This Election

A Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit with Parker Palmer

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A politics worthy of the human spirit. Is it possible? Do we have the capacity to create it? These are questions that we as a country must grapple with now and in the years to come. It is the question Parker Palmer wrestled with in his seminal book: Healing the Heart of Democracy, first published over a decade ago. In the closing episode of this series, I sat down with Parker to discuss what this question calls us into in this political moment.

In this conversation, Parker and I discuss:

  • The importance of community building and how getting to know each other as human beings reduces fear and makes politics less toxic.
  • How being aware of our own inner dynamics can help us make a positive difference in our communities and country.
  • Why change has to come from “we the people,” not politicians in Washington.
  • The competing impulses of individualism and community and the contradictions that have shaped our past and continue to shape our present.
  • The role of heartbreak in animating political change.
  • Five habits of the heart that are needed to heal our democracy.
  • Pre-political spaces: what they are and how we use them to develop our capacity to engage politically in healthier ways.
  • How democracy puts faith in everyday people and enriches us as individuals.
  • How oppression harms the collective and the work we all need to do to address it.
  • The intergenerational project that is democracy and how the call for a “more perfect union” is an aspiration that both acknowledges our imperfections and calls us to work toward our ideals.
  • Why we should not give up on our country or our fellow citizens.

    • Spiritual Resources from Parker include:

    • The five habits of the heart, which can be found on our Spiritual Practices for Political Engagement Page
    • Healing the Heart of Democracy book (Affiliate Link)
    • The Healing the Heart of Democracy Hub which includes discussion guides, videos, and workbooks.

      • Connect with Parker through the Center for Courage and Renewal, on facebook @parkerjpalmer, and through the Growing Edge Podcast and Substack Newsletter.

      Connect with me at [email protected] or on instagram @katie.m.cochran.

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      This ElectionBy Katie Cochran