The Promise of Paradox: A Celebration of Contradictions in the Christian Life
byParker J. Palmer
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5.0 out of 5 starsThis will cause you to think!
ByYoyoMitchon March 28, 2013
This book was much discussed while I was in Seminary, as it was then newly published and dealt with a topic that is antithetical to the initial response one has upon seeing its title. I was not ready to hear the arguments presented by Dr. Palmer in the early 1980's. Thankfully, this book's longevity (this is its third time in print by two different publishers) has allowed me the opportunity to sit with now what I could not address when I was younger.
When the book was originally published, Henri Nouwen, a Catholic Priest whose writings have been very influential in my spiritual development, wrote the introduction. For this present edition, Dr. Palmer pens a lengthy introduction that is, in itself, an important essay about how the need for Paradox and community are, in many ways, in greater demand now than when the book was originally issued.
The first chapter, "In the Belly of a Paradox," compares and contrasts: Thomas Merton's engagement with Taoism and Eastern thought in a Christian context, the Paradox of Marxist thought as it mirrors New Testament actions (particularly those actions found in the Book of Acts) and the paradoxes provided in "The Way of the Cross."
In Chapter 2, Dr. Palmer takes the Catholic Stations of the Cross discipline and examines it from his perspective of it being an internal paradox. He sees this discipline as bringing about five moments of confrontation of self: recognition (of the contradiction of the cross mirroring that of the contradiction in ourselves), resistance (the desire to resist living in the tension those contradictions in ourselves create), acceptance (living in the reality that there is power and life enriched found in such tension), affirmation (the ability to celebrate that this "cross" (life) is one's own) and liberation (the realization that facing, fighting, accepting and affirming these contradictions frees us from the illusion of being independent from each other).
Chapter's three and four focus on community and how that culture brings the power of paradox to life. He argues that humans were created to be in relationship, the Christian Scriptures direct its adherents toward community and that the Western idea of "rugged individualism" leads to emptiness, poverty (of spirit and material wealth) and is impossible for the human race to sustain itself with it as a paradigm. Chapter five looks at what real, lasting and sustainable abundance is and how paradox and community are vital to that endeavor.
The author states that paradox is not a linear concept, but one that travels "in a circle." When one opens one's self to the tension brought about by listening and attending what is found when one sits with two truths, seemingly in opposition, at the same moment, one discovers that both "truths" add depth to each other. Such an undertaking is frustrating, laborious, rewarding and enriching. Dr. Palmer offers no shortcuts toward finding the "blessing" of paradox; all who wish to taste its promise must, like Jacob did with the angel, wrestle with the paradox before its riches can be gained.
This is not a long book but neither is it a book easily read in a short time. Attention has to be paid to the weighty words written on each page. The concepts offered are not difficult to understand, but they are such that their being applied will take energy, focus and commitment. Reading this small tome will cause the serious reader (and no other readers would read it) to examine their own paradoxes and find a measure of unknown Grace therein.
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Top critical review
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17 people found this helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsEncouraging Book With Some Paradoxical...Quirks
ByTimothy Buchananon August 31, 2012
I bought this book on a whim at a second-hand book store before a three-day spiritual retreat I went on by myself. I read the book over the three days, and overall I found myself very encouraged by it! I really appreciated the invitation to step into the fray of a life of paradox. I especially loved Palmer's use of the cross as symbolic of the tensions we face between Heaven and Earth (the vertical beam of the cross) and the pull we feel between paradoxical human ideologies (the horizontal beam). Having spent the past few years feeling as if I'm living in a paradox of faith, this book reminded me that I am not alone, and that I am not worse for the wear, but that I am in good company and I am, perhaps, right where God wants me.
Palmer's commentary on community was also encouraging as community is something that I have found myself missing, despite my attempts to discover it (a paradox that Palmer addresses quite nicely). Every subject Palmer touches on in this book is examined with the grace and hope that I only wish could be found in every book written by an author who identifies as a Christian.
The book would have been perfect if not for Palmer's "Introduction to the 2008 Edition". The Introduction is essentially a 25 page criticism of the book itself. After 30 years, I would suspect that the author would have some self-critical advice to his younger self. But ultimately, the criticism found in the Introduction treads well into the territory of attack on Conservative Evangelicalism, (complete with a two page poorly veiled tirade against George W. Bush, although Palmer leaves the vivid image nameless.)
