{"id":36649,"date":"2023-10-12T05:12:38","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T12:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=36649"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:53:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T13:53:07","slug":"intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/","title":{"rendered":"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Last week, a news release from InterVarsity Press,<\/a> arrived in our inbox (Lighthouse Trails is on their e-mail list in order to track their continual flow of contemplative\/emergent\/New-Age sympathizing books). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news release was announcing the seven-year anniversary of the release of their book, The Road Back to You<\/em> by Ian Morgan Cron and is a book about the Enneagram. The release states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Self-awareness seems like the thing that everyone wants but yet it may be the very thing that is still elusive to so many of us.  Seven years ago, The Road Back to You <\/em>was published and it became an instant hit. The book introduced the enneagram to thousands of people within months and then just kept going and going. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s because the Enneagram was already popular. Most people didn\u2019t know what the Enneagram was until they read the book. What I believe happened is that people learned about the Enneagram and then discovered that the Enneagram led them toward greater self-awareness. The kind of self-awareness they had been looking for. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The release goes on to claim that because of that book, over a million people have been introduced to the Enneagram. The release’s author also says: “So, today I am celebrating that 1 million people have found a way to better understand their own motivations and move toward becoming their truest self.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, contemplatives believe that we all have a “true self,” which, they teach, is a good pure self, and through meditative practices, we can gain awareness of this true pure self. They believe this because they believe that within each person, there is divinity (God). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to God’s Word, self-awareness would actually show us that our true self is sinful and in desperate need of a Savior. But New Age mystics reject that belief and, as one of them stated, “the era of the single savior is over.” He said that because the New Age believes that we already have God and purity in us, and thus, we don’t need a Savior because there is nothing to save us from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very likely, because the book is published by a mainstream Christian publisher (a very contemplative one, mind you), the majority of those one million readers are church-going readers who believe in some form of God. Perhaps even some reading this post have read The Road Back to You <\/em>or at least are or have practiced the Enneagram and don’t see anything wrong with it. We believe, nothing could be further from the truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, we published a booklet titled The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception? <\/a><\/em>by Lois Putnam and the LT Editors. We believe it has more than ample evidence to show the erroneous and unbiblical nature of the Enneagram. And the real name behind the Enneagram is not Ian Morgan Cron but rather the Catholic mystic panentheist priest Richard Rohr, whose publisher once told him that his biggest readership is young evangelical men!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Christian believers, we are mandated by Scripture to resist and flee from things that are not of God. May we always seek the courage and wisdom from God to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Lois Putnam and the Editors at Lighthouse Trails<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, there is an increasing amount of interest by Christians in the Enneagram, a nine-pointed diagram used to determine personality traits and character tendencies. While it may seem harmless and nothing more than a useful tool, the Enneagram is a seducing lure to deception and an example of what the Bible refers to as \u201cthe wiles of the Devil.\u201d In this booklet, we hope to show how this tool is drawing participants away from biblical truth and in an enticing but dangerous direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A book titled The Wisdom of the Enneagram<\/em> by Don Riso and Russ Hudson describes the Enneagram, stating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Enneagram . . . is a development of modern psychology that has roots in spiritual wisdom from many different ancient traditions. 1<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Enneagram Institute, a go-to website for information on the Enneagram, says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Enneagram . . . [is] one of the most powerful and insightful tools for understanding ourselves and others. At its core, the Enneagram helps us to see ourselves at a deeper, more objective level and can be of invaluable assistance on our path to self-knowledge.2<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A 2017 Religion News Service <\/em>article states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

In 1990, Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr effectively Christianized the [Enneagram] system for Americans when he published \u201cThe Enneagram: A Christian Perspective\u201d in English. This sparked a growing interest that slowly crept into church pulpits and small groups. In 2016, Christianity Today <\/em>published \u201cAn Evangelical\u2019s Guide to the Enneagram\u201d after InterVarsity Press became the first evangelical publisher to release a book on the topic.3<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While the Enneagram\u2019s popularity within the Christian church has continued to grow, especially among millennials, there have been those in the church who have voiced their concerns about the Enneagram. Martin and Deidre Bobgan, who have studied psychology from a biblical perspective for many years, say this about the Enneagram:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Although the Enneagram is purported to be an ancient spiritual tradition, it is relatively new to the Western world. George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, who