Parker J. Palmer. The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring

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The Active Life is Parker J. Palmer's deep and graceful exploration of a spirituality for the busy, sometimes frenetic lives many of us lead. Telling evocative stories from a variety of religious traditions, including Taoist, Jewish, and Christian, Palmer shows that the spiritual life does not mean abandoning the world but engaging it more deeply through life-giving action. He celebrates both the problems and potentials of the active life, revealing how much they have to teach us about ourselves, the world, and God.

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Engage the Spirit and Truth of the Active Life

What spiritual sources can we draw on to receive guidance for-and from-our lives in the world of action?The Active Life is Parker J. Palmer's deep and graceful exploration of a spirituality for the busy, sometimes frenetic lives many of us lead. Telling evocative stories from a variety of religious traditions, including Taoist, Jewish, and Christian, Palmer shows that the spiritual life does not mean abandoning the world but engaging it more deeply through life-giving action. He celebrates both the problems and potentials of the active life, revealing how much they have to teach us about ourselves, the world, and God.

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Product details

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (July 21, 1999)

3.0 out of 5 stars
unmasking illusions to reveal reality
ByDaniel B. Clendeninon January 17, 2007
Format: Paperback
In the last few decades a fair amount of attention has turned toward the so-called "inner journey" of Christian discipleship, as opposed to the mere externals of our "outer" journey. One thinks, for example, of the writings of Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and Richard Foster.

Parker Palmer writes out of this genre, and takes as his starting point the many "monastic metaphors and practices" that inform the inner journey--silence, solitude, contemplation, centeredness, and the like (p. 1). But therein lies a Catch-22. Many of us lead such frenetic and harried lives that trying to appropriate these "inner" ideals becomes practically impossible, an unattainable gold standard, the result being feelings of failure, guilt, and unspirituality. Still, we rightly sense that there is something true and good about whatever it means to lead a "centered" life.

Conversely, viewed from the energy of an outwardly active life, is not such silence and solitude really a thinly veiled form of escape, passivity and withdrawal? Or perhaps obsession with action is a diversion and ploy to avoid one's "real" self? Thus, the "tug-of-war" (p. 5) between the active and contemplative life, both of which demand our attention and both of which seem opposed to the other.

To move beyond this stalemate Palmer encourages us to understand contemplation (which he defines as unmasking illusions to reveal reality) and action not as contradictory opposites but as complementary poles of a paradox that we should hold in tension. 

Further, we all have unique callings from God and should strive to maintain our own integrity, whether that veers toward one pole or the other. After two introductory chapters, Palmer devotes one chapter each to

six stories or poems that have helped him to tease out the relationship between inner wholeness and outer activity:
(1) "Active Life" by Chuang Tzu, a fourth century BC Chinese Taoist,
(2) "The Woodcarver" by Tzu,
(3) "The Angel" by the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber,
(4) the temptation of Jesus in the desert,
(5) the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, and
(6) a poem by the Guatemalan activist Julia Esquivel entitled "Threatened with Resurrection."

Palmer is at his best, I think, when he reminds us how much we are obsessed with outcomes, the almost ceaseless efforts we make to prove and justify ourselves, our fears of failure rather than embracing the power that comes from being "dis-illusioned," the task of becoming our own true selves instead of allowing others to define us, moving beyond criticism and praise, and the like.

This is the third book by Palmer I have read, and he repeats much of his material, but I have found that many of his stories, and his willingness to share his own personal story, encourage me to develop a centered self out of which I can be the unique, active disciple God has called me to be.

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5.0 out of 5 stars
Work Revisioned as Service and Mindfulness
ByRobert L. Roseon July 21, 2001
Format: Paperback
This book will help any who are struggling with finding authentic work, or the transformation of current work. The kind of wisdom on action Palmer describes here can help us all to find and to engage in work and creativity which serves simplicity, mindfulness and healing rather than materialism and distraction.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Guidance And Encouragement For The Active-Contemplative Sorts
ByMary Lou's Reviewson May 14, 2015
Format: Paperback
What an encouraging book! "The Active Life," by Parker J. Palmer, reveals to its readers how to live out the paradox of the Christian life of action-and-contemplation. It is an important read for those who sense a call to commune more deeply with God but are unsure of how to implement that in their busy lives.

Sometimes, it enters the minds of Christians that a life of contemplation is a higher calling and of greater value to God than a life of action. As someone who has faced this lie, Parker J. Palmer shares his thoughts with us in The Active Life. Palmer has observed that “people who live by monastic norms sometimes fall so short,” and that “people caught in the gap between monastic values and the demands of active life sometimes simply abandon the spiritual quest” (Parker J Palmer, The Active Life, Jossey-Bass, 1990, p. 2).

Palmer bridges the gap between monastic values and the active life, and uses this book to show us that his term “contemplation-and-action” is of great spiritual value. There are important elements of life we must consider and live out in paradox—contemplation and action, light and darkness.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Cicero Was Right
ByCharles Michelsenon November 29, 2003
Format: Paperback
Busy Christian professionals doing their best to keep their occasionally frenetic lives under control might wonder if a book featuring praying hands on the cover and entitled The Active Life would prove helpful. Mercifully, writer, teacher and social activist P. J. Palmer, Ph.D. (philosophy), gives those harried saints a quick heads up on how utterly useless his book will ultimately prove on the first page of his 1999 Preface:

"'The Woodcarver,' for example, the protagonist of the Taoist story at the heart of Chapter 4, has become a living figure for me. Often in the midst of much madness, I will have a quiet dialogue with him, seeking and receiving insight, challenge and comfort."

