Things Get Rearranged: How E. Dudley Parsons and His Passion for Justice Sent Me from Minnesota to Moscow

As a child, Janet Parsons Mackey witnessed her grandfather’s passion for progressive politics, civil rights, and the Russian Revolution. Lively debates on justice and politics were commonplace.

Then came the Red Scare and the oppressive paranoia of the McCarthy era. Silence replaced conversation and discussion for many in her family, distancing them from a grandfather who continued to express his views through meetings, speeches, and newspaper columns. E. Dudley Parsons was never complacent—and never silenced.

Things Get Rearranged represents author Parsons Mackey’s attempt to understand her grandfather, his values, and his passion for justice. Personal recollections mix with the man’s own writing to form a rich tapestry of his remarkable life.

Through her grandfather, Parsons Mackey first became aware of equal rights for people of color, the need for fair wages, free speech, and open debate. She sees his influence not only in her life but also in those of his great-grandchildren, who retain his interest in politics and Russia.

Join Parsons Mackey as she traces the complex transmission of ideas, values, and traditions through a multigenerational family, restoring her grandfather to his rightful place as a powerful influence on future generations.

Janet Parsons Mackey is a retired pastor who specialized in serving churches in transition in Massachusetts.

Parsons Mackey grew up in Minnesota, where she attended the University of Minnesota. After earning her degree, she went on to graduate from Yale Divinity School and Andover-Newton Theological School.

Parsons Mackey contributed to Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry, published by the Alban Institute. After retiring, she moved to northern Virginia to live near her younger son and his family. She continues to work with church families. Her two sons, daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren inspired her interest in how families transmit traditions and values.