brought the Enneagram to Europe in the 1920s, claimed it originated about 2500 years ago in a Babylonian wisdom school. He taught that each person is born with a \u201cplanetary body type\u201d with certain physical and psychological traits. He believed that a person\u2019s physical and psychological characteristics are related to a dominant endocrine gland and to planetary influences on that gland. This implicates the Enneagram with Babylonian astrology, since those characteristics would be signified by a point on the Enneagram.4<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Apologist and author Mike Oppenheimer says this about the Enneagram:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Enneagram claims to be an entry point for deep personal healing and renewal. Enneagram is a psychological and spiritual system for a higher consciousness. We are told it will help us understand the personality types and the differences in each other which should reduce unnecessary conflicts (transforming one into a more tolerant person). We can transform our habits by being our own observer in how we think and go from unconscious behavior to conscious behavior. This is done through a series of probing questions called a Personality Profile questionnaire where one learns what his or her type is. . . . The nine lines comprise a perfect triangle and a twisted hexagon contained within a circle. This is a New Age-type mandala, a mystical gateway to personality classification. The drawing is based upon a belief in the mystical properties of the numbers 7 and 3. 5<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Richard Rohr\u2019s Role<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the very epicenter of today\u2019s Enneagram movement is Franciscan priest Father Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC). Rohr\u2019s website states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Seven of the nine Enneagram types are associated with the \u201ccapital\u201d or \u201cdeadly\u201d sins which originated with the Desert Fathers. But it was not until the late 1960s that Oscar Ichazo began teaching the Enneagram as we know it today. From Ichazo\u2019s school in South America, a group of Jesuits learned the system and brought it back with them to the United States. Richard Rohr learned about the Enneagram from this group and was one of the first people to publish a book about it in English.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Enneagram gained popularity as a tool within spiritual direction<\/em>.* Today it is widely taught as a way of understanding personality, addiction, relationships, and vocation.6 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

After Rohr learned about the Enneagram in the 1970s, he shared his Enneagram teaching on ten tapes, later writing his now classic best-selling book, Discovering the Enneagram: An Ancient Tool for a New Spiritual Journey<\/em> (now titled The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Rohr\u2019s book, he explains that the underlying premise behind the Enneagram is that each person has a \u201ctrue self and a \u201cfalse self,\u201d and with the help of the Enneagram, we can identify our true selves, and thus having identified it, we can now be spiritually transformed to live in that true self. Rohr explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

[Co-author] Andreas Ebert and I again offer the Enneagram as a very ancient Christian tool for the discernment of spirits, the struggle with our capital sin, our \u201cfalse self,\u201d and the encounter with our True Self in God.7<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When Rohr, who is an outspoken panentheist, says \u201cTrue Self in God,\u201d he is referring to his belief that the true self<\/em> is the God within every human being. In echoing the Catholic mystics Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen, Rohr advocates the concept of dharmakaya<\/em>. Rohr states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

God\u2019s hope for humanity is that one day we will all recognize that the divine dwelling place is all of creation<\/em>. Christ comes again whenever we see that matter and spirit co-exist. This truly deserves to be called good news.8 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To further understand what Rohr means when he says, \u201cthe divine [God] dwelling place is all of creation,\u201d we need to understand his views about Jesus Christ. In an article on Rohr\u2019s website titled, \u201cThe Cosmic Christ,\u201d he says that Christ is more of an energy than a personal being:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Christ is not Jesus\u2019 last name, but the title of his historical and cosmic purpose. Jesus presents himself as the \u201cAnointed\u201d or Christened One who was human and divine united in one human body\u2014as our model and exemplar. . . . This Christ is much bigger and older than either Jesus of Nazareth or the Christian religion, because the Christ is whenever the material and the divine co-exist\u2014which is always and everywhere. . . . The coming of the Cosmic Christ is not the same as the growth of the Christian religion. It is the unification of all things.9<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For Rohr, Christ and humanity are not separate because Christ is not a person (or God come in the flesh to save man from his sins) but is an energy that exists in everyone and everything. Man\u2019s only problem isn\u2019t that he is sinful; rather, it is that he doesn\u2019t realize he already has divinity within him. This is where the Enneagram comes in, for according to Rohr the Enneagram is a \u201ckey to self-knowledge,\u201d10 and the goal for using the Enneagram is \u201can awakening of true self-love [i.e., the divinity within].