Books,
pamphlets and periodicals included in this list of suggested
readings are, in the main, by or about Quakers and the Religious
Society of Friends. To prepare a more extensive reading list is
beyond the call of the Faith and Practice Revision Committee of
Pacific Yearly Meeting.
Sources
for these and other materials which serve to undergird the life of
the Society may be found by consultation with
the staff of the bookstore of the Pacific Southwest Regional Office
of the American Friends Service Committee, 980 N. Fair Oaks Ave.,
Pasadena CA 91103, or the bookstore of Friends General Conference,
1216 Arch St. 2B, Philadelphia PA 19107, < bookstore@
fgcquaker.org >, which publishes an annual catalog, A Resource
Guide for Quaker Materials.
general interpretation
Faith
and Practice of the Quakers,
by Rufus M. Jones. Friends United Press, 1980.
The
Quaker method of worship and business helps to develop
an attitude toward life, peacemaking
and service to others.
Friends
for 300 Years,
by Howard H. Brinton, Pendle Hill, 1964.
Classic statement of the history
and beliefs of the Society of
Friends.
“
Introduction” from Quaker
Spirituality,
by Douglas Steere.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting,
1988.
Useful for serious
inquirers. (From Steere’s
volume listed in Quaker
Classics section of this
bibliography.)
Quaker
by Convincement,
by Geoffrey Hubbard. Quaker
Home Service, rev. ed. 1985.
An especially readable account
of fundamental Quaker beliefs
and activities in the world.
The
Quaker Reader,
edited by
Jessamyn N.West. Pendle Hill,
1992.
Anthology of Quaker
writings from 1650 to 1960.
What
is Quakerism?
by George T. Peck. Pendle Hill Pamphlet
no. 277, 1988.
A primer of
Quakerism.
quaker
classics: early writings
Barclay’s
Apology in Modern
English,
edited by Dean
Freiday. Barclay Press, 1967.
Systematic statement of
Quaker faith by the first
Quaker theologian.
The
Inward Journey of Isaac Penington: A Selection of
Penington’s Works,
by Robert J.
Leach. Pendle Hill Pamphlet
no. 29, 1944.
Journal
and Major Essays of John Woolman,
edited by Phillips
Moulton. Friends United
Press, 1989.
Definitive edition
of the abolitionist and
prophet.
The
Journal of George Fox,
edited by John L. Nickalls. Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting, 1985.
Fox’s
own account of his development
and the rise of the
Religious Society of Friends.
The
Light Within and Selected Writings of Isaac Penington,
Tract Association of Friends,
1984.
Abridged from four
volumes of this early Quaker
writer’s works.
No
Cross No Crown, by William Penn,
edited for the modern
reader by Ronald Selleck.
Friends United Press, 1979.
Penn’s writing on daily living.
No
More But My Love: Letters of George Fox, 1624-1691,
edited
by Cecil W. Sharman. Quaker
Home Service, 1980.
137 of
George Fox’s letters, conveying
the range of his teachings and
experience, with a valuable
introduction.
Quaker
Classics in Brief: William Penn, Robert Barclay, and
Isaac Penington,
edited by
H. Brinton, E. P. Mather and
R. Leach. Pendle Hill, 1978.
Penn on practice, Barclay on
belief, and Penington on the
inward experience.
Quaker
Spirituality:Selected
Writings,
edited and
introduced by Douglas V.
Steere. Paulist Press, 1984.
From the writings
of George Fox, Isaac Penington,
John Woolman, Caroline
Stephen, Rufus Jones, and
Thomas Kelly.
history and biography
The
Beginnings of Quakerism to 1660,
by William Braithwaite,
2nd edition revised by Henry
Cadbury. Sessions, 1981.
Standard history of the early
days of the Quaker movement,
based largely on the writings
of the first Friends.
Daughters
of Light: Quaker Women Preaching and
Prophesying in the Colonies
and Abroad 1700-1775,
by
Rebecca Larson. Knopf, 1999.
