An illuminating collection of work by members of the Religious Society of Friends.
Covering nearly three centuries of religious development, this comprehensive anthology brings together writings from prominent Friends 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 origins to missionary work, and explores daily life, beliefs, perspectives, movements within the community, and activism throughout the world. It is an exceptional contribution to contemporary understanding of religious thought.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators.
Product details
Publisher : Penguin; 1st edition (25 January 2011)
Language : English
Paperback : 400 pages
Best Sellers Rank: 418,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
92 in Quaker Christianity (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
Product description
About the Author
Thomas D. Hamm is a professor of history and the archivist/curator of the Friends Collection at Earlham College. A native of New Castle, Indiana, he received his PhD in history from Indiana University in 1985. After teaching for two years at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, he joined the Earlham faculty. He is the author of numerous works on Quaker history.
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From other countries
BristolVoyage
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent insightReviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2011
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The Religious Society of Friends (more commonly known as Quakers) is a very unique religious group with a long history. Originally formed in England during the 1650s Quakers immediately faced censure, accusations of blasphemy, imprisonment and, in extreme cases, execution by the intolerant religious establishments of the time. The reasons for this treatment ranged from the questioning of scripture to the refusal to swear oaths, address magistrates by titles or fight in wars.
As the title suggests the book is a collection of essays and letters written by such famous Friends as George Fox, William Penn and Margaret Fell (to name a few) over a period of almost three hundred years. Despite the introduction to this review the book is not all about persecution, far from it. Although some of the letters were written by Friends from inside prison cells the majority of the book celebrate the religious convictions of Friends and speak about their faith, beliefs and practices.
One thing that is very obvious from reading the book is that Quakerism has changed since its original creation over three hundred years ago and I'm not going to go into whether or not I think that's a good thing. The book paints a wonderful mental picture of early Quakerism with much talk of Christ which is often missing from more contemporary Quaker writings.
The book isn't without its downsides; I had particular trouble appreciating the writing style of William Penn, however considering the age of some of the writings by and large it is easy to get on with. Also I am unsure as to why the author only included letters written
up to 1920 and not any more recent offerings.
This is an excellent book for someone who is interested in Quakers and wants to learn more about their roots particularly the beliefs