Healing the Heart of Democracy

How “We the People” can reclaim our democracy—updated with a discussion guide, author videos, and a new chapter-length Introduction In this updated edition of his prophetic book, renowned author and activist Parker J. Palmer celebrates the power of “We the People” to resist the politics of divide and conquer. With the U.S. now on a global list of “backsliding democracies,” Palmer writes about what we can do to restore civil discourse, reach for understanding across lines of difference, focus on our shared values, and hold elected officials accountable. He explores ways we can reweave the communal fabric on which democracy depends in everyday settings such as families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations, workplaces, and various public spaces—including five “habits of the heart” we can cultivate as we work to fulfill America's promise of human equality. In the same honest, vulnerable, compelling and inspiring prose that has won Palmer millions of readers, Healing the Heart of Democracy awakens our instinct to seek the common good and gives us the tools to pursue it. With a text enhanced by a Discussion Guide and forty online author videos on key issues, you'll be able to… Reflect on the personal implications of the claim that “the human heart is the first home of democracy” Consider everyday actions you can take to restore the infrastructure that supports our democracy Transcend the “us vs. them” mentality and find ways to expand and enrich your life by appreciating the value of “otherness” Reignite your sense of personal voice and agency to resist authoritarian appeals and restore a politics of freedom and responsibility Healing the Heart of Democracy is for anyone who values the gift of citizenship and wants to make a difference for themselves, their families and communities, and our collective wellbeing. As the late Congressman John Lewis said, “We have been trying to bridge the great divides in this great country for a long time. In this book, Parker J. Palmer urges us to ‘keep on walking, keep on talking’—just as we did in the civil rights movement—until we cross those bridges together.”

Introduction to the 2024 Edition xv Prelude The Politics of the Brokenhearted 1 Chapter I Democracy’s Ecosystem 11 Chapter II Confessions of An Accidental Citizen 29 Chapter III the Heart of Politics 49 Chapter IV the Loom of Democracy 69 Chapter V Life in the Company of Strangers 89 Chapter VI Classrooms and Congregations 119 Chapter VII Safe Space for Deep Democracy 151 Chapter VIII the Unwritten History of the Heart 175 Gratitudes 195 Notes 199 The author 219 Index 221