Early history of women as
ministers among Friends and
their work in the world.
First
Among Friends: George Fox and the Creation of Quakerism,
by H. Larry Ingle. Oxford,
1994.
Grounded in primary
sources, reveals hitherto
unknown sides of George Fox
and his times.
Friend
of Life: a Biography of Rufus M. Jones,
by Elizabeth
Gray Vining. Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting, 1981
.
On early
20th century Quaker history.
George
Fox and the Quakers,
by Cecil W. Sharman. Quaker
Home Service, 1991.
Very
readable.
History
of Quakerism,
by Elbert Russell. Friends United Press,
1980.
Especially good on the
19th Century in the United
States.
Mothers
of Feminism: The Story of Quaker Women in America,
by Margaret Hope Bacon.
Harper, 1986. (reprint
Friends General Conference,
1995)
Portrait
in Grey,
by John Punshon. Quaker Home
Service, 1984.
Excellent, brief
history. Interesting account of
the Quaker reaction to the
intellectual climate of the
various periods of history.
A
Procession of Friends: Quakers in America,
by Daisy Newman.
Doubleday, 1972. (reprint
Friends United Press, 1992)
Biography as history.
Quaker
Universalist Reader,
edited by Sally Rickerman.
Quaker Universalist Fellowship,
1986.
Articles from a
variety of sources on Quaker
Universalism.
The
Quakers,
by Hugh Barbour and J.William Frost. Friends
United Press, 1994.
Probably
the most comprehensive and
complete major history of the
Religious Society of Friends
yet published.
Quakers
in California,
by David Le Shana. Barclay, 1969.
Includes the forerunners, founding and early history of
Pacific Yearly Meeting.
Quakers
in Conflict: the Hicksite Reformation,
by H. Larry
Ingle. University of Tennessee,
1986. (reprint Pendle Hill,
1998)
Valuable as history of
this period.
Quakers
on the American Frontier,
by Erroll Elliott. Friends
United Press, 1969.
A history
of the Westward migrations of
Friends and the development
of settlements of Friends.
The
Quiet Rebels: the Story of the Quakers in America,
by
Margaret Hope Bacon.
Revised edition, Pendle Hill,
1999.
A picture of the
commitment to public service
of the American Quaker
movement.
The
Second Period of Quakerism,
by William Braithwaite. 2nd
edition, revised by Henry J.
Cadbury. Sessions, 1981.
Sequel
to The Beginnings of
Quakerism, covers the years
1660-1725.
The
Transformation of American Quakerism,
by Thomas D.
Hamm. Indiana University,
1992.
A
study of Orthodox Friends, 1800-1907.
Valiant
Friend, Lucretia Mott,
by Margaret Hope Bacon.Walker,
1980.
Definitive biography of
the 19th Century Quaker
minister, teacher, and
abolitionist.
additional
titles on quaker faith
Alternative
Christianity,
by John Punshon. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 245, 1982.
The nature of
the Quaker tradition, how a religion that
arises from immediate and
present experience gives form
and structure to that
experience.
The
Apocalypse of the Word,
by Douglas Gwyn. Friends
United Press, 1986.
Fox
believed that the apocalypse
had already occurred in
his time.
The
Burning One-ness Binding Everything: A Spiritual
Journey,
by Bruce Birchard.
Pendle Hill Pamphlet no. 332,
1997.
An autobiographical
account of a modern Quaker
activist.
Catholic
Quakerism,
by Lewis Benson. Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting, 1966.
A plea for the
recovery and renewal of the
vision of George Fox and the
early Friends.
Ethical
Mysticism in the Society of Friends,
by Howard H.
Brinton. Pendle Hill Pamphlet
no. 156, 1967.
Describes a
process of withdrawing from
the world and returning to it.
Faith & Practice,
Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting, 1997.
See
note on Quaker Faith and
Practice below.
