mysticism and while I'm still not sure that some small parts of it didn't, it was comforting in my little knowledge of the Enneagram to see its ties back to true identity that only God can ascribe.

This is an extremely thorough resource about the enneagram. It is not for a beginner but for someone who wants great depth of information about the how's and whys and from where's. The author presents tons of information in a very well thought out manner. The text flows nicely but takes quite a bit of concentration to digest. If you're looking for a basic book about enneagram this is not the book you should read first.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I have recently been interested in learning about the enneagram and have researched it briefly so I was thrilled to get the chance to read this book by Christopher Heuertz. He does a great job of describing what the enneagram is and why it is important. He then systematically looks at the nine different types. I was able to find mine pretty easily and could find friends in family in the others. I found the second part of the book even more interesting. Mr. Heuertz talks about the need for silent prayer, for time when the mind is quiet and can listen. I found it very helpful. This would be a great book for anyone interested in learning more about the enneagram.

This book is a valuable addition to existing books on the fascinating subject of the Enneagram. While often the Enneagram is seen as a personality test alone, Heuertz describes how we can use this tool in order to deepen and understand more fully our relationship with God. As a nine (the peacemaker), there are ways that I can relate to God that will be more relevant and applicable to me than for the other 8 types; a unique way back to God that, if understood, can help us cut through many ways of connecting with the sacred that we either don't understand or just won't work for us.
Highly recommended.

This is the Enneagram book that I have long been looking for.

Though I deeply appreciate Rohr's books on the Enneagram, often they felt too systematic; and others like AJ Sherrill's just scratched the surface of what personal application can look like, Christopher Heuertz bridges a game that was so needed in the growing Enneagram discussion.

I was very interested in receiving the ARC for this book, as I had already pre-ordered it and was anxious to get a sneak preview. The book is divided into 3 parts. Part 1 - What is the Enneagram?, I found to read almost like a school research paper. There was so much referencing of other works, tons of footnotes and quotations. It was very distracting and I find it very awkward when an author quotes his spouse! Having some prior knowledge of the Enneagram, I skimmed through some of it. Had I been unfamiliar with the concept, I'm not so sure as this presentation would have given me a clear understanding. Part 2 - Exploring Triads and Types was more of what I was expecting from this book. Although it presented much of the same information I have seen in other resources, it did use some verbiage in descriptions that added nuance. However, again, there was a lot of quoting and footnoting. Part 3- Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth contained the most original content. It explores some actions one can take to use the information in a practical prayer pattern. Overall, I enjoyed this book and am glad I purchased it for my home library. I would definitely only recommend this to readers who already have a basic understanding of the Enneagram. I would also recommend the reader already know his/her number.