Becoming Whole

Editor’s Note: On June 10, 2020, more than 33 people accused Chris Heuertz of a long pattern of spiritual and psychological abuse and sexually predatory behavior. On June 14, 2020, the Center for Action and Contemplation issued a statement that it has paused all continuing collaboration with Heuertz.

THE SACRED ENNEAGRAM infuses a centuries-old personality typing system with an often-neglected perspective: grace and compassion. With nuance and genuine curiosity, Christopher L. Heuertz moves beyond personality caricatures common to many writings on the Enneagram and explores the complexities of being fully human. Rather than type-calibrated condemnation, Heuertz’ insights extend affirmation, hopefulness, and an invitation to self-liberation.

A sacred map to the soul, as described by Heuertz, the Enneagram illumines a journey of discovering our true self beyond false identities upheld by “self-perpetuating lies.” This transformation begins with an honest awakening to how we have invested in one of nine identity illusions and continues as we begin to relinquish our defense of this surface-level version of ourselves. Through self-observance and “empathetic detachment,” we cultivate the gifts of mental clarity and emotional objectivity and increase our capacity to reflect the essential nature instilled within us. In this slow conversion toward embracing the imago dei within, we return to God.

Interwoven throughout this work is the wisdom of master spiritual teachers. Thomas Keating’s “three programs for happiness”—in which happiness requires an integrated balance of security and survival, affection and esteem, and power and control—is brought alongside Henri Nouwen’s “three lies of identity”: I am what I have, I am what other people say or think about me, and I am what I do.

Heuertz overlays these time-tested ideas with elements of the Enneagram: intelligence centers, in which our dominant way of perceiving the world filters through either the head center (thinking), heart center (feeling), or body center (instinctive) and the harmony triads, in which the dominant way we relate to the world is either as pragmatists, idealists, or relationists. Here emerges the true gift of Heuertz’ offering to this typology and to spiritual formation broadly: contemplative prayer postures and intentions outlined specifically for each Enneagram personality.

There has been a recent wave of Enneagram fascination, particularly within Christian circles. Heuertz positions this psychospiritual hunger within a larger return to the contemplative tradition. Grounded in disciplines of silence, stillness, and solitude, The Sacred Enneagram outlines prayer intentions of engagement, rest, and consent intended to facilitate a gentle corrective to the misguided and often harmful passions and ego-fixations each type clings to. For those thirsting for healing and wholeness, the contemplative discipline offers a deep well of spirituality that “calms the body, stills the emotions, and quiets the mind.”

While many typology enthusiasts are satisfied with understanding the what of behavioral quirks, Heuertz examines the why undergirding our varying human experiences. The trajectory of personal growth, he writes, moves from obtaining basic knowledge to principled understanding to embodied integration. Ultimately, the gift of the Enneagram is to empower those committed to spiritual growth to find an integration point that holds the fullness of ourselves. Approaching this system of knowledge through a framework of contemplative spirituality “invites us to resist the reductionism of inner fragmentation; to realize we aren’t as bad as our worst moments or as good as our greatest successes—but that we are far better than we can imagine and carry the potential to be far worse than we fear.”

Those seeking a quick overview of their own personality type may find The Sacred Enneagram overwhelming and perhaps a little intimidating. Some of Heuertz’ exploration of psychoanalytic psychology can be quite dense, with a high terminology learning curve. However, the depth of information combined with Heuertz’ narrative storytelling effectively moves the reader from simply receiving a soothing personality balm to empowered consideration of how they are most sensitized and responsive to God’s presence.

Centered in our essential nature, what Heuertz describes as “the home for our souls,” we can hear and discern the voice of God. Here, rehumanized and trusting the very goodness flowing within us, we return home to the embrace of a God who is love.