A
Living Faith: An Historical Study of Quaker Beliefs,
by
Wilmer A. Cooper. Friends
United Press, 1990.
A
systematic study of Quakerism,
noting the many areas of
diversity; helps the understanding
of Friends heritage
and theological roots.
The
Peace of Europe, The Fruits of Solitude and Other Writings,
by William Penn, edited by
Edwin B. Bronner. Penguin,
1994.
A collection of essays
reflecting the passion and
vision of Penn.
Quaker
Faith & Practice,
Britain Yearly Meeting, 1995.
A valuable insight into the
wider world and spiritual
insights of Friends.
Quaker
Journals,
by Howard H. Brinton. Pendle Hill, 1972.
Describes the state of spiritual
progress that individual
journalists recorded.
Quaker
Strongholds,
by Caroline Stephen, passages selected by
Mary Gould Ogilvie. Pendle
Hill Pamphlet no. 59.
An
abridgement which selects
Caroline Stephen’s explanation
of the tenets which she
considered the cornerstone
and foundation of Quakerism.
To
Lima With Love,
London Yearly Meeting, Quaker Home
Service, 1987.
Response to the
World Council of Churches
document Baptism,
Eucharist and Ministry.
A clear statement of the
Quaker response to aspects
of traditional Christianity.
meeting for worship
The
Amazing Fact of Quaker Worship,
by George H.
Gorman. Quaker Home
Service, 1986.
Profound and
comprehensive look at silent
Quaker worship.
Encounter
with Silence: Reflections from the Quaker Tradition,
by
John Punshon. Friends United
Press, 1987.
About Friends
worship; guidance for the
puzzled first-time visitor and
the seasoned Friend.
Four
Doors to Meeting for Worship,
by William Taber.
Pendle Hill Pamphlet no. 306.
Four stages in the preparation
for worship.
A
Joint and Visible Fellowship,
by Beatrice Saxon Snell. Pendle
Hill Pamphlet no. 140, 1965.
Deals with Friends Meeting
for Worship and the significance
of preparation for it.
On
Speaking Out of the Silence; Vocal Ministry in the
Unprogrammed Meeting,
by
Douglas V. Steere. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 182, 1972.
The
nature of the meeting for
worship.
The
Wounded Meeting: Dealing with Difficult Behavior in
Meeting for Worship.
Friends
General Conference, 1993.
Explores options for loving
solutions to problems and the
need to take action.
quaker
process and decision making
Beyond
Consensus: Salvaging the Sense of the Meeting,
by Barry
Morley. Pendle Hill Pamphlet
no. 307, 1993.
Discusses the
components in reaching the
sense of the meeting.
Beyond
Majority Rule: Voteless Decision Making in the
Religious Society of Friends,
by Michael J. Sheeran.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting,
1983.
Detailed description
of Quaker process by a Jesuit
priest.
Fostering
Vital Friends Meetings, Part I: A Handbook for
Working With Quaker
Meetings,
by Jan Greene and
Marty Walton, Friends
General Conference, 1999.
Valuable for finding materials
to help a meeting with growth
and/or problems.
Fostering
Vital Friends Meetings. Part II: Resources for Working
with Quaker Meetings,
by Jan
Greene and Marty Walton.
Friends General Conference,
1999.
A supplement containing
resources mentioned in
Part 1, above. Excellent reading
lists.
Friendly
Audits,
by Betsy Muench. Friends General Conference,
1990.
An aid for meeting
treasurers and those reviewing
accounts.
Guide
to Quaker Practice,
by Howard H. Brinton. Pendle
Hill Pamphlet no. 20, 1955.
Broadens the understanding
of the practice which at first
sight seems based only on
custom.
Mind
the Oneness: the Foundation of Good Quaker Business
Method,
by Robert Halliday.
Quaker Home Service, 1991.
Points out the importance of
community to the proper
functioning of meeting for
worship for business.
