Friends for 350 years
by
3.50 · Rating details · 8 ratings · 2 reviews
This is an old book in scholarly terms, as it was published more than sixty years ago. I read Margaret Bacon's revised version from 2002. She noted the dated racial and gender language in Brinton's text and Brinton's Cold War-era thoughts about religion versus authoritarianism. As Bacon explains in her postlude, Brinton's argument suffers from imprecision and factual inaccuracies. Brinton omits major incidents in Quaker history, preferring to discuss a singular Quaker mentality in often ahistorical terms. I found this approach flawed, too, albeit typical of some religious histories from the first half of the 1950s (Perry Miller's "The New England Mind, Vol. 1" is the most famous book that claims a religious group, the Puritans, spoke in a unified voice).
So, what does Brinton get right? His thesis — Quakerism is a religion founded on group mysticism — is sound. There is a good amount of history in the book, even if Brinton's chronology and methods are flawed.
So, what does Brinton get right? His thesis — Quakerism is a religion founded on group mysticism — is sound. There is a good amount of history in the book, even if Brinton's chronology and methods are flawed.
He shows real knowledge of the Quaker literary canon, particular the works of eighteenth-century mystic and abolitionist John Woolman. Brinton's analysis of Woolman's anxieties, desire to reduce oppression, and commitment to pacifism are useful as I research my own essay on Woolman and his brother Abner.
Additionally, while Brinton is sometimes fuzzy about historical specifics, the book does show how a white, middle-aged, Cold War Quaker interpreted history to fit his religious beliefs. [?]
Approach this book as a primary source — one man's testimony — rather than a proper secondary source. (less)
Quaker writers are a prolific bunch, but Howard Brinton's Friends for 300 Years (and the updated Friends for 350 Years) stands out from the crowd thanks to its deep but concise overview of Quakerism.
In 266 pages, Brinton shows us three centuries of Quaker history, the spiritual nature and evolution of Quakerism, and the procedural side of sustaining an organized body of people who have existed without rule by hierarchy for over 350 years.
Along the way, we can see Quakerism compared to Protestantism and Catholicism, the play of Greek and Hebrew influences on religion, Quaker life in different periods of Quaker history, and Quakers in the world.
One of the main benefits of this book is that the wealth of information is presented in under 300 pages. It’s accessible to those who are unfamiliar with Quakerism and still offers something more for those who are more familiar.
I found the line notes and historical update provided by Margaret Hope Bacon useful, but Brinton’s original writing holds its own.
This is now among my top favorite books on Quakerism.
For anyone wanting to dive deeper, I also recommend:
• Essays on the Quaker Vision of Gospel Order by Lloyd Lee Wilson for more on the spiritual and religious nature of Quakerism.
• Beyond Majority Rule: Voteless Decisions in the Religious Society of Friends by Michael J. Sheeran for more on the procedural nature of Quakerism (i.e., how a body without hierarchic rule operates without falling into anarchy).
• The Journal Of John Woolman by John Woolman – for a moving first person account of an early American Quaker thinker and abolitionist. (less)
In 266 pages, Brinton shows us three centuries of Quaker history, the spiritual nature and evolution of Quakerism, and the procedural side of sustaining an organized body of people who have existed without rule by hierarchy for over 350 years.
Along the way, we can see Quakerism compared to Protestantism and Catholicism, the play of Greek and Hebrew influences on religion, Quaker life in different periods of Quaker history, and Quakers in the world.
One of the main benefits of this book is that the wealth of information is presented in under 300 pages. It’s accessible to those who are unfamiliar with Quakerism and still offers something more for those who are more familiar.
I found the line notes and historical update provided by Margaret Hope Bacon useful, but Brinton’s original writing holds its own.
This is now among my top favorite books on Quakerism.
For anyone wanting to dive deeper, I also recommend:
• Essays on the Quaker Vision of Gospel Order by Lloyd Lee Wilson for more on the spiritual and religious nature of Quakerism.
• Beyond Majority Rule: Voteless Decisions in the Religious Society of Friends by Michael J. Sheeran for more on the procedural nature of Quakerism (i.e., how a body without hierarchic rule operates without falling into anarchy).
• The Journal Of John Woolman by John Woolman – for a moving first person account of an early American Quaker thinker and abolitionist. (less)
