Michael Lawrence Birkel

In this lovely rich pamphlet, Birkel explains and quotes how early Quakers used the images of this unique book of the Bible, the Song of Songs, to express their message of the presence of the inward Christ, the sweetness and potency of the interior spiritual life, and the transforming love of God and tenderness for all people that these bring. The images of the Song of Songs, he declares, become a vocabulary for our amazed awareness of spiritual radiance and our yearning for it. In fact, he show more maintains, the Song of Songs beckons us into that yearning and the silent wonders beyond, toward the vast inner world of loving spiritual intimacy. show less

What does Quaker Bible reading look like? If you are a Quaker you are either ambivalent about the Bible, or against it, it seems.

Birkel does a good job of reclaiming the Bible for Quaker practice. He does not defend the texts, so you won't find any reasons why you should believe in a six day creation, or angels, or the Last Days. Instead he takes us through a process of usinig the Bible as a query, instead of as a hammer.

First he reminds us how steeped in scripture the early Quakers were. show more Then he introduces us to the Lectio Divina, an ancient way of reading that engages not just the head, but the whole soul.

I heartily recommend this for someone interested in Spiritual growth, but who has found the Bible less than helpful in that process. show less

I really can't say enough great things about Qur'an in Conversation. Birkel has very attentively and compassionately compiled a set of interviews with Islamic scholars and leaders from all over North America, each revealing and expounding on her or his favorite passage from the Qur'an. It is a sensitive and insightful book for anyone genuinely interested in learning more about our Muslim friends and neighbors in North America. Highly recommended.

The letters of Margaret Fell are a “treasure trove” of wise and loving counsel for those on the spiritual journey. In a careful exploration of passages from some of these letters, modern readers can find gems of wisdom embedded in the rich language of early Friends, the unique use of Biblical imagery, and the meditative practice of “reading within.” Margaret Fell’s guidance is rich in good advice for the spiritual seeker and for those called to nurture others in their spiritual lives.