The Enneagram for Beginners: A Christian Guide to Understanding Your Type for a God-Centered Life

by Kim Eddy

"No other personality system offers the gift of revealing the fears and longings that help us cope in this uncertain world, encouraging each other and pointing one another to Jesus, each in our unique way." --from The Enneagram for BeginnersRecognized as a valuable tool for identifying recurring patterns of unhealthy behavior and the ways we try to earn God's favor, the Enneagram is used by churches, ministries, and families to grow more like Jesus and be closer to one another. While its wisdom is highly sought after, the Enneagram system can be complicated to navigate for first-time users. In this highly accessible spiritual guide, Certified Enneagram Coach Kim Eddy breaks down the essentials to help beginners discover their type and break free from fear and shame by knowing and experiencing the unconditional love, forgiveness and freedom in Christ.The Enneagram for Beginners   •  Enneagram 101: that includes everything you need to know about the Enneagram, such as the triads, subtypes, wings, levels of health, ongoing struggles, and more  •  Easy and supportive steps to find your true type  •  Deep explorations into each of the nine personality types to understand the ways in which you experience the world and how you can find Jesus everyday  •  Type-focused scripture that reveals what God says about you  •  A special prayer for each typeThis book is an essential tool for beginners who want to learn their type and find their own transformative path, all while keeping their faith and relationship with Jesus at the center.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Christian Non Fiction

175 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2020

About the author

Kim Eddy is a Christian Enneagram Coach, speaker and author. Her passion is helping people of faith use the Enneagram to understand themselves and others better so they can grow in their life, relationships and wellbeing. Kim is the daughter of a pastor and a nurse, and is one of 9 children. She lives in sunny Arizona with her two world-changers-in-training little girls.

Reviews

[Nikki Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ This book was a true intro guide for beginners! I wish it had gone a little deeper into detail on different aspects of the enneagram, but it served as an excellent overview for newcomers to the theory.

[Karsin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with the Enneagram. I took the test about 2 years ago and have even gotten many coworkers, friends, and family to learn about it and discover their numbers. This book was a gift from my church district. I was super excited to learn about a Christian perspective on the Enneagram. This book was great because it didn’t just focus on your number, but it majorly emphasized who you are in Christ. I highly suggest this book to anyone who is interested in the Enneagram but also to anyone looking for a simple starter book on the Enneagram.

[Kaci Hawes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / A great, quick read! Informative, thorough, and rooted completely in Christianity. An incredible tool for better knowing yourself, the people around you, and how to deepen your relationship with Jesus.

[Afton Rorvik · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her introduction, author Kim Eddy writes, “The Enneagram is not a weapon to use to belittle, mock, stereotype, or judge other people.” She also states, “The Enneagram is not the gospel, and it can’t transform our hearts. Only Jesus can do that.” Those statements ring true throughout the book. In each chapter she talks about motivations, stress points, interactions with others, and growth points, all with the goal of becoming more like Jesus while living well and understanding our unique personality. Although I found the broad generalizations a bit frustrating, I did find a lot to think about in this book. And I enjoyed discussing it in a small group.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of rolling my eyes with all the Enneagram hype, and as I was reading, I was like, yeah, I can see myself that way... I do that sometimes... yes that describes me... and then I got to #9 and was like WOW yep this describes me super accurately! I liked that this book was short, it had really interesting gospel applications, and I felt did a good job introducing the nine types.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful and thought providing. Rated G

[Anthony A. Polistico · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book for discovering one’s personality type and how one can better response to God’s call based on one’s personality.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the description and journaling prompts, but I was disappointed there was not a quiz to tell you what type you are.

[Madi Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

very informative!!

[Rebecca Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book on the enneagram. I understood so much more once I finished and have used it as a reference ever since.

[Jenny K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a part of a small group I’m attending.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok

[Lydia Gunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this in a physical book and could take the time to really sit down and study it! There was so much good but I was double-tasking and couldn't give it as much attention as it deserved.

[Mandy Kell · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What makes the Enneagram so different from other personality tools is the fact that it doesn't simply focus on our external behaviors or traits. It shines straight to the heart." - Kim Eddy, The Enneagram For Beginners⠀
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👤 Mini Review: ⠀
The Enneagram For Beginners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⠀
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The Enneagram For Beginners by Kim Eddy was a great base for discovering your Enneagram number without labels or instructions. It gave detailed descriptions of each type and wings with growth and stress points. It also explored how health and survival patterns affect your manifestation of enneagram personality types. ⠀
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I enjoyed how this book not only addressed personality types but also trauma based reactions, survival motivations, and ways to seek growth in line with the Bible and what God says about who we are in Him. I love learning about personalities and people in general so this was an interesting read!⠀
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[Iola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last few years, I have seen more and more questions referring to the Enneagram. It’s yet another in a long line of personality assessment tools designed to help people understand themselves and others better. The author points out that what differs differentiates the Enneagram from other personality assessments is the focus on motivation.

The Enneagram shows users a way to develop and change. Sometimes this development and change can be positive, and sometimes this is negative. The author says:

"One of the purposes of learning about our Enneagram type is to be able to grow beyond it."

That's definitely a Christian principle. The book went on to show the growth opportunities for each Enneagram Type, and how to become more like Jesus.

That, to me, was the real strength of the book. It said it was Christian, and it was Christian. Everything in the book was bringing the concept of the Enneagram back to our relationship with Jesus and how Jesus is the answer to our problems (you know, like the Bible says).

The book didn’t quote other Enneagram experts (although it’s obvious the author has done her research and read widely are on the subject), but focused on practical steps about how to move from unhealthy or average to healthy for our Enneagram type.

Enneagram experts might not find much useful in the book, but this Enneagram newbie did.

[C.L. Burger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kim Eddy's book is one of the best Christian books I've read of an overview of the Enneagram. I love the added Scripture verses specific to each type. This is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning more about the Enneagram from a Christian perspective. Well done!