Spirit of the Quakers
Who are the Quakers, what do they believe, and what do they practise? At the heart of their faith lies the conviction that everyone can have a direct experience of God without the mediation of priests or religious leaders. They express this in a unique form of worship that inspires them to work for change in themselves and in the world. In "The Spirit of the Quakers" Geoffrey Durham introduces Quakerism through quotations from writings that cover 350 years, from the beginnings of the movement to the present day. This anthology shares the religious experience of Quakers both in their worship and in the world. Peacemaking, simplicity, truth, and equality are major spiritual themes, but readers will also find rich and varied writing on the Quakers' wide diversity of belief, their collective values, their insistence on taking action for social change and their understanding that we can "answer that of God in everyone". The extended quotations have been carefully selected from well-known Quakers such as George Fox, William Penn, John Greenleaf Whittier, Elizabeth Fry and John Woolman, as well as many contemporary authors. Together with Geoffrey Durham's enlightening and sympathetic introductions to the texts, the writers gathered here provide an engaging, often moving guide to this accessible and open-hearted religious faith.
About the Author
Geoffrey Durham became a member of the Religious Society of Friends in 1999. As a founding member of Quaker Quest, a pioneering outreach project, he contributed to the successful "Twelve Quakers and. . ". series of books and is a regular speaker at Quaker events. He has worked professionally in the performing arts for over forty years.
Reviews
"Geoffrey Durham has selected and introduced this anthology with great skills and insight... This anthology is an excellent introduction to Quaker practice" – Eva Tucker, The Tablet
"I recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about Quakers and the Quaker way. It provides an introduction for the general reader, and a gentle 'next step' for those wishing to know more but it is not without challenges for committed Quakers. All those years ago I would have been grateful for it" – Hilary Browne, Thinking Faith
"Durham describes this book as 'an anthology, a selection, a pot-pourri'. That should not mislead the reader into thinking it is without structure. The interweaving of the practical and the poetic is skilfully done; it is gentle, honest, and, above all, wholly faithful to the spirit, both historic and contemporary, of a people who have never sought to proselytise" – Jill Seggers, Church Times
"A valuable publication... 'The Spirit of the Quakers' is a useful resource for those wanting to bypass more academic studies of the Quaker tradition and plunge straight into reading first hand experiences of Quakers themselves... Durham's book is undoubtedly a good place to meet friends" – Joshua A. Kaiser, The Expository Times
