Interview with Chris Heuertz

Podcast: Contemplate This
Host: Tom Bushlack
iTunes

Chris Heuertz was introduced to the Enneagram by a friend in India and it radically changed his life – leading to a shocking and difficult awakening, a “severe mercy,” but one that led him on a journey of self-discovery and in-depth study of the Enneagram system and process of spiritual transformation. The wisdom of this journey is collected in his recent book, The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth. This interview breaks open a deeper understanding of the Enneagram, which Chris approaches more as a process for understanding our energies and our path to God, rather than a psycho-spiritual personality typology. For those listeners not familiar with the Enneagram, I have compiled some introductory resources below, and the bonus track, “Introducing the Enneagram with Chris Heuertz” also provides a short (less than 10 min.) to the Enneagram and the nine points. Chris has spent his life bearing witness to the possibility of hope among a world that has legitimate reasons to question God’s goodness. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Chris studied at Asbury University in Kentucky before moving to India where he was mentored by Mother Teresa for three years. While living in India, he helped launch South Asia’s first pediatric AIDS care home – creating a safe haven for children impacted by the global pandemic. A forerunner in the New Friar movement, Chris and his wife Phileena served with the Word Made Flesh community for nearly 20 years, working for women and children victimized by human traffickers in the commercial sex industry. This has taken Chris to over 70 countries working among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. In 2012 Phileena and Chris launched Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism. Named one of Outreach magazine’s “30 Emerging Influencers Reshaping Leadership,” Chris is a curator of unlikely friendships, an instigator for good, a champion of collaboration, and a witness to hope, Chris fights for a renewal of contemplative activism.