The Enneagram

This article was published in the September to December 2025 edition of Rapport magazine.

Have you ever wished that your vicar or minister was a little more pastoral/organised/creative? Or pondered how you managed to produce one easy-going, placid child and one contrary child who questions everything? Maybe you’ve clashed with work colleagues and not really understood why.

The Enneagram (pronounced Enny-er-gram) is a tool that helps us make sense of who we are, why we respond to situations in a certain way and how that impacts our relationships with others. The Enneagram also helps us see why we might struggle in areas of faith and, with this knowledge, how we can deepen our relationship with God.

When I tell people that I teach the Enneagram, I get a variety of responses: ‘Oh, I love the Enneagram. It’s one of the best things I’ve done.’ Or often, ‘Is it like Myers–Briggs?’ (They are both personality tools, but Enneagram is based on people’s motivation rather than their reactions). One person said, ‘It’s the same as horoscopes, isn’t it!’ NO! Enneagram is nothing like horoscopes, but some Christians believe Enneagram is a no-go area, for various reasons: some think the Enneagram diagram looks a bit pagan, so therefore is to be feared; some worry that it’s simply navel-gazing and therefore self-indulgent; others are concerned that Enneagram is not from a totally Christian background; and there is a certain amount of misleading information available on the internet, which is not always correct or helpful.

For those who are sceptical, I’d like to try to reassure you. Whilst Enneagram can be taught in a secular environment, many UK Enneagram teachers are committed Christians who put God firmly in the centre of their teaching.

The word Enneagram comes from the Greek Ennea (nine), and gram (a drawing or diagram). The Enneagram system is based on nine personalities (types). Each type’s title describes the general characteristic of that personality: Perfectionists, Helpers, Performers, Romantics, Observers, Loyal Sceptics, Optimists, Bosses, Peacemakers.

Of course, people are not neatly divided into nine categories – humans are much more complex than that. But it’s a good starting place for beginning to understand who we are, and the similarities and differences between ourselves and others.

For each of the types there is a particular gift that is available to us. These have different names from, but are very similar to, the nine fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These fruit reflect the nature of God and are freely offered in love. We are, after all, made in the image of God, and so we each mirror the nature of God more and more as we grow in freedom and grace.

Each type is also susceptible to a particular temptation (also called the ‘passion’ or ‘sin’, and including the seven deadly sins): lust, sloth, anger, pride, envy, avarice, gluttony, fear and deceit. We are all creatures of habit and get used to acting, thinking and feeling in certain ways. These habits are so familiar to us that most of the time we don’t even notice them, until they cause a breakdown in relationship or someone points them out. This can cause difficulties for us in the workplace, families, church and leisure activities. The Enneagram helps us see how we’ve each developed ways to protect ourselves, and how to find the resources to make our way in the world. It might have been that at an early age you felt that if you were a ‘good’ boy or girl, you got a better response from your parents or teachers. Or maybe you saw that if you excelled at something, you got lots of affirmation and praise that felt really good. Or perhaps you realised that if you stayed positive and found fun things to do, you could resist the more unpleasant side of life. By understanding the patterns that we have each fallen into, and looking at them honestly with God, we make ourselves available to God’s love and grace in deeper ways.

God loves us more than we can ever comprehend, even the parts of us that we find hard to accept in ourselves. Through his love and compassion, we can deepen our self-awareness and draw closer to the heart of God.

St Augustine said, ‘How can you draw close to God when you are far from your own self? Grant Lord, that I may know myself so that I may know you.’ Self-awareness – seeing ourselves as no better or no worse than we actually are – is a crucial step on our journey. Enneagram is not about improving ourselves; it’s about being open to the grace of God to show us what is blocking our heart and preventing us from living fully in the freedom of who God created us to be.

Enneagram has been for me one of the most transformative experiences of my life. I have grown personally and spiritually in ways I never expected. It has helped me to have more compassion for myself and others, and has taught me that the harder I try in my own strength to be who I think I should be, the deeper I dig myself into a pit.

As we go further on the Enneagram journey, we walk a path of descent. The reality of this is so much harder than the theory! But the Enneagram can be a useful tool to help us. This journey of surrender, or letting go – the narrow path – is the way to wholeness. The journey will have many twists and turns; you may get lost, you may stumble a few times, but you’ll also encounter many beautiful things on the way, because this is the path to our True Self, made complete in Christ Jesus.

Liz, who recently completed an Enneagram course at Lee Abbey Devon, described her thoughts:

What prompted you to come on this course?

I have done a lot with Myers–Briggs, as I’m generally interested and intrigued about people. It was my spiritual director who recommended that I try Enneagram to further my understanding about myself and my spiritual journey.

Can you share a little of your experience of the week?

The course has made me think differently, waking me up to bits in myself that I didn’t think needed looking at. I found the clay work particularly helpful. [On the course we do an exercise using clay to invite God to speak to us through our creativity.] The course helped me to see parts of me that I had suppressed, which enabled me to see myself as a whole person and what that means. It was a light-bulb moment in hearing about my type.

Going on from here, how will you use what you’ve learnt on the course?

I want to read more and process what I’ve learnt with the Lord in prayer, bringing things to his loving grace for healing; to understand myself better such as why I respond to certain things, especially stress; to not feel so out of control, allowing God to bring me back to a state of equilibrium.

Would you recommend this course to others?

Yes definitely, especially someone interested in knowing more about themself.

Catherine Park

I grew up in a vicarage with my feet firmly planted in the Anglican church. When I was 12 my family moved into a Community in Dorset with a similar set up to Lee Abbey. At 23 I joined the Lee Abbey Community for two years. And in 2012 my husband and I returned to Lee Abbey and stayed for eight years. Throughout my life, faith, relationship, listening, growing in God and prayer have been woven through every aspect of life. I am now part of a lay-leadership group running a Fresh Expressions church in Mid Wales. Joanna Pearson (a counsellor and spiritual director) and I trained together to teach Enneagram and we have done so for the past five years.

Join us at Lee Abbey Devon

Enneagram 1 with Joanna Pearson and Catherine Park

17–21 November 2025 and 4–8 May 2026

Enneagram (Greek for ‘9 points’) describes nine personalities. The Enneagram helps us to look at ourselves honestly, safe in the love of God, to see why we think or act in a particular way. It is a powerful tool for spiritual and personal growth.

Enneagram 2 with Joanna Pearson and Catherine Park

22–26 September 2025

For those who already have a basic knowledge of the Enneagram and know their type, we invite you to continue your journey of discovery. We will be looking at the things that hinder and help us on our spiritual path. This course will have more teaching slots than a normal Lee Abbey day and is limited to 18 places.