There is a place for healthy criticism from within the Body of Christ. But the introduction to a book that has little to do with such issues, I contend, is not the place. Being someone who identifies as an Evangelical, I was sad to discover that the introduction to the book caused me to feel...unwelcome. It was as if Palmer was saying, "This book is for everyone from every creed, race, background, and faith tradition...EXCEPT YOU!" As far as Evangelicals go, I'm probably on the more "liberal" edge of things. But Palmer made me feel like a bigoted hate-monger because I happen to hold certain convictions that he does not. He goes so far as to say that certain Conservative Christians are, "...making things hellish right now, and what I wish is that they would get a life." What I wish is that I had purchased the first pressing of the book; the one without the scathing and unfriendly introduction.
Perhaps this is the paradox for me: that I loved this book and the ideas it represented, but I feel as if were I to meet Palmer today, he would be angry at me for making things "hellish" and that he would have nothing nice to say to me. Perhaps I'm not giving him the benefit of the doubt, but his introduction led me to believe that he had a bone to pick with Conservative Christians, and his burning desire to speak on the issue just happened to coincide with the opportunity to write a retrospective introduction to this book.
My advice: read this book. Cherish it and live it. It is beautiful. But skip the introduction. There's not much there that I think you would benefit from. But if you do read the introduction, and if, like me, you are made to feel unwelcome, I encourage you to extend to Palmer the same grace that has been extended to us through Christ. Grace extended to all, regardless of the fact that none are deserving. This, perhaps, is the ultimate paradox.
Peace.
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=========================
Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 stars
Encouraging Book With Some Paradoxical...Quirks
ByTimothy Buchananon August 31, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
I bought this book on a whim at a second-hand book store before a three-day spiritual retreat I went on by myself. I read the book over the three days, and overall I found myself very encouraged by it! I really appreciated the invitation to step into the fray of a life of paradox. I especially loved Palmer's use of the cross as symbolic of the tensions we face between Heaven and Earth (the vertical beam of the cross) and the pull we feel between paradoxical human ideologies (the horizontal beam). Having spent the past few years feeling as if I'm living in a paradox of faith, this book reminded me that I am not alone, and that I am not worse for the wear, but that I am in good company and I am, perhaps, right where God wants me.
Palmer's commentary on community was also encouraging as community is something that I have found myself missing, despite my attempts to discover it (a paradox that Palmer addresses quite nicely). Every subject Palmer touches on in this book is examined with the grace and hope that I only wish could be found in every book written by an author who identifies as a Christian.
The book would have been perfect if not for Palmer's "Introduction to the 2008 Edition". The Introduction is essentially a 25 page criticism of the book itself. After 30 years, I would suspect that the author would have some self-critical advice to his younger self. But ultimately, the criticism found in the Introduction treads well into the territory of attack on Conservative Evangelicalism, (complete with a two page poorly veiled tirade against George W. Bush, although Palmer leaves the vivid image nameless.)
There is a place for healthy criticism from within the Body of Christ. But the introduction to a book that has little to do with such issues, I contend, is not the place. Being someone who identifies as an Evangelical, I was sad to discover that the introduction to the book caused me to feel...unwelcome. It was as if Palmer was saying, "This book is for everyone from every creed, race, background, and faith tradition...EXCEPT YOU!" As far as Evangelicals go, I'm probably on the more "liberal" edge of things. But Palmer made me feel like a bigoted hate-monger because I happen to hold certain convictions that he does not. He goes so far as to say that certain Conservative Christians are, "...making things hellish right now, and what I wish is that they would get a life." What I wish is that I had purchased the first pressing of the book; the one without the scathing and unfriendly introduction.
Perhaps this is the paradox for me: that I loved this book and the ideas it represented, but I feel as if were I to meet Palmer today, he would be angry at me for making things "hellish" and that he would have nothing nice to say to me. Perhaps I'm not giving him the benefit of the doubt, but his introduction led me to believe that he had a bone to pick with Conservative Christians, and his burning desire to speak on the issue just happened to coincide with the opportunity to write a retrospective introduction to this book.
My advice: read this book. Cherish it and live it. It is beautiful. But skip the introduction. There's not much there that I think you would benefit from. But if you do read the introduction, and if, like me, you are made to feel unwelcome, I encourage you to extend to Palmer the same grace that has been extended to us through Christ. Grace extended to all, regardless of the fact that none are deserving. This, perhaps, is the ultimate paradox.
Peace.
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=====================
Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 star
This will cause you to think!
ByYoyoMitchon March 28, 2013
Format: Hardcover
This book was much discussed while I was in Seminary, as it was then newly published and dealt with a topic that is antithetical to the initial response one has upon seeing its title. I was not ready to hear the arguments presented by Dr. Palmer in the early 1980's. Thankfully, this book's longevity (this is its third time in print by two different publishers) has allowed me the opportunity to sit with now what I could not address when I was younger.
