Publication

A Study of Spirituality in the United States

An essay on nature's seasons, both as a physical reality and as a metaphor for our lives. Written by our friend Parker Palmer in celebration of the Fetzer Institute's retreat center, Seasons.

With much of our lives taking place online, the Fetzer Institute is exploring ways to foster meaningful connection and deep inner work in virtual and hybrid spaces. Our inquiry is driven by an interest in the field of virtual spirituality—how do we and others create a sense of energy, connection, and spirit to do soul-level work amid our many screens and devices? While we continue to explore and nurture what is emerging, we offer this guide for facilitators and conveners of online gatherings.

Sharing Spiritual Heritage is a report based on several years of research and conversations that are breathing life into the question: How will we hold onto the rich teachings of our historic faith and wisdom traditions while applying them creatively in today’s time?

If you are a spiritual leader/innovator who feels a little on the fringe; if you are studying theology and the changing religious landscape; if you are seeking spiritual nourishment in new and life-giving ways, this report may be for you.

Late in his career, acclaimed physicist David Bohm (1917–1992), was a scholar in residence at the Fetzer Institute. A student of Robert Oppenheimer and a colleague of Albert Einstein, Bohm proposed that all parts of the universe are fundamentally interconnected, forming what he called “an unbroken flowing whole.” This paper, delivered as a public lecture on October 23, 1990, addresses what Bohm considers the essential relationship between science and spirituality, wholeness, culture, and the role of dialogue.

by Parker Palmer

With his usual penetrating insight, Parker Palmer speaks to the conflicts and contradictions of twenty-first-century life that are breaking the American heart and threatening to compromise our democratic values.

Secular communities increasingly fulfill religious functions and new religious communities barely resemble their institutional forebears. Meanwhile, 3,500 churches close each year. To organized religions in crisis, this report issues a challenge: how might they transform to meet a rising generation?

In the winter of 2004, during several conversations with Mark Nepo, the legendary and late historian Howard Zinn explored the nature of being an American today. This essay gathers those musings on moral progress and the myths of freedom into a meditation on America called "The Common Cradle of Concern," which was put together and edited by both Zinn and Nepo.

In this essay William F. Winter, the 58^th governor of Mississippi, reflects on the progress we have made in addressing racial conflicts. He reminds us that “as we seek to embrace our common humanity, we must also face the reality that there are forces in this increasingly complex world that threaten to continue to divide us.” Read this essay and learn Winter's perspective on how we pass on to the next generation a better country than the one we inherited.

W. Douglas Tanner, Jr., the founder of the Faith and Politics Institute traces his own journey; from growing up in the South to his own formation as a spiritual leader to his commitment to supporting the inner life of those called to govern our country.