An inspiring and enlightening introduction to Quakerism, the second
title in the Yale University Press "The Spirit of . . ."series
Who are the Quakers, what do they believe, and what do they practice?
The Religious Society of Friends--also known as Quakers---believes that
everyone can have a direct experience of God. Quakers 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, himself a Friend, explains Quakerism through quotations from
writings that cover 350 years, from the beginnings of the movement to
the present day.
Peace and equality are major themes in the book, but readers will also
find thought-provoking passages on the importance of action for social
change, the primacy of truth, the value of simplicity, the need for a
sense of community, and much more. The quoted texts convey a powerful
religious impulse, courage in the face of persecution, the warmth of
human relationships, and dedicated perseverance in promoting just
causes.
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 Friends.
Together with Geoffrey Durham's enlightening and sympathetic
introductions to the texts, the extracts from these writers form an
engaging, often moving guide to this accessible and open-hearted
religious faith.
