Date of Award
Winter 2022
Degree Type
Exemplary Work - Open Access
First Advisor
Joseph Kelley
Abstract
Within the past several years, the Enneagram of Personality’s popularity has increased significantly in terms of public attention. As a result, social media contains many “memes” primarily focusing on stereotypes of “9 personality types.” Like all stereotyping, this focus is often damaging from a psychological standpoint. Additionally, some have appropriated the material into a form of New Age Spirituality. Use of the Enneagram in this way has led to much suspicion and criticism of the Enneagram. In 2000, the US Bishops’ Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices drafted A Brief Report on the Origins of the Enneagram (US bishop' Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices). In this paper, I intend to address several points within the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices (from here forth, SDPP) document in terms of the Enneagram’s origin, roots in spirituality, and connections with modern psychology. I concur with the SDPP thesis that “aspects of the intersection between Enneagram doctrine and Catholic belief warrant particular scrutiny” (US bishop' Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices) however, I wish to contribute to that scrutiny in a more positive light.
Recommended Citation
Burianek, Connie, "Is the Enneagram Compatible with the Catholic Faith?" (2022). Religious & Theological Studies Student Work. 6.
https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rts_studentpub/6
