Thomas D. Hamm

The book is what it claims to be: an anthology of Quaker writings from 1650-1920, but it didn’t quite provide what I was looking for. To use the GR rating system, it was just "okay."

I have a secular and intellectual interest in the Religious Society of Friends (aka the Quakers) because of what I know about more modern forms of the faith that somehow combine tolerance, peace, and a deep commitment to humanistic principles with a respect for science, critical thinking, and inquiry. There is show more something about the state of the world today that has me thinking a lot about tolerance, respect for persons, and the pursuit of truth and understanding. Those concerns are deep within the selections of this anthology but not brought to the surface as much as I would like.

If I were to focus my complaint on something in particular, it would be the overall absence of editorial presence to help to pull some of these selections together. There is the obligatory introduction that provides some orientation to the events recorded in these excerpts. The headings used to organize the excerpts also provide some orientation. Otherwise there is not much editorial comment within the sections or between the sections. There isn’t even an index. The result reading experience for me was of a collection of writings that had some similar thematic content but with many idiosyncratic applications and contexts. The selections appear to have been chosen to highlight the movement’s historical evolution over its theological and intellectual principles. An overarching theology struggled to come to light, but perhaps this is due to the unusual individual orientation of the Quaker faith. For a group that believes that the Inward Light exists in each individual, it is probably not surprising to find so much splintering and divergence over the decades, but the core that remains was not always visible. show less

Best one-stop study of Quakers I've seen so far. Balanced presentation of a fractious history. Comfortable and accessible writing.

Covering nearly three centuries of religious development, this comprehensive anthology brings together writings from prominent members of the Quakers that illustrate the development of Quakerism, show the nature of Quaker spiritual life, discuss Quaker contributions to European and American civilization, and introduce the diverse community of Friends, some of whom are little remembered even among Quakers today. It gives a balanced overview of Quaker history, spanning the globe from its show more origins to missionary work, and explores daily life, beliefs, perspectives, movements within the community, and activism throughout the world. show less

If it is written by Hamm, it is worth reading. I read it before I began reviewing all the books I read....in other words, I was still in school and had no time! This book is good to read cover-to-cover and is also useful as a resource reference book.