When the book was originally published, Henri Nouwen, a Catholic Priest whose writings have been very influential in my spiritual development, wrote the introduction. For this present edition, Dr. Palmer pens a lengthy introduction that is, in itself, an important essay about how the need for Paradox and community are, in many ways, in greater demand now than when the book was originally issued.
The first chapter, "In the Belly of a Paradox," compares and contrasts: Thomas Merton's engagement with Taoism and Eastern thought in a Christian context, the Paradox of Marxist thought as it mirrors New Testament actions (particularly those actions found in the Book of Acts) and the paradoxes provided in "The Way of the Cross."
In Chapter 2, Dr. Palmer takes the Catholic Stations of the Cross discipline and examines it from his perspective of it being an internal paradox. He sees this discipline as bringing about five moments of confrontation of self: recognition (of the contradiction of the cross mirroring that of the contradiction in ourselves), resistance (the desire to resist living in the tension those contradictions in ourselves create), acceptance (living in the reality that there is power and life enriched found in such tension), affirmation (the ability to celebrate that this "cross" (life) is one's own) and liberation (the realization that facing, fighting, accepting and affirming these contradictions frees us from the illusion of being independent from each other).
Chapter's three and four focus on community and how that culture brings the power of paradox to life. He argues that humans were created to be in relationship, the Christian Scriptures direct its adherents toward community and that the Western idea of "rugged individualism" leads to emptiness, poverty (of spirit and material wealth) and is impossible for the human race to sustain itself with it as a paradigm. Chapter five looks at what real, lasting and sustainable abundance is and how paradox and community are vital to that endeavor.
The author states that paradox is not a linear concept, but one that travels "in a circle." When one opens one's self to the tension brought about by listening and attending what is found when one sits with two truths, seemingly in opposition, at the same moment, one discovers that both "truths" add depth to each other. Such an undertaking is frustrating, laborious, rewarding and enriching. Dr. Palmer offers no shortcuts toward finding the "blessing" of paradox; all who wish to taste its promise must, like Jacob did with the angel, wrestle with the paradox before its riches can be gained.
This is not a long book but neither is it a book easily read in a short time. Attention has to be paid to the weighty words written on each page. The concepts offered are not difficult to understand, but they are such that their being applied will take energy, focus and commitment. Reading this small tome will cause the serious reader (and no other readers would read it) to examine their own paradoxes and find a measure of unknown Grace therein.
Comment| One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Reforming prayer and education
ByDarren Cronshawon March 28, 2010
THE PROMISE OF PARADOX: A CELEBRATION OF CONTRADICTIONS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
By Parker Palmer (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008)
Reviewed by Darren Cronshaw
I enjoy a book, like The Promise of Paradox, that raises as many questions as answers. Rather than explaining away dilemmas of faith and complexities of life, Palmer embraces the mystery and reality of paradoxes. When prayer feels like a chore, a shopping list, or when it seems to bounce off the ceiling, I appreciate an approach that encourages prayer as a way of life. He challenges me to consider how open am I to deeply listening to God in the midst of struggles. Palmer most interestingly explores how we can be open to God through community, education and prayer.
With his wife Sally, early in his teaching career Palmer taught for a decade at Pendle Hill, a living-learning community near Philadelphia. They sought an experiment in interdependence and community life, and discovered a parallel need for boundaries and solitude. Palmer pleads for an approach to community not just for the benefit of personal nurture but for promoting economic and political justice in a society of competitive individualism. He asks, "How can I participate in a fairer distribution of resources unless I live in a community that makes it possible to consume less? ... How can I learn to share power unless I live in a community where hierarchy is unnatural?" (p.65) Shrinking world resources may push us more in the community-sharing directions which Palmer encourages, and which he himself gave up a large salary and successful career to find.
His appeal for reform in education is also still timely today. He urges collaborative learning rather than breeding exam-based competition, and celebrating diverse expressions of intelligence rather than focusing just on intellectual capacity. He appeals to teachers to be learners and to help students to engage with big questions: "as teachers, we must not only make room for the Spirit to move within us but also cultivate learning situations that will help students open up to that movement" (p.133).
Finally, his words on prayer are life-giving. Palmer draws on the Trappist monk Thomas Merton, a kind of patron saint of social activists, who appeals for an integration of spirituality with the struggles and mess of life. Palmer realises spiritual life is not orderly and pristine and suggests adding a new prayer to the well-known short list of "Thanks!" and "Help!", adding the simple "Bless this mess!" Prayer for Palmer is not special pleading for a scarce resource before someone else gets it, as if our identity depends on what we have. True prayer will help release us from the idolatry of such illusions and instead experience the fullness of God: `a life that returns constantly to that silent, solitary place within us where we encounter God and life's abundance becomes manifest' (p.114).
