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A review by lukenotjohn
The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring by Parker J. Palmer
4.0
This is my second read by Parker Palmer, and the one that has made me eager and anticipatory to read whatever else I can find by him. I found myself enthralled, convicted, compelled, and deeply moved throughout my reading of this relatively slender book, and also frequently struck with powerful moments of resonance. Echoing his notion that contemplation exposes the reality underneath illusion, this was packed with insights that felt like they'd always been lingering just beneath the surface. This was especially true in the first chapters of the books which set up the frameworks around the action-contemplation polarity and the pillars of work, creativity, and caring. I loved the ways he broke down the seeming dichotomy and hierarchy of the two while also giving people some room and permission to acknowledge that they lean towards one or the other and that's okay. I'm flipping through those early chapters now to refresh my memory and honestly I underlined and exclamation point-ed so many of the sentences from there.
With that said, my engagement ebbed and flowed a little bit from there. It's a shame because I felt like Palmer had built such an exceptional framework only to leave it pretty underutilized for the remainder of the book. While he continued to reference some of the same points and terms, I felt like each chapter mostly operated as a standalone essay rather than part of a more cohesive book. This was a bit of a drawback for me, and I think made it hard to keep momentum (it took me over a month to read through this short book, even despite really loving it) and track with building ideas.
However, there was still plenty of stuff to be found within those later chapters, and some function as exquisite stand-alone chapters when considered that way. My favorites were his exploration of Buber's story of the angel, the story of the loaves and the fishes from the Gospels, and the poem regarding the "threat of resurrection." Each of those offered a robust theological reading that felt really fresh and unexpected and ultimately beautiful. As someone with some process theology integrated into my own understanding of God, the reflection around Buber's angel was especially exciting. Similarly, the concepts of scarcity and abundance have been a frequent obstacle and invitation for me in recent years, and I really adored the way Palmer grounded those within the embodiment of community. And while I personally hold to a theology of the resurrection that goes beyond the communal manifestation he poses from the poem (and it seems as though he might as well), it's a beautiful vision nonetheless of the ways we can partake in it here and now in the ongoing pursuit of justice within community. As a whole, this was a phenomenal book (made all the more impressive by its unassuming size and tone) totally packed with brilliant insights on God, the human spirit, community, justice, and the world around us.
With that said, my engagement ebbed and flowed a little bit from there. It's a shame because I felt like Palmer had built such an exceptional framework only to leave it pretty underutilized for the remainder of the book. While he continued to reference some of the same points and terms, I felt like each chapter mostly operated as a standalone essay rather than part of a more cohesive book. This was a bit of a drawback for me, and I think made it hard to keep momentum (it took me over a month to read through this short book, even despite really loving it) and track with building ideas.
However, there was still plenty of stuff to be found within those later chapters, and some function as exquisite stand-alone chapters when considered that way. My favorites were his exploration of Buber's story of the angel, the story of the loaves and the fishes from the Gospels, and the poem regarding the "threat of resurrection." Each of those offered a robust theological reading that felt really fresh and unexpected and ultimately beautiful. As someone with some process theology integrated into my own understanding of God, the reflection around Buber's angel was especially exciting. Similarly, the concepts of scarcity and abundance have been a frequent obstacle and invitation for me in recent years, and I really adored the way Palmer grounded those within the embodiment of community. And while I personally hold to a theology of the resurrection that goes beyond the communal manifestation he poses from the poem (and it seems as though he might as well), it's a beautiful vision nonetheless of the ways we can partake in it here and now in the ongoing pursuit of justice within community. As a whole, this was a phenomenal book (made all the more impressive by its unassuming size and tone) totally packed with brilliant insights on God, the human spirit, community, justice, and the world around us.