Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram

I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram and found it to be a valuable resource. It is definitely not for someone new to the Enneagram. For them I would recommend more introductory texts. But for those who want to study more deeply, I recommend this book. It has a decidedly Christian perspective, so that is something to keep in mind.

In this book the authors present a new and fresh look at how the Enneagram can be applied to our lives and in particular spiritual growth. For those who are familiar with the Enneagram some of the ideas are new, but I found them useful. Rather than the traditional movement of stressful and health they assert that everyone a Harmony Triad consistent of Gut Intelligence (GQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and Intellectual Intelligence (IQ) and so have a triad of 3 numbers from each section of the Enneagram. For example I am an Enneagram 1, so my Harmony Triad is 1-4-7. This really resonated with me.

The books provides scripture, prayers, and journaling opportunities to grow through the use of the Enneagram. I plan on buying a physical copy of this book to add to my shelves as I found a lot of the material very useful but harder to navigate on my digital reader. If you have an interest in the Enneagram and are looking to apply it in new ways, I recommend this book to you. This book releases March 12, 2019!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

If you already have a basic understanding of the Enneagram and want to dive deeper into how it effects you and your Christian faith, read this book! I like the authors' concept of Harmony Triads, which expand on the traditional Enneagram numbers. I also appreciate that along with information and case studies, the book includes practical steps to take for your number. I especially like the imaginative and breath prayers. I read an ARC from NetGalley and plan to purchase physical copies so my husband and I can read it together.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for honest review from NetGalley.

I am in love with the Enneagram as a tool to assess personality, how people relate and how to become more of our true selves. It fascinates me and has been very helpful in my own journey. This is probably my favorite book I've read on the Enneagram so far. It is accessible and easy to read - some Enneagram books are nearly impossible to break down but this one is profound yet simply written. I loved the way the book was formatted and found myself devouring the chapters on each type - not just my own or ones I related to. The section on "empathy for..." was helpful too... helping me relate to and understand various types better! I also found the soul care resources at the end of the book helpful, well written and very practical. This is a must read book for those interested in spiritual practices and the enneagram. It combines two great and profound topics into a digestible, well-designed and impactful book.

The word “Enneagram” has quickly become a buzz word over the past several years. Authors Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Doug Calhoun, Clare Loughrige, and Scott Loughrige have written “Spiritual Rhythms for the Sacred Enneagram,” adding another book to the mix. What’s different about this one? While “Spiritual Rhythms for the Sacred Enneagram” does cover some characteristics of each type when healthy and unhealthy, the authors present a unique focus.

Each triad of Enneagram types has a preferred way of relating in the world—the head (numbers Five, Six, Seven) , the heart (numbers Two, Three, Four), or the gut (numbers Eight, Nine, One). The authors present a new take on these triads saying, “Drawing on the harmonies of your head, heart, and gut triad can create new, life-giving neural pathways that override habitual default reactions. In the face of decisions and interactions, take a moment to notice: (p. 7)
• What does your head (IQ) think?
• What does your heart (EQ) feel?
• What does your gut instinct (GQ) know?
• What harmony comes from these three ways of knowing?

By identifying their two correlating types and incorporating those harmonies, each Enneagram type more fully represents the triune God, according to the authors. For example, an Enneagram Eight whose exemplifies God’s justice harmonizes with the contemplation of Fives and the care of Twos, showing that “Strength is contemplative love.” In the same way, an Enneagram One who reflects God’s goodness harmonizes with the creativity of a Four and the joy of a Seven, displaying that “goodness creates joy.”

Through mindfulness (thinking about what you’re thinking about), contemplative questions, identifying how they reflect God’s image, praying through childhood hurts and allowing God to heal them, journaling exercises, and mini Bible studies, and other activities, the authors help readers dig into how the Holy Spirit can transform them into their “true selves” through various spiritual rhythms, which differ from type to type.

The book also includes testimonials of people from each type and how they’ve allowed the Holy Spirit to transform them through various spiritual rhythms. Additionally, the authors have included a variety of other resources at the end of the book as well as a prayer at the end of each chapter with a prayer of blessing for that enneagram type. Too, each chapter includes tips for others on how to relate to that Enneagram type.

Anyone looking to explore their Enneagram type more deeply and reflectively, who is willing to sit and soak with the material and in prayer and God’s Word, and who is willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, will find this book immensely helpful—maybe even more so by walking through it with another person. In fact, the book contains a small group discussion guide just for that purpose. This is a book I hope to explore more slowly and thoughtfully as I allow the Holy Spirit to transform who I am into someone who more closely reflects His glory.

I received a copy of this book from InterVarsity Press through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Just when you thought the christian market was being saturated by books on the Enneagram, IVP publishes yet another one on this intriguing tool on the road to self-discovery. And “Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram” definitely deserves its place!

