Then I thought, hey, maybe they saw some special spark in me, why not give it a try! After spending three days trying to figure out how to write the opening paragraph, I started typing. When someone suggested I write a review of The Road Back to You, I immediately turned them down, saying that I simply wasn’t a good enough writer. Let me give you a peek into what the last week has looked like for me. I’m a type 4 on the Enneagram, you know, the neurotic, romantic, moody, eccentric feeling junkie.
This book is a good introduction to the world of the enneagram, as well as a worthy companion to Rohr’s groundbreaking work on the the subject. In The Road Back to You, Cron and Stabile have created an approachable primer, readable and streamlined, something you could safely hand out to your evangelical and non-Christian friends alike without having any awkward conversations. In between are sections on childhood, relationships, work, stress, the influence of your wings, and what spiritual growth and maturity can look like. The chapter on eights, for instance, starts with a list of twenty ways you experience life as your particular number and ends with a list of ten paths for transformation. The biggest strength of the book (besides its inoffensive cover) is the formatting, with one chapter devoted to each of the nine types. In short, it helps categorize the special ways each of us needs Jesus. Used by spiritual directors and those on the journey of self-discovery, the Enneagram has helped many get out of ruts and self-destructive behavior patterns through insightful exploration of what makes us tick. Rohr’s book has long been the standard reference for those interested in the ancient personality type system, and rightfully so, it is an excellent tool. I’m from the Midwest, so Disney’s Fantasia is pushing it, and don’t get me started on Harry Potter.
For evangelicals just starting to peak out from underneath the covers after the 1980’s Satanic Panic, the red circle with one too many intersecting lines was a bridge too far. Let’s be honest, the moment you have to explain, “No, that’s not a pentagram,” you’ve lost. Why relief? The cover of Richard Rohr’s 1990 book, Discovering the Enneagram, the first popular book on the subject, looked like a prop from the CW’s Supernatural TV series. The dust jacket design was restrained and inoffensive. I felt a wave of relief when I pulled my copy of Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile’s new book, The Road Back to You from the box.
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