The Pastor’s Studio with Paul Basden

S2E03: Going Deeper with the Enneagram: Exploring Triads, Centers, and Spiritual Growth

03: Knowing your Enneagram number is just the beginning. In this episode, host Paul Basden dives deeper into the Enneagram to uncover the layers that reveal not only your type, but also your habits, motivations, and path toward transformation.

 

You’ll unpack:

 

Virtues and Vices: How your greatest strengths can also become your biggest struggles, and why choosing virtue over vice leads to growth.

 

Centers of Intelligence (Triads): The Heart (2-3-4), Head (5-6-7), and Gut (8-9-1) triads that shape how we feel, think, and act.

 

Paul shares how Christian faith intersects with the Enneagram, showing how prayer, confession, and the Holy Spirit help us move from vice to virtue—becoming more of who God created us to be.

 

Whether you’re just beginning with the Enneagram or you’ve studied it for years, this episode will give you practical tools and spiritual insights to deepen your journey of self-awareness and discipleship.

 

Additional Resources: 

• The Enneagram Made Easy by Elizabeth Wagele & Renee Baron

• The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile

• The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

• The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence by Scott Allender

S2E02: Discovering the 9 Enneagram Types: Strengths, Struggles, and Faith

02: In this episode, Paul takes a deep dive into all nine Enneagram types—revealing how each type’s core motivations, strengths, and struggles can shape the way we live, love, and follow God. From the Perfectionist’s drive to do things right, to the Peacemaker’s longing for harmony, each number offers both unique gifts and unique challenges.

 

Paul unpacks:

 

The defining traits, mottos, and anxieties of each type (1–9).

 

Why people with the same Enneagram number can look very different depending on wings, social preferences, spiritual gifts, and emotional health.

 

How the Enneagram can help you name your gifts, confront your struggles, and surrender your vices to God.

 

Whether you identify as a Perfectionist, Helper, Achiever, Artist, Thinker, Loyalist, Enthusiast, Challenger, or Peacemaker, this conversation shows how the Enneagram is not a magic formula but a trusted framework for self-knowledge, discipleship, and transformation.

 

This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the Enneagram more deeply and apply it as a tool for spiritual growth.

 

Additional Resources: 

• The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele

• The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile

• The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

• The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile

• The Journey Toward Wholeness by Suzanne Stabile

• The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr & Andreas Ebbert

• The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher Heuertz

• Personality Types by Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson

• The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence by Scott Allender

S2E01: Who Am I? Exploring the Enneagram Through a Biblical Lens

01: In this opening episode of Why Do I Do What I Do? Exploring the Enneagram, host Paul Basden unpacks one of today’s most popular tools for self-discovery and spiritual growth: the Enneagram. If you’ve ever asked, “Who am I?” or wondered why you keep repeating certain patterns, this conversation will help you understand the Enneagram as more than a personality test—it’s a map of motivations, fears, and desires that can lead to both transformation and healing.

 

Paul tackles five big questions: Who am I? What is the Enneagram? How does it work? How do I use it? And where can I learn more? Along the way, he draws from Christian wisdom, Scripture, and his own counseling journey to explain how the Enneagram connects our worldview, our childhood wounds, and the vows we make that shape our behavior. He also highlights how this tool can deepen discipleship, helping us die to self and live more fully in the way of Jesus.

 

Whether you’re brand new to the Enneagram or a longtime learner, this episode offers a clear, practical introduction that blends psychology, theology, and spiritual practice. It’s the perfect place to begin your journey of asking, “Why do I do what I do?”

 

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele

• The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile

• The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

• The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile

• The Journey Toward Wholeness by Suzanne Stabile

• The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr & Andreas Ebbert

• The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher Heuertz

• Personality Types by Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson

• The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence by Scott Allender

S2E00: Why Do I Do What I Do? Exploring the Enneagram

What is the Enneagram, and why does it matter for your faith and personal growth? In this teaser episode, Paul introduces his new podcast season, Why Do I Do What I Do? Exploring the Enneagram. After months of conversations on faith, culture, and tough topics, Paul shifts the focus inward—showing how the Enneagram can be a powerful tool for self-awareness, spiritual formation, and transformation.

Drawing from ancient wisdom, modern psychology, and Scripture, Paul shares how knowing yourself is the first step toward living with integrity and experiencing God’s love more deeply. This episode sets the stage for what’s ahead: an introduction to the Enneagram system, in-depth interviews with all nine Enneagram types, and reflections on how self-knowledge leads to lasting change.

If you’ve ever wondered “Why do I do what I do?”—this season is for you.