The value of this book is first of all in its wide range of practical resources and practices for each number on the spectrum (the Enneagram offers nine different personality types with a myriad of possibilities for growth). It really is a book for those followers of Jesus who are on a journey to deepen their faith, desiring to see their lives transformed and help others who are traveling with them. I found the breath prayers for each type to be especially helpful.

The second way Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram stands out is that it does not focus on the traditional Enneagram model (which looks at these nine types within the Heart, Gut and Head Triads), but brings three so-called Harmony Triangles into view. The authors do a wonderful job in trying to help their readers not only to get a handle on their own ‘type’, or to be able to understand people who occupy a different space on the Enneagram. They really try to help us, who have discovered our own place within a triad, to see how we can grow into wholeness by leaning into the wisdom (or ‘Intelligence’) the other two triads offer.

I would not recommend this book to Enneagram ‘newbees’, although it does offer suggestions how to find the space on the Enneagram that might be most true to you. To get a good introduction to this intricate model, consider The Road Back to You, written with flair and humor by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile, or Mirror for the Soul by Alice Fryling – both also by IVP.

It is however an excellent resource for spiritual directors, coaches, pastors and other Christians who already have some knowledge of the Enneagram.

The lay-out reminds of another excellent resource by author Adele Ahlberg Calhoun – the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook. Like this one, that book also used columns on the pages – which compares reading it like a magazine. Not sure if I like that, but it somehow fits with the idea of a resource book – this is definitely not a work that you would read through all at once, but rather you would use to study as you try to get to know yourself better and are resourcing yourself as you desire to come alongside others with love and humility.

Given the lay-out of the book you probably don’t want to invest in a Kindle version. Usually I don’t buy a paper copy after I’ve read a digital version, but I did order Spiritual Rhythms and – as it launches on March 12th - expect it soon in the mail.

In order to review this book I received a digital version from IVP, through Netgalley. The views are entirely my own.

A new interesting handbook for the Enneagram
Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Doug Calhoun, Clare Loughrige, and Scott Loughrige present in "Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram. A Handbook for Harmony and Transformation", published by Intervarsity Press, a handbook that is a powerful tool for daily relationships, spiritual understanding, and personal transformation. In reality this book is far more than a handbook, it is a workbook. The definitions (key terms) based on a Christian perspective which are added at the beginning of the book help to understand the presentation of the authors.
The book shows which Harmony Triad is based on which Enneagram type. It is different from other books which use the typical Enneagram structure, e.g., where type four is linked to type two and type one. In "Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram" type four is linked in a harmony triad to type seven and type one. It is helpful that they placed a graphic of the Traditional Enneagram and the Harmony Enneagram next to one another in the introduction.
Every Enneagram type has its own chapter that includes sub-titles such as "Who am I and who I am not", "True and false self", "Healing childhood hurts", "Spiritual Rhythms for ...", and "Empathy for ...". Although the authors encourage the reader to read the whole book this approach helps if readers do not want to read the whole book in one setting because they are looking for information of a specific type. The chapters are in the order of how the types present themselves in the graphic: 1) GQ: The Instinctive Triad (eight, nine, one), 2) EQ: The Feeling Triad (two, three, four), and 3) IQ: The Thinking Triad (five, six, seven).
In the fourth part of the book the authors have added thirteen "Soul Resources for Harmony". Included there are one short chapter on how to discover one's Enneagram type and one chapter with questions for small group discussions on empathy. These add to the tips which are already included in each chapter on how to relate to a particular Enneagram type.
I highly recommend this book since it is based on a Christian perspective, contains application questions, real life testimonies, examples from the Bible and references, and also various prayers for each Enneagram type. The readers, especially if they are new to the Enneagram philosophy, need to be aware that the book does not present the typical Enneagram setup, but the Harmony Enneagram philosophy, based on the Triads, and that the book is very detailed. It is more advisable for those readers that want to do an in-depth study.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#SpiritualRhythymsForTheEnneagram #NetGalley

While this isn't my favorite resource for the Enneagram (it felt disjointed at times because of SO many sidebar sections), it is beneficial. This book focuses a lot on the three intelligences: IQ (Head Intelligence), EQ (Emotional/Heart Intelligence), and GQ (Gut Intelligence). It helps us see how each Enneagram number can grow in each of these areas.

It also gives many snippets of prayers, mantras, exercises, etc., that you can use as you learn more about your type. It is a practical book with lots of examples from real-life stories and is rooted in the Christian tradition.

"God is the original harmony of three in one."

"God’s purpose is for you to be fully alive to loving God, neighbor, and self. To be awake to God’s purpose takes awareness. Awareness doesn’t require equipment, money, or a PhD."

My thanks to Net Galley for the review copy of this book.