A Hidden Wholeness

A wise, heartfelt, and compelling guide to our quest for wholeness in a broken world

A Hidden Wholeness—now in its 20th Anniversary Edition, with a new Introduction by bestselling author Parker J. Palmer—has helped people in every walk of life rise to the challenge of living “divided no more.” What leads us to live divided lives that defy our own sense of identity and integrity? When we do, what price do we and the world pay? How can we recover the wholeness that is our birthright gift? Palmer examines the forces that deflect us from the soul's true north and gives us the tools we need to regain our bearings.

Mapping an inner journey to be taken in solitude and community, Palmer explores perspectives and practices that can help us embody integrity in a world where it often feels risky to be who we are. As we learn how to be present to others in spaces where it's safe for the soul to speak (aka “circles of trust”), we find ways to rejoin soul and role in our personal, vocational, and public lives.

Inspired by A Hidden Wholeness—and by the work of the Center for Courage & Renewal, a nonprofit Palmer founded in the late 1990s—tens of thousands of people have participated in circles of trust to deepen their sense of “true self” and contribute to the common good in the places where they live and work. To support readers in developing these practices, the book comes with an online “Study Guide for Readers and Group Leaders,” including author videos, available free at the Center's website.

In the midst of our broken world, the principles and practices in this book can ground us in the “hidden wholeness,” giving us a place to stand as we seek to live with deeper integrity at every level of our lives.