Call me a narrow-minded religious bigot if you want, but I think I speak for the vast majority of those of us who have turned executive control of our lives over to the throne of Jesus Christ, i.e., Christians, when I say that even when life gets hectic, we would still much prefer "seeking and receiving insight, challenge and comfort" from the Holy Ghost, thanks very much.
Christians are not the only ones who will find Parker's 155 pages of mostly inane tripe a complete waste of their time. Anyone who has a problem with a large collection of absurdities masquerading as profundities is a candidate to threaten his retailer with citizen's arrest for failing to refund the purchase price of An Active Life.

Before you accuse me of waxing hyperbolic, try wrapping your cerebral cortex around a few of these jewels of insight:

"We must abandon the commonsense notion that the monsters we meet within ourselves [i.e., our human propensity for evil] are enemies to be destroyed. Instead we must cultivate the hope that they can be companions to be embraced, guides to be followed, albeit with caution and respect. For only our monsters know the way down to that inner place of unity and wholeness; only these creatures of the night know how to travel where there is no light. ...
"It is not the angels in us but the fallen angels who know the way down, down to the hidden wholeness." (31)

One can only speculate how many times the former 1960s commune-dweller Parker had to refill the bong before coming up with those pearls of wisdom. Christians generally believe we would should take the Apostle Paul's advice and crucify those monsters before they have us for lunch (Gal. 5:24).

Here is another equally valuable tidbit from Parker:
"True, more education may lead to more affluence and hence, more consumer choices, but more education may also narrow the range of meaningful choices about the direction of our lives. Once you have spent ten years and a small fortune getting a medical degree, how can you choose to be a logger if you discover that logging is what you really want to do?" (41-42)
Er, um, Dr. Parker ... pardon me sir, but if you would not mind a quick observation from an unlettered philosopher ... it would seem to me and, I suspect, quite a few rational others, that anyone who has "spent ten years and a small fortune getting a medical degree" only to discover that logging is his thing has a much bigger problem than a dearth of "meaningful choices" left for career directions. Namely, he is an idiot.

The Active Life is divided into eight chapters, each one struggling mightily to read more foolishly than its predecessor(s).

Chapter one is a brief introduction informing the reader that what he has in his hands is the direct result of the author's "long journey toward the knowledge that I am not a monk" (1), ala his main guru, Thomas Merton. Parker confesses that after a brief stint in a monastery he decided to trade a cloistered, celibate existence for a more active life.

Chapter four presents more ancient Taoist literature, the tale of "The Woodcarver," alluded to in Parker's 1999 preface. The Woodcarver is Parker's hero, a model for "right action," a fellow who "knows that if his work is to be true he must discern and keep faith with the nature of the tree" (69). (Yes, Parker actually wrote that.)

Chapter six is a commentary on the Gospel writer Luke's account of the temptation of Christ (4:1-15). Here Luke, who is widely considered among the finest of ancient historians, is demoted to "a master storyteller" (101). According to Parker, this story does not demonstrate that the devil's lies can and should be resisted with the truth of God's word, but rather objective truth is illusory and "Right action requires only that we respond faithfully to our own inner truth and to the truth around us" (115). It seems highly likely the September 11, 2001 hijackers were also responding to an "inner truth" and whatever they considered to be "the truth around us."

If one is forced to make a choice, chapter seven is probably the most obnoxious of the irritating eight. Here Parker gives us his exegesis of the story of Jesus' feeding an audience of five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fishes. Despite the fact that this story appears in all four canonical Gospels, books that fairly teem with miracles, Parker believes
"That interpretation, one that focuses on a supernatural Jesus, does not make the story useful to ordinary activists, much as we would like to be miracle workers too. ...
"What may have happened instead is that Jesus and the disciples simply modeled the act of sharing for the crowd by giving thanks for what little they had and then offering it to any who wanted to eat." (129-31)
Parker cites no religious scholars who share this extremely eccentric interpretation, apparently feeling an amen from an expert would be superfluous.

In summary, to read The Active Life is to be continually reminded of Cicero's famous observation: "There is nothing so ridiculous but some philosopher has said it" (De Divinatione, II, 119).
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3.0 out of 5 stars
A very thoughtful book.
ByE. D. Hanceon August 18, 2013
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
I have read all of the books by Parker Palmer. A Hidden Wholeness is my favorite. The Active Life is my second choice of all of his books. There is a lot of repetition in his various books. If you are actively involved in charity work, then this is a very good book to read. It discusses why you might take on a seemingly impossible project like housing the homeless and the need to take time to go on retreats to recharge your batteries and how to figure out your natural birth right gifts. Parker Palmer quotes Thomas Merton many times and then adds his Quaker views on how to implement Merton's ideas. Parker Palmer has taught me a lot about the Quakers and the advantages of living in a communal community. He is very honest about the good and bad parts of being a Quaker.
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5.0 out of 5 starsInsights in how to achieve a meaningful life
BySteven J. Tonissenon June 27, 2014
Format: Paperback
In 1995, I met Parker Palmer. He exemplifies what he writes.

He captures the ying and yang nature of contemplation and action well. In contemplation ths seeds of "right action" are found. And the fruit of "right action? exercises and refines contemplation. His interpretation of several poems from the Way of Chuang Tzu and their application to contemplation and action provide a guide to "right action."

His fusion of Zen philosophy and Christianity through stories brings his point to life. I've read "The Active Life" several times; each time learning something new. Recently I bought 9 copies and distributed them to family and friends.

While I don't agree with all of Parker's points, his writing spurs thought and challenges current thinking. If you are looking to gain new ways of viewing your life's work, I highly recommend you read "The Active Life.."
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3.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing because I love Parker Palmer
Bytomtom10on May 19, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Very difficult to read; disappointing because I love Parker Palmer!
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
ByHeidion October 14, 2016
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Great read