"This book is important not because it is written by a good scholar, but because it is written by a scholar who dared to wonder if his scholarship really led him to the truth. It is important not because it is written by a man who knows more than most people about the dynamics of community life, but because it is written by a man who gave up a large salary and moved away from a successful career to find community. It is important not because it is written by a man who has been a consultant to many on educational matters, but because it is written by a man who kept wondering if his own education didn't do him more harm than good and who gave much of his energy to a form of education not dominated by grades and degrees. It is important not because it is written by a man who knows the Bible well, but because it is written by a man who dared to let the Bible make radical claims on his own life and the lives of those he loves." (Henri Nouwen, "Introduction to the 1980 edition", p.x-xi)
Originally reviewd in Witness: The Voice of Victorian Baptists, Vol. 143, No. 8 (September 2008), p.21.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Importance of paradox
ByJsteinon July 22, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
It was very helpful to understanding paradox better in general and just how much it shows up in all areas of life. It's well written, provocative and very useful.
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
ByBarbara D. Parinion March 22, 2016
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
Essential read for understanding the Gospel.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent
ByWilliam DahlVINE VOICEon July 6, 2008
Format: Hardcover
Congratulations (AGAIN...) to Jossey-Bass for a really smart strategic move --- originally published in 1980, Jossey-Bass (John-Wiley & Sons) purchased the rights, including the Introduction by Henri Nouwen and Voila!!! --- Like I said, another strategic masterpiece by Jossey-Bass.
I needed to read this book. As an avowed Christian, I benefit from the struggles of others who claim the name of Christ regarding their preferred faith flavor. As Palmer says in his introduction to this volume, " I find it hard to name my beliefs using traditional Christian language because that vocabulary has been taken hostage by theological terrorists and tortured beyond recognition." (p. xxi).
Palmer's treatise is truly captured early on in this volume when he writes, "Perhaps contradictions are not impediments to the spiritual life but an integral part of it. Through them we may learn that the power power for life comes from God, not from us." (p.2).
For Palmer, "The paradox that we can win only by forgetting about winning is Christianity 101." (p. 23).
This book must be savored like when a chef provides you with a teaspoon of warm broth to contemplate the care with which it has been created...with your eyes shut...slowly...allowing your soul to digest the essence of the delicacy you are savoring.
An incredibly powerful treatise...filled with life-lessons pertinent for today and tomorrow. Well, I guess that how truth actually endures.
Buy this book!!!
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Marxism clothed as gospel.
ByDr. G.on May 13, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
When I started Clinical Pastoral Education I continually heard the name Parker Palmer. This is nothing more than a euphemism for communism. His ignorance of history and theology is profound. One example he raises the model of Acts 4 they held all things in common as prescription of community. Even a casual reading of the text shows that the Acts 4 model failed and was rejected by the apostles. In Acts 5 they are declaring that their members maintained individual ownership and control of their possession. By Acts 6 the poor, the widows and fatherless are being neglected by the system. Communism always leaves to greater poverty, disenfranchisement and alienation. The free market elevates and include everyone. I will not be wasting any more of my time or money on Palmer. He is clueless as to reality or spirituality.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Promise of Paradox - a faith-filled promise
ByJoan Kuikenon August 4, 2008
The Promise of Paradox by Parker Palmer is a refreshing view of the traditional values and beliefs of Christian faith written 30 years ago and now in reprint. He writes his own introduction explaining the various changes in both his language and thought over the 30 year period. Henri Nouwen wrote the first introduction which is also included.
To live a faith in honest integrity one needs to come to grips with the ambiquity in life or the"belly of paradox" as he often refers. The spirit moves in ways that are often not of conventional wisdom and it is the holding of the tension between seeming polarities where the spirit grows, ripens, and truly connects with God. His message is one of unitive thinking rather than dualistic thinking and Parker Palmer lifts the reader to new dimensions and challenges with his message of love and compassion for all living creatures while embracing their diversity. A book for all faiths and all spiritual paths that leads one into greater connection with self and the God within.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
annoying, and even disturbing may be calling us to ...
ByAndrew & Sherrion February 25, 2015
Some twenty years since being written, the words of this book still resonate. Paradox a seeming contradiction that reveals a deeper truth. The author calls us to sense the cross currents in out life -- the horizontal forces that cut across the vertical orientation. These cross currents while frustrating, annoying, and even disturbing may be calling us to recognize a truth in our life -- opening us to a new way. Thought provoking read!
