The Company of Strangers: Christians & the Renewal of America's Public Life

by Parker J. Palmer

In this award-winning book, Parker J. Palmer offers a compelling vision of a disciplined inward search that strengthens our commitment to our communities. Palmer reminds us that a truly profound spiritual life leads us toward the God who makes us a community.

Genres: Spirituality, Politics, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Social Justice, Faith

190 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1981

About the author

Parker J. Palmer (Madison, WI) is a writer, teacher and activist whose work speaks deeply to people in many walks of life. Author of eight books--including the bestsellers Courage to Teach, Let Your Life Speak, and A Hidden Wholeness--his writing has been recognized with ten honorary doctorates and many national awards, including the 2010 William Rainey Harper Award (previously won by Margaret Mead, Paulo Freire, and Elie Wiesel). He is founder and senior partner of the Center for Courage Renewal, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights on the loss of public life and growing isolation in the U.S. Very inspiring book - makes you go out and get to know your neighbor, for one thing.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful spiritual commentary on contemporary life in America.

[Waverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not easy reading for me, until the last couple of chapters. Written in the early 80's, it is particularly relevant today.

[Jerry Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Urbanization has ellicited a reatreat into private life, away from the communities of strangers, to whom we feel no connection. Such conditions are less supportive of the individual. This denies the value of persons. Access to all the great books and articles has only fed this unhuman retreat.
This book is a call to return to a public life. We must remind ourselves of what good came from being in public and the power of sharing ground with a stranger. First of all, what is public life today? When most people think of public, the dichotomy of public and private institutions comes to mind. Public institutions are those whose primary organizer is government or state controlled. Whereas those that are private are organized by a committee of shareholders within a corporation or standing partnership. Public for individuals is to share their life on a stage for the eyes of those around them, with all the anxiety and social facilitation to exceed performance under stress; private life is a reserved reflection on deeper thoughts.
Company is derived of Latin terms meaning, together, breaking bread. Alluding to breaking bread in the Christian community, from its definition alone we can derive value from understanding "company". A public life in church offers connectedness of Christ, first in body, then in spirit. For the Greeks, the public forum was a place where ideas beyond those mundane in work can be shared.
The "kingdom" has this same promise of a public forum where other worldly pursuit and pleasures are freely discussed.
Public life should be intertwined with a healthy private life. def. A private life of an inward search to find a way to be closer to god; A private life of prayer, self-reflection, and solitude. Engaging in the public life is valuable in making this private life fresh again. As a result of both 1. a break from the monotony of deliberate practice, and 2. offering a perspective from a stranger can import value to your work.
The public space is the sole ground for meeting with strangers. The Bible reveals that Strangers can be hidden angels.
Look in the story of Mark. Look to the disciples of Jesus who spoke of his resurrection to every stranger in their path. And while they were met with skepticism, eventually they reached one who did believe of the resurrection and honored the sacrificing good that Jesus gave from a place of "have not". In a world of "have" and "have not"s, Christ preaches the value of have not. This stranger reveals himself to be Jesus reincarnate. Judaism has often spoke of being in a strange land to bring you closer to God. For if you have a home provide all of your solace away from indignation of the darkness of sin covering our world, looking for something to latch onto, anyone. If our home is the safe haven from sin, we will not seek solace from God.
The power of the mysterious other, "the stranger". [Why did God put this person in our life? What chance is God giving us to learn something new?] The dichotomy of this other to our own life brings pain. Through this pain, the masks we wear fall away. Encountering a stranger in church with the framework of love and justice brings a common ground higher than without faith. On this ground, all parties acknowledge that there are greater truths God has in store for us. The spirit of worship changes from narrow, exclusive, and judgemental to expansive towards deeper contribution to common life.
Private place, too, are the meeting ground for strangers. However, in these places intimacy implies knowing, and, hence, commonality. This implication is falsely justified. It has no basis. We can use this same implied closeness in public. Defining public places clearly, narrowly can make them more inviting spaces to open yourself.

Palmer's solution for renewal of public life:
1. increase capacity for shared common prayer with others.
2. repurpose public ground for politics or church.
3. celebration is a lasting community joy which imbibes confidence in loving

Though clear and well-written, this second read from Parker Palmer does not leave me many takeaways. I will have to review A Divided Wholeness before deciding to read more from Parker Palmer, who signed my roommate's copy of this book.

[Colin Baumgartner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed many facets of this book but felt that the combination of Christianity and greater social interaction in public spaces was a tentative one that was never satisfactorily fleshed out. This book was strongest in its assertion that there must be greater public exchange and that our ideas about the nature of public vs. private need to be readjusted.

The weakest parts were repetitive passages about God and a less than full connection of organized religion to the larger public.

I like many of the ideas in the book but some redundancy and the unsuccessful connection to religion lowered it slightly in my estimation.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, first published in 1981, then reprinted in 1999, sadly provides a foreshadowing of the disintegration of our public life. Parker Palmer warns prophetically that we as Christians are on the road to making "the church more a political tool than an instrument of God's will.” The good news is, here we are provided a spiritual and practical road-map as to how our public life can be renewed, and how the church can take their rightful place in restoring our sense of community.

[Lisa Lewton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old words with nuggets of wisdom. I appreciate Palmer’s wide look at the world, encouraging the Christian faith to stake its claim of justice and light in the world, to work publicly toward a common good.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the book was really inspiring, however some of his conclusions are problematic.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, a little behind the times but overall challenged my thinking and stretched my worldview.

[Austin Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite theological thinkers, the book is an excellent example of church in the world done right.

[Sean]

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[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book that confirms much of my "public theology" & ecclesiology, & offers some suggestions that, if acted upon by the church, would challenge my Christian practice.