The Road Back to Jesus (Part 2: Personality Insights)

Ian Morgan Cron, Episcopal priest, psychotherapist, enneagram coach, and co-author (with Suzanne Stabile) of The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, has dedicated a lot of time and energy to studying his own weaknesses.

In the first chapter of The Road Back to You, Cron shares his journey from young, impressionable evangelical church-planting pastor to wisened teacher and authority on the Enneagram, allowing readers to join him on his own “journey of self-discovery” as he begins to understand the “Sacred Enneagram” and apply its concepts to his lifestyle. 

After a lengthy introduction to the Enneagram, each following chapter breaks down one Enneagram “type,” signified by numbers 1-9. These numbers each represent one sort of personality. The idea is that we all have bits and pieces of each type within our personality, but there are one or two that dominate. Each type is connected with both positive traits and negative traits and interacts uniquely with all of the other types (that’s what that crazy symbol is all about!) Cron explores each personality type through the lenses of childhood, relationships, gender, and work habits.  Each chapter concludes with a section on “spiritual transformation,” so that readers can apply their newfound self-knowledge to their walk of faith. 

But wait, there’s more! There are “triads” and “wings” and “stress numbers,” “security numbers,” and “deadly sins.” The Enneagram has been around for centuries and has fairly obscure origins, so there is no shortage of complexities to explore. But, I’m not the Enneagram expert, so read the book (or consult the all-knowing Google) if you’d like to learn more about the typing system itself. 

The Road Back to You was certainly an enlightening read, included a healthy dose of humor, and offered me a chance to step out of my routine and think about myself and my life and relationships in the big picture. The most exciting moment came when I read the chapter on Enneagram eights (which is the first one listed in the book!) and pegged my husband as an eight straight away. When I challenged him to take an online test it was not only spot-on, but no other type came close.

This is possibly my favorite part of any personality test… forcing my husband to take it while I peer over his shoulder and chatter at him for an hour, geeking out about how well God knew each of us when he placed us in one another’s lives and how refreshing it is to consider our similarities and differences as we walk this journey to heaven together.

(Or Somethiing like that)

Personality tests are fun! They’re a lighthearted way to gain a new perspective, but they’re a step up from the quizzes you’ll find in magazines or on Buzzfeed. (I really don’t need to know what Disney Princess I am, but you better believe somewhere in the graveyard of my Facebook posts in the early 2010s I shared that I am, in fact, Pocahontas.) This is (in my opinion) the best use of the Enneagram and tests like it: as a fun way to explore your personality, facilitating self-reflection and introspective conversation.  

Consult this website for more information on the complexities behind the Enneagram.

And come back tomorrow for more about Cron’s book!

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Join the Conversation:

• Do you enjoy taking personality tests? Which have you taken?
• How have personality tests helped you on your journey heavenward?
• Have you read Cron’s book? What positives did you find as you read?