\u201d11<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rohr\u2019s Enneagram Disciples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some of Richard Rohr\u2019s most popular \u201cdisciples\u201d who carry on his Enneagram teachings include Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile, and Chris and Phileena Heuertz (though countless others have been influenced by Rohr). Since each of these people has written Enneagram books and are key presenters and teachers of Enneagram programs, let us examine them to further understand the Enneagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Morgan Cron\u2019s Road to Self<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Episcopal priest Ian Morgan Cron is a best-selling author and psychotherapist. He wrote the best-selling book (co-authored by Suzanne Stabile), The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery<\/em> (published by InterVarsity Press). In chapter one, Cron relates how as a grad student, he found Rohr\u2019s Enneagram book at a conservative seminary retreat. Upon showing it to his professor, he was told to get rid of it. Cron confided:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I was a young, impressionable evangelical, and though my gut told me my professor\u2019s reaction bordered on paranoid, I followed his advice.12<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Although, as Cron wrote, he didn\u2019t read the book until later when he was re-introduced to it by his spiritual director<\/em>, \u201cBr. Dave.\u201d Upon reading it, he tells how he discussed with Br. Dave his initial reactions to the Enneagram. As they talked, Cron shared a Thomas Merton quote with him which read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sooner or later we must distinguish what we are not and what we are. . . . We must cast off our false, exterior self<\/em> like the cheap showy garment it is . . . We must find our real self<\/em>, in all its elemental poverty, but also in its grand and very simple dignity created to be the child of God, and capable of loving with something of God\u2019s own sincerity and his unselfishness.13 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theme of the \u201cself\u201d permeates Cron\u2019s book. In fact, the word \u201cself\u201d is in his book over 160 times (e.,g., \u201cself-knowledge,\u201d \u201cself-aware,\u201d \u201creal self,\u201d \u201cself-understanding,\u201d \u201cauthentic self,\u201d the \u201coriginal shimmering self,\u201d \u201ctrue self,\u201d \u201cdeep knowing of self,\u201d \u201cself-confident,\u201d \u201cself-actualized,\u201d and so forth). Cron states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

[B]y overidentifying who we are with our personality we forget or lose touch with our authentic self\u2014the beautiful essence of who we are . . . we have a God who . . . remembers who we are . . . and he wants to help restore us to our authentic selves.14<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Here, when Cron equates the \u201cauthentic self\u201d (i.e., true self) with \u201cthe beautiful essence of who we are,\u201d he echoes Richard Rohr\u2019s belief that within each person is divinity. Contrary to Rohr\u2019s and Cron\u2019s building up of the \u201ctrue self\u201d as divine and beautiful, the Bible speaks otherwise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cron a \u201cchampion of the Enneagram,\u201d and \u201cpioneer in the contemporary Enneagram movement\u201d tells us who he is in his \u201cManifesto.\u201d He begins with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Today I will throw my hat into the ring of life. . . . I will stand on my own two feet and live my truth.15<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Like so many in today\u2019s post-modern \u201cprogressive\u201d Western world, Cron will do his own thing and decide his own beliefs. To the contrary, Scripture reminds us that Jesus said, \u201cI am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.\u201d A believer in Christ is not called to live his own truth<\/em> but rather follow the One who says He is \u201cthe<\/em> truth.\u201d At the end of his Manifesto, Cron declares, \u201cToday I will be my True Self.\u201d16 This is the Enneagram\u2019s goal like the book title says, The Road Back to You.<\/em> Full of I, I, I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cron and Rohr Interview<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ian Cron hosts an Enneagram podcast titled \u201cTypology. In \u201cEpisode 014: Richard Rohr, Finally Getting Over Your \u2018Self\u2019 with the Enneagram Pt.1,\u201d Ian interviews Richard Rohr. He asks Rohr what has caused the \u201ctidal wave of interest culturally and in church of personality identity\u201d17 using the Enneagram. Rohr says its because we\u2019ve done such a bad job of teaching Christians their \u201ctrue identity.\u201d We didn\u2019t, he espouses, teach people about their images and their likeness of God. Rohr says most Christians find their identity in their group or denomination and never understand who they themselves are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crux of the interview is when Rohr asserts we don\u2019t know our individual \u201cImago Dei\u201d which cannot be given to us or taken away from us. This idea levels the \u201cplaying field of all humanity\u201d18 says Rohr. Distinctions such as black and white, Catholic and Protestant, American and Canadian, or gay and straight do not mean anything. Rohr says that the \u201ctrue gospel must be proclaimed that everything\u2014humans, animals, or materials\u2014is created in the image of a trinitarian and loving God.\u201d19 Therefore, says Rohr, that settles all questions. For then we are all \u201cuniversal children of God,\u201d20 and thus, we are in \u201cunion\u201d with all other children of God. Why? Rohr says it is because we all have the divine and the beautiful in us from the very start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How contrary to the biblical Gospel that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that in order to become a child of God, we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. In Enneagramism, it\u2019s not about sinners (\u201cnone that doeth good\u201d\u2014Romans 3:12) needing to be redeemed by a Holy God. There is no need for that. Rather, after working through our false self-delusions to find our true selves, we come to the realization that we have always<\/em> been lovely and good. Ian Morgan Cron\u2019s view of the self stands in stark contrast to the apostle Paul\u2019s description when he says he has \u201cno confidence in the flesh\u201d (Philippians 3:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzanne Stabile<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Suzanne Stabile, Cron\u2019s co-author of the book The Road Back to You<\/em>, is an internationally recognized Enneagram master, teacher, and author. Like Cron, Stabile is a great admirer of Richard Rohr and one of Rohr\u2019s Enneagram disciples. After meeting Rohr, Stabile was so enamored with Rohr\u2019s Enneagram program that she studied under him, consenting not to teach or share the material for five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At present, Stabile has conducted over 500 Enneagram workshops over the past 25 years, speaking to audiences at colleges, divinity schools, churches, and health centers. She has also taught at the Center for Action and Contemplation (Rohr\u2019s contemplative center) and even internationally at Assisi with Rohr himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 2016 Houston Chronicle<\/em> article titled, \u201cChristians Rediscovering Ancient Enneagram,\u201d Emily McFarlan Miller said she met Cron and Stabile at a Chicago Enneagram conference. Miller noted that Cron \u201cthought the Enneagram was \u2018genius,\u2019 and saw nothing in it that conflicted with the gospel.