Survival
Sourcebook,
by the Outreach Committee of North
Pacific Yearly Meeting. North
Pacific Yearly Meeting, 1990.
Advice and suggestions for
setting up and for continuing
worship groups or small
meetings.
When
Friends Attend to Business,
by Thomas S. Brown.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting,
1975.
One of a series of tracts
available from Friends General
Conference of value for
meetings for distribution to
members and attenders.
spirituality
and personal devotion
A
Certain Kind of Perfection,
by Margery Post Abbott.
Pendle Hill, 1997.
An
anthology of Quaker writers
from George Fox to the late
Twentieth Century.
The
Eternal Promise,
by Thomas Kelly. Friends United Press,
1991.
Includes “The Gathered
Meeting” and “Hasten unto
God.”
Friends,
Let Us Pray,
by Elsie H. Landstrom. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 174, 1970.
About meditation and prayer.
Listening
Spirituality, Vol. I:Personal
Spiritual Practices Among Friends,
by Patricia
Loring. Openings Press,
1997.
Contemporary Friend’s
writing on spiritual formation.
A
Testament of Devotion,
by Thomas Kelly. New edition.
Harper 1996.
Devotional
readings with a biographical
memoir by Douglas Steere.
There
Is A Spirit: The Nayler Sonnets,
by Kenneth Boulding.
Fellowship, 1945 (reprint
Pendle Hill, 1992).
Poetic
meditations on the life
and words of James Nayler,
early Friend.
The
World in Tune,
by Elizabeth Gray Vining. Harper, 1954
(reprint Pendle Hill 1994).
Meditations.
quaker witness
For
More Than Bread,
by Clarence E. Pickett. Little,
Brown, 1953.
Love
is the Hardest Lesson: A Memoir,
by Margaret
Hope-Bacon, Pendle Hill,
2000.
Memoir of her
experience working in a
psychiatric institution.
Uphill
for Peace,
by E. Raymond Wilson. Friends United Press,
1975.
A history of the Friends
Committee on National
Legislation, as well as the life
of the author.
Welcome
to the World,
by Stephen H. Thiermann. AFSC, 1968.
A
Western Quaker Reader: Writings by and about
Independent Quakers in the
Western United States, 1929-
1999,
edited by Anthony
Manousos. Friends Bulletin,
1999.
Consists mainly of
articles written for Friends
Bulletin since its inception.
Witness
for Humanity: Biography of Clarence Pickett,
by Larry
McK.Miller. Pendle Hill, 1999.
Includes much history of the
American Friends Service
Committee.
Witness
in Washington: An Account of the First 50 Years
of FCNL,
edited by Tom
Mullen. Friends United
Press, 1994.
stages of life
Childhood
and Youth Answering That of God in Our
Children,
by Harriet Heath.
Pendle Hill Pamphlet no. 315,
1990.
Clues to the budding
spirituality of children.
Children
and Solitude,
by Elise Boulding. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 125, 1962.
Children do need time
for developing a sense of
the Spirit.
Who
Do We Think We Are? Young Friends Commitment
and Belonging.
Swarthmore
Lecture Quaker Home Service.
Presentation at Britain Yearly
Meeting by Young Friends
General Meeting. Non-linear
organization of the material
is helpful.
adult
life
Addressing
Sexual Abuse in Friends Meetings.
New
England Yearly Meeting, 1994.
Living
with Oneself and Others,
New England Yearly Meeting.
Available from AFSC
Bookstore, 980 N. Fair Oaks,
Pasadena, CA 91103
Marriage:
A Spiritual Leading for Lesbian, Gay and Straight
Couples,
by Leslie Hill.
Pendle Hill Pamphlet
no. 308, 1995.
A report of
one meeting’s experience.
One
Small Plot of Heaven: Reflections on Family Life
by
a Quaker Sociologist, by Elise
Boulding. Pendle Hill, 1989.
Twelve essays.
This
We Can Say: Talking Honestly About Sex.
Friends
Press, U.K., 1995. Revision of
the 1963 book,
Towards a
Quaker View of Sex.
aging
On
Hallowing Our Diminishments,
by John
Yungblut. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 292, 1990.
The
diminishments are not limited
to aging, but may include
birth defects, etc., as well.
Without
Nightfall on the Spirit,
by Mary Morrison. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 311, 1994.
Reflections on many aspects
of aging.
Death
and Dying Dear Gift of Life: A Man’s
Encounter with Death,
by
Bradford Smith. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 142, 1965.
Journal and poetry of one
Friend as he was dying of
cancer.
Facing
Death,
by Diana Lampen. Quaker Home Service, 1979.
Touches on death and
bereavement, and the need
for truthtelling.
For
That Solitary Individual: An Octogenarian’s Counsel on
Living and Dying,
by John
Yungblut. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 316.
The essence
of the message is to become
a contemplative in the later
years.
Planning
Ahead: Meeting Our Responsibilities when Death
Occurs,
1994.
Useful
information for executors,
family, friends and Meetings.
Obtainable from Strawberry
Creek Friends Meeting, P.O.
Box 5065, Berkeley, CA 94705
A
Song of Death, Our Spiritual Birth: A Quaker Way of Dying,
by Lucy S.McIver. Pendle Hill
Pamphlet no. 340, 1998.
A look
at death as a spiritual birth,
completion of a cycle.
stewardship and
environmental
concerns
Caring
for Creation: Reflections on the Biblical Basis of Earthcare,
by Lisa Lofland Gould. Friends
Committee on Unity with
Nature, 1999.
Spiritual roots of
relationship between humans
and the rest of creation.
Ecology
of Hope: Communities Collaborate for Sustainability,
by Ted Bernard and Jora
Young. New Society, 1996.
Inspiring stories of successful
collaborations.
God’s
Spirit in Nature,
by Judith
Brown. Pendle Hill Pamphlet
no. 336.
Meditations on being
present in God’s world.
Healing
Ourselves and the Earth,
by Elizabeth Watson. Friends
Committee on Unity with
Nature, 1991.
An early
statement expressing this
concern.
periodicals
and magazines
BeFriending
Creation: News of Friends Committee on Unity
with Nature of North America.
179 N. Prospect St.,
Burlington, VT 05401-1607
EarthLight:
The Magazine of
Spiritual Ecology.
Unity with
Nature Committee of Pacific
Yearly Meeting, Religious
Society of Friends, 111
Fairmount Ave., Oakland, CA
94611. Originated by Pacific
Yearly Meeting, Unity with
Nature Committee.
FLGBTQC
Newsletter.
Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns,
c/o
Joe Franko
7649 Airlie Drive
Tujunga, Ca 91042 or < www.quaker.org/flgbtqc/ >
The
Friend: An Independent Quaker Journal (weekly).
The Friend and Friends
Quarterly Subscription Dept.
P.O. Box 21366, London WC1B
SLH. Valuable resource for
information on Quaker
service outside the U.S.
Friendly
Woman: A Journal for Exchange of Ideas, Feelings,
Hopes and Experiences by and
among Quaker Women,
1106
Caldwell Lane, Nashville, TN
37204. (Editorial committee
changes every few years.)
Friends
Bulletin: Building the Western Quaker Community,
3223 Danaha St, Torrance, CA 90505. Organ of the
three independent Yearly
Meetings in the West.
Friends
Journal: Quaker Thought and Life Today.
1216 Arch St.,
2-A, Philadelphia PA 19107.
Pastoral
Care Newsletter.
1515 Cherry Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19102.
Published by the Family
Relations Committee of
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Quaker
Life.
101 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond, IN 47374.
Friends United Meeting
publication.
What
Canst Thou Say? Friends, Mystical Experience and
Contemplative Practice.
A worship-sharing group
in print. c/o Amy Perry,
6180 N. Ralston, Indianapolis,
IN 46220.