\u201d21 She wrote that Cron found it fascinating that even \u201cthe (conservative) evangelicals were completely fine with it.\u201d22 Miller said that Stabile hoped that \u201cteaching people to learn about the way they see the world and eight other ways people see the world will encourage compassion.\u201d23 Stabile told Miller, \u201cOur hope is that the book makes the world a more compassionate, more loving, and more generous place.\u201d24
And this is the promise of the Enneagram, to make people (and the world) more compassionate, generous, and loving. The premise is, if we can somehow gain access to understanding our True Selves (i.e., the divine part of us), then we will become compassionate and loving individuals thus making the world a better place. But can the Enneagram accomplish this? If the premise is correct, then perhaps so. But according to the Holy Word of God, the premise of the Enneagram couldn\u2019t be further from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Heuertz<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chris Heuertz is another Rohr mentee and Enneagram enthusiast. Heuertz came from a Catholic family that converted to evangelicalism. His parents had six children. An article written by Jason Byassee titled \u201cOn the Side of Hope\u201d describes how Heuertz\u2019 parents worked seven jobs at one time just to send the children to private schools. Heuertz graduated from an Assembly of God high school and went on to Asbury College (now Asbury University).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his book The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth, <\/em>Heuertz states that the Enneagram is a tool for \u201cexcavating our essence<\/em>, our True Self, from the lies, programs, and temptations we\u2019ve wrapped around our identity.\u201d25 (emphasis in original)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon after graduation from Asbury, Heuertz joined Word Made Flesh ministry to work with \u201cthe most vulnerable of the world\u2019s poor.\u201d26 This was how he landed in Calcutta, India working with Mother Teresa. Here he was later joined by his wife Phileena. Of the WMF organization, Jason Byassee wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Rejecting the idea that missionaries bring salvation and services to benighted poor people, WMF has learned . . . that the poor are Jesus. WMF or \u2018Fleshies\u2019 . . . do not necessarily seek to fix poverty or convert people. Their first intention is to seek friendship with the poor. And through that they seek, with their friends, to be converted anew to God.27<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of the \u201cmodel of missions,\u201d Heuertz states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

If I bring anything, it\u2019s presence and hope . . . We work to recognize the divine imprint in all humanity<\/em>, then together we are all converted to God. I\u2019m not bringing a poor kid with me to Christ. I\u2019m following their journey to the places in God\u2019s heart that break in the face of such suffering.28 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Heuertz\u2019 social justice work with WMF took them to Cambodia where Heuertz encountered the Enneagram. Fascinated, Heuertz later would delve deeply into the Enneagram, abandon his WMF community, establish the Gravity Center, and write The Sacred Enneagram<\/em> (which we will talk about a little later in this booklet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phileena Heuertz<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Phileena Bacon Heuertz was two years behind Chris at Asbury College. Phileena came from an evangelical family, her father being a Wesleyan Methodist pastor in Indiana. While working with WMF, the Heuertzes began their contemplative journey upon meeting Catholic contemplative priest Thomas Keating of Snowmass, Colorado. From him, they learned centering prayer<\/em> (a form of contemplative prayer). The more they dipped into this contemplative path, the further they separated from their evangelical backgrounds. Eventually, in 2012, they left the WMF to establish the Gravity Center for Contemplative Activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throwing aside her evangelical Wesleyan past, Phileena converted to Catholicism for she believed its rituals, liturgy, and prayer practices would best enhance her \u201cinner work\u201d to shed her false self and find her true self.29<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way, the couple met Richard Rohr, imbibed deeply from his teaching, and locked arms with him. Today, Phileena is on Rohr\u2019s CAC board. Rohr, in turn, wrote the foreword to Phileena\u2019s 2018 book Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation<\/em>. Phileena is considered one of the top young contemplative prayer activists today. She is a retreat guide, a spiritual director, and a Yoga instructor and has spoken at numerous Christian universities including Biola University and Taylor University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sacred Enneagram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, Chris Heuertz wrote what became a best-selling book, The Sacred Enneagram<\/em> (published by Zondervan). In the foreword, written by Richard Rohr, Rohr writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Chris Heuertz, my dear friend and confidante, has gone on his own journey of transformation, I am most happy to recommend his excellent book on the Enneagram to you. In its pages you will find excellent content, many new insights, and the compassion that genuine spirituality always provides . . . You will not be the same after you read this book.30<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Rohr is also an integral part of the Heuertz\u2019 Gravity Center, serving as a founding board member much like Phileena serves on his CAC board.
In two chapters of Heuertz\u2019 book, he unlocks his agenda for the reader to couple the Enneagram to contemplative practices to achieve finding one\u2019s true self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Sacred Map?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the book, Heuertz uses terms such as \u201csacred experience,\u201d \u201csacred Enneagram,\u201d and \u201csacred map.\u201d He says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

When we give ourselves to the hard work of integrating what we have come to learn about ourselves, the Enneagram becomes a sacred map of our soul<\/em>, one that shows us the places where we have vulnerabilities or tendencies to get stuck as well as the possibilities of where we can go for deeper freedom and inner peace.31 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Here we can see that Heuertz has exchanged what gives true freedom and peace for a powerless substitute\u2014the Enneagram! There is only one true \u201csacred map,\u201d and that is the Word of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We do not find freedom and peace by identifying our \u201cpersonality types\u201d and discovering our \u201ctrue selves.\u201d The fact is, our true selves are our sinful, fleshly, carnal selves. It is only found in the person of Jesus Christ, who promises to come into our hearts and commune with us if we invite Him in and put our trust in Him (Revelation 3:20). Our Father in Heaven promises to deliver us from the kingdom of darkness (our fleshly carnal selves) into the kingdom of Light (through being born again into Christ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

[God] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Enneagramites have missed the mark bigtime. They see the key to an abundant meaningful life lying in ourselves when in fact, it is quite the opposite as John the Baptist said when he proclaimed, \u201cHe must increase, but I must decrease\u201d (John 3:30). Jesus said, \u201cIt is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing\u201d (John 6:63). Paul, the apostle, said, \u201cFor I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing\u201d (Romans 7:18). How interesting (and sad) that Chris Heuertz uses the term \u201cFleshie\u201d to describe himself. Fleshies put the emphasis on how good their true selves are. \u201cBelievers\u201d put the emphasis on believing in the finished work of the Cross (how good Jesus Christ is).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inclusive Kingdom<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chris Heuertz\u2019 book, The Sacred Enneagram<\/em>, uses The Inclusive Bible <\/em>(authored by \u201cPriests for Equality\u201d) for all its Scripture quotations. Billed as the first egalitarian translation, a blurb on Amazon says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

. . . it is a re-imagining of the scriptures and our relationship to them. . . . [offering] new and non-sexist ways to express the same ancient truths. . . . Priests for Equality is a movement of men and women . . . where sexism and exclusion are left behind.32<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Leaving \u201cexclusion\u201d behind<\/em> is another way to reject the Bible\u2019s message that says the kingdom of God is exclusive to \u201cwhosoever\u201d believes on Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is the opposite of \u201cinclusive,\u201d which is the teaching of universalism (all are saved) and interspirituality (all paths lead to God). This inclusivism is what the New Age is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The True Self<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In Heuertz\u2019 The Sacred Enneagram<\/em>, the term \u201cTrue Self\u201d (capitalized to show the supposed divine attribute) is used over sixty times such as in the following quote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Enneagram offers much more under the surface. Its various facets\u2014the names and needs, the Holy Ideas and Virtues\u2014give us practical handles to better identify and understand our type. By digging deeper into the why behind each type we start to unravel the mystery of our True Self <\/em>and essential nature. This is the real substance we aim for.33 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Again, in Scripture, there is nothing good about our \u201cessential nature.\u201d The late Ray Yungen, who studied the New Age for many years, explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The New Age and Christianity definitely clash on the answer to the question of human imperfection. The former\u2014the New Age\u2014espouses the doctrine of becoming self-realized and united with the universe, which they see as God but in reality is the realm of familiar spirits. On the other hand, the Gospel that Christians embrace offers salvation to humanity through grace (unmerited favor). Romans 3:24 boldly states: \u201cBeing justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

This gift is not earned or given as a reward for earnest or good intentions as Scripture clearly states: \u201cFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast\u201d (Ephesians 2:8-9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Scripture that tackles the issue of pride sharply distinguishes all of man\u2019s religions from Christianity. Religion persuades us that man is innately good and, therefore, can earn his way to Heaven through human perfectibility or, better yet, through the realization of his own divinity. Christianity emphatically states the opposite view that man needs to humbly recognize his own sinfulness and fallibility, and consequently needs salvation through grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holy Spirit, through the Scripture, convicts the sinner of his sinful and lost condition and then presents God\u2019s solution\u2014salvation through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Cross (Ephesians 1:7 and Romans 10:9-10).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

It all comes down to the preaching of the higher self [i.e., \u201cTrue Self\u201d] versus the preaching of the Cross.34<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Essential Virtue and Purity<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Throughout The Sacred Enneagram,<\/em> there are over one hundred diagrams of Enneacircles and Enneacharts. One of these (on page 108) is titled \u201cVirtue Structure.\u201d Of this chart, Heuertz writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I . . . emphasize Virtue because when we do return to our essence [i.e., True Self] . . . Our Virtue is the lingering fragrance of our essential purity;<\/em> it is what makes each of us beautiful. . . . Of course, returning to our Virtue is familiar, like a homecoming, because it is who we have always been<\/em>.35 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

God loves humanity. It is why He sent His Son to die on a Cross so that any person who believes on Him would be reconciled to God. And God does<\/em> value us (He would never have sacrificed His Son to save us if He didn\u2019t). But He does not love us or value us because<\/em> we are pure or holy or virtuous; rather, He loves us and values us in spite<\/em> of the fact we are not<\/em> those things. He loves us because His very nature is love, forgiveness, and holiness; and no matter how much we learn about \u201courselves,\u201d we can never come close to matching the nature of God (although He does promise the born-again believer that we can be partakers of His nature\u20142 Peter 1:4. But being a \u201cpartaker\u201d is not the same as owning it yourself. It is someone else\u2019s, and you are given access to partake in and benefit from it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, the Enneagram is the very antithesis of the Gospel. With the Enneagram, man is glorified; with the Gospel, God is glorified. And if we love God, how can we not desire to glorify Him who alone has done so many incredible and awesome things and will continue to throughout eternity. How can we, who cannot even create a speck of dust, glorify ourselves and not our Creator? Isaiah 42:8 says, \u201cI am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contemplative Prayer and the Enneagram<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note that the majority of those who teach the Enneagram are proponents of contemplative prayer. In chapter ten of The Sacred Enneagram<\/em>, \u201cAn Invitation to Inner Work,\u201d Heuertz introduces the reader to three prayers that can be used \u201cas an on-ramp to the . . . Christian contemplative tradition.\u201d36 Introduced first is centering prayer: \u201cPraying with the Feeling Center.\u201d Of its relationship to the Enneagram, Heuertz states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Centering prayer. . . is easily aligned with each specific Enneagram type, but even more so, it may be among the most effective in confronting the root additions of each of the Enneagram\u2019s Intelligence Centers.37<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Second is St. Ignatius of Loyola\u2019s \u201cThe Examen: Praying with the Head Center.\u201d38 Last is, \u201cThe Welcoming Prayer: Praying with the Instinctive Body Center\u201d whose creator was Mary Mrozowski. Mrozowski was a Catholic mystic and lay contemplative who in 1983 attended the first ever \u201cCentering Prayer\u201d retreat experiment at the Lama Foundation in New Mexico.** It was she who helped found the Contemplative Outreach Ltd. She was also founder of the Chrysalis House which became \u201can incubator\u201d of contemplative prayer practices, especially centering prayer.39 She was close to and encouraged by the late Thomas Keating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Phileena Heuertz\u2019 book Mindful Silence<\/em>, she explains how \u201cincredibly helpful\u201d the Enneagram is for \u201cspiritual development.\u201d40 She assures her readers that using the Enneagram is a crucial part of \u201cexpanding consciousness.\u201d41 She says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Enneagram is a powerful resource for the contemplative path, for as it deconstructs the false self, it simultaneously reveals your true self.42<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWaking Up,\u201d the last chapter, describes Phileena\u2019s ongoing search \u201cto live into your divine nature\u201d43 as she took time for a hermitage at the Lama Foundation.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the foreword of Mindful Silence<\/em>, Richard Rohr praises how quickly \u201ccontemplative teaching is occurring in our time.\u201d He then says that \u201cwe are building on the Perennial Tradition.\u201d Rohr describes what he means by \u201cPerennial Tradition\u201d in a 2015 article on his website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The things I teach come from a combination of inner and outer authority, drawn from personal experience and a long lineage of the \u201cperennial tradition\u201d . . . The Perennial Tradition points to recurring themes and truths within all of the world\u2019s religions<\/em>.44 (emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Perennial Tradition (or Perennial Wisdom as it is also called) is the belief that all the different religions in the world are interconnected through metaphysics (mysticism). The fact that the \u201cfather\u201d of today\u2019s Enneagram movement (Rohr) promotes the Perennial Tradition in a book written by one of his foremost disciples\u2014openly welcomed in mainstream evangelicalism\u2014should not be overlooked or dismissed as irrelevant; nor should the Enneagram\u2019s compatibility and connection with contemplative prayer and mysticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christian Leaders Promoting the Enneagram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the growing popularity of the Enneagram in the evangelical church, many well-known Christian leaders are coming out in favor of it. One of these is Mark Batterson, the senior pastor of a mega church in Washington, DC. and the author of the New York Times<\/em> best-selling book, The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears. <\/em>Lighthouse Trails released a booklet in 2017 titled Circle Making and \u201cPrayer Circles\u201d Versus The Straight Line of Truth<\/em>, which addresses Batterson\u2019s teaching on \u201ccircle making,\u201d a practice he popularized inspired from rituals of an ancient mystic name Honi. Our 2017 booklet states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

[Batterson convinces] people that if certain rituals or methods are performed, then things can be changed. In his 2017 book Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God<\/em>, Batterson continues with this mystical focus (i.e., contemplative spirituality). In one section, he gives a lesson on Lectio Divina, a practice that involves taking a word or phrase from Scripture and repeating it slowly, which is said to facilitate hearing God\u2019s voice (in reality, Lectio Divina is a gateway practice to full-blown eastern-style meditation).45<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Knowing Mark Batterson\u2019s mystical propensities, we were not surprised to learn that Batterson had endorsed Ian Morgan Cron\u2019s 2016 book on the Enneagram, The Road Back to You<\/em>. Of Cron\u2019s book, Batterson states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Ian Morgan Cron, partnering with Suzanne Stabile, has gifted us with another timely and brilliantly written book. We\u2019ve long needed a fresh, spiritually grounded approach to helping people grow in self-knowledge and compassion. This is a winsome and thoughtful primer!46<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On a podcast called Typology, hosted by Ian Cron, Cron interviewed Batterson on October 24, 2019. The show\u2019s title was \u201cThe Blessings of the Enneagram\u201d where Batterson talked about he and his wife\u2019s \u201cjourney\u201d with the Enneagram.47<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous other evangelical leaders are rallying behind the Enneagram as well. New York Times<\/em> best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries Lysa TerKeurst was on Cron\u2019s podcast in June of 2019 talking about how much the Enneagram means to her.48 Other evangelical figures who promote the Enneagram are William P. Young (author of The Shack<\/em>), Michael Hyatt (former CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers), Aaron and Shawna Niequist (Shawna is Willow Creek\u2019s Bill Hybels\u2019 daughter), and Anita Lustrea (co-hosted Moody Radio\u2019s Midday Connection program for 15 years).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Enneagram or The Word of God?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Enneagram focuses endlessly on the self through self-awareness, self-observation, self-motivation, self-knowledge, self-love, self-wound, self-this, and self-that. For as 2 Timothy 3:2 states, \u201cFor men shall be lovers of their own selves.\u201d Through the \u201cSacred Enneagram,\u201d it is said we\u2019ll discover that underneath all our failures of our false selves, we\u2019ll uncover our essence\u2014that true self enabling us to make our world a better and more compassionate place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, God\u2019s view of our \u201cselves\u201d is that at our core, we are sinners as Romans 3:23 declares, \u201cFor all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.\u201d Jeremiah 17:9 says, \u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.\u201d Therefore, we need to believe not in the power of the Enneagram or the voice heard in contemplative prayer but in a Savior who can save us from ourselves and our sins. Scripture says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:<\/em> it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9; emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the end, it is through the Word of God and the sacrifice on the Cross by Jesus Christ, not the Enneagram, where we can find out who we are and what we must do. In 1 Corinthians 2:5, Paul tells us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And as Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, \u201cThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom . . .\u201d not the Enneagram! We pray that this enticing tool of deception will be rejected by Christian believers, pastors, and leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To order copies of <\/strong>The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception? <\/strong><\/em>click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Spiritual direction or spiritual directors are terms used in the contemplative prayer movement (i.e., Spiritual Formation movement). Contemplative spirituality is an ancient mystical prayer practice in which the participant goes into what is called \u201cthe silence\u201d by repeating a word or phrase so that the mind is no longer distracted with thoughts. In this altered silent state, one can supposedly hear the voice of God and be spiritually transformed. Spiritual directors are utilized to help the contemplative meditator \u201cdiscern\u201d the voice and messages received during meditation. Rohr\u2019s statement above reveals to us that the Enneagram and contemplative prayer (both based on mysticism) are very compatible with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

**The Lama Foundation is tied to a well-known spiritual teacher and New Age Hindu guru Ram Dass who wrote Be Here Now<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To order copies of <\/strong>The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception? <\/strong><\/em>click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram<\/em> (New York, NY: Bantam, 1999, online edition: https:\/\/www.worldcat.org\/wcpa\/servlet\/DCARead?standardNo=0553378201&standardNoType=1&excerpt=true).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. https:\/\/www.enneagraminstitute.com\/about.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Jonathan Merritt, \u201cWhat is the \u2018Enneagram,\u2019 and Why are Christians Suddenly So Enamored by It \u2026\u201d (Religion News Service<\/em>, September 5, 2017, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2017\/09\/05\/what-is-the-enneagram-and-why-are-christians-suddenly-so-enamored-by-it\/).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Martin and Deidre Bobgan, \u201cThe Enneagram versus Christianity Today <\/em>(PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter, May-June 2017, Vol. 25, No.3, http:\/\/www.psychoheresy-aware.org\/enneagram.html).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Mike Oppenheimer, \u201cThe Power of Personality\u201d (http:\/\/www.letusreason.org\/Current42.htm).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. \u201cThe Enneagram: An Introduction\u201d (https:\/\/cac.org\/the-enneagram-an-introduction\/).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert, Discovering the Enneagram<\/em>: An Ancient Tool for a New Spiritual Journey<\/em> (now titled The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective) <\/em>(Chestnut Ridge, NY: Crossroad Publishing, 2016 Kindle edition), Kindle location 239.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Rich Heffern, \u201cThe Eternal Christ in the Cosmic Story\u201d (National Catholic Reporter<\/em>, December 11, 2009), quoting Richard Rohr.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Richard Rohr, \u201cThe Cosmic Christ\u201d (https:\/\/cac.org\/the-cosmic-christ-2015-11-05\/).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Rohr\/Ebert, The Enneagram<\/em>, op. cit., Kindle location 5200, p. 228.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Ibid., Kindle location 5760, p. 256.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Ian Morgan Cron, The Road Back to You<\/em>: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery <\/em>(Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, Kindle edition, 2016), Kindle location 124, p.14.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Ibid., Kindle location 182, p.18.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Ibid., Kindle location 260-268, p. 23.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. https:\/\/ianmorgancron.com\/about.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. https:\/\/www.typologypodcast.com\/podcast\/2017\/09\/28\/episode14\/rohr.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  18. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  19. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  20. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  21. Emily McFarlan Miller, \u201cChristians Rediscovering Ancient Enneagram\u201d<\/a> (Houston Chronicle<\/em>, October 8, 2016; ).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  22. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  23. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  24. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  25. Chris Heuertz, The Sacred Enneagram:<\/em> Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), p. 193.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  26. Jason Byassee,\u201cOn the Side of Hope\u201d (https:\/\/faithandleadership.com\/side-hope).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  27. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  28. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  29. (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=z2Go9k5-y4k).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  30. Chris Heuertz, The Sacred Enneagram, op. cit., Foreword.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  31. Ibid., p. 32.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  32. \u201cPriests for Equality,\u201d The Inclusive Bible (UK: Rowman & Littlefield, Publisher, 2007), description on Amazon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  33. Chris Heuertz, The Sacred Enneagram,<\/em> op. cit., p. 39.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  34. Ray Yungen, \u201cThe Difference Between the Cross and the \u201cHigher Self\u201d (https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=16339).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  35. Chris Heuertz, The Sacred Enneagram<\/em>, op. cit., pp. 108-109.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  36. Ibid., p. 227.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  37. Ibid., pp. 228-229.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  38. Ibid., pp. 229-231.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  39. \u201cIn Memory of Mary Mrozowski\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  40. Phileena Heuertz, Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation<\/em> (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2018), p. 23.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  41. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  42. Ibid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  43. Ibid., p. 174.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  44. Richard Rohr, \u201cThe Perennial Tradition\u201d (December 20, 2015, https:\/\/cac.org\/the-perennial-tradition-2015-12-20\/).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  45. The Circle Maker <\/em>(https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=27394).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  46. Inside front cover of Road Back to You<\/em>, endorsement by Mark Batterson.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  47. https:\/\/www.typologypodcast.com\/podcast\/2019\/24\/10\/episode03-013\/markbatterson.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  48. https:\/\/www.typologypodcast.com\/podcast\/2019\/27\/06\/episode02-048\/lysaterkeurst.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    To order copies of <\/strong>The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception? <\/strong><\/em>click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last week, a news release…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":30915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4193,78,239,8,90,29],"tags":[31,347,1120,1698,3820,30],"class_list":["post-36649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-enneagram","category-contemplative-practices","category-mystical-practices-the-role-of-meditation","category-bookfilm-reviews","category-the-role-of-meditation","category-contemplative-spirituality","tag-mysticism","tag-richard-rohr","tag-intervarsity-press","tag-ian-morgan-cron","tag-enneagram","tag-contemplative-prayer","wpcat-4193-id","wpcat-78-id","wpcat-239-id","wpcat-8-id","wpcat-90-id","wpcat-29-id"],"yoast_head":"\nInterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You - From the Lighthouse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last week, a news release...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"From the Lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LighthouseTrailsResearch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-12T12:12:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-20T13:53:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"503\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"315\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"21 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5\"},\"headline\":\"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-12T12:12:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-20T13:53:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":6768,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"mysticism\",\"richard rohr\",\"intervarsity press\",\"ian morgan cron\",\"enneagram\",\"contemplative prayer\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Enneagram\",\"Contemplative Practices\",\"Mystical Practices\",\"BOOK\\\/FILM REVIEWS\",\"The Role of Meditation\",\"CONTEMPLATIVE\\\/SPIRITUAL FORMATION\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/\",\"name\":\"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You - From the Lighthouse\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-12T12:12:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-20T13:53:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg\",\"width\":503,\"height\":315,\"caption\":\"New Booklet: The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"From the Lighthouse\",\"description\":\""A Light Shining in the Darkness"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5\",\"name\":\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5b0734c3bb2300379e17b3ec5e7fd8bf9b7ce024b5c81e38e411fc7b63e9b332?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5b0734c3bb2300379e17b3ec5e7fd8bf9b7ce024b5c81e38e411fc7b63e9b332?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5b0734c3bb2300379e17b3ec5e7fd8bf9b7ce024b5c81e38e411fc7b63e9b332?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lighthouse Trails Editors\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/lighthouse-trails-editors\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You - From the Lighthouse","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You","og_description":"Last week, a news release...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/","og_site_name":"From the Lighthouse","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LighthouseTrailsResearch","article_published_time":"2023-10-12T12:12:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-20T13:53:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":503,"height":315,"url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lighthouse Trails Editors","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@LTrails","twitter_site":"@LTrails","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lighthouse Trails Editors","Est. reading time":"21 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/"},"author":{"name":"Lighthouse Trails Editors","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5"},"headline":"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You","datePublished":"2023-10-12T12:12:38+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-20T13:53:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/"},"wordCount":6768,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg","keywords":["mysticism","richard rohr","intervarsity press","ian morgan cron","enneagram","contemplative prayer"],"articleSection":["Enneagram","Contemplative Practices","Mystical Practices","BOOK\/FILM REVIEWS","The Role of Meditation","CONTEMPLATIVE\/SPIRITUAL FORMATION"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/","name":"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You - From the Lighthouse","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-12T12:12:38+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-20T13:53:07+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BKT-LP-ENGM-4-s-e1783465238569.jpg","width":503,"height":315,"caption":"New Booklet: The Enneagram\u2014An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing Deception?"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/intervarsity-press-claims-success-of-their-new-age-promoting-enneagram-book-the-road-back-to-you\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"InterVarsity Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/","name":"From the Lighthouse","description":""A Light Shining in the Darkness"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a36b703d7722ce85599858df8bacc0a5","name":"Lighthouse Trails Editors","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5b0734c3bb2300379e17b3ec5e7fd8bf9b7ce024b5c81e38e411fc7b63e9b332?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5b0734c3bb2300379e17b3ec5e7fd8bf9b7ce024b5c81e38e411fc7b63e9b332?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5b0734c3bb2300379e17b3ec5e7fd8bf9b7ce024b5c81e38e411fc7b63e9b332?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Lighthouse Trails Editors"},"url":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/author\/lighthouse-trails-editors\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44279,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36649\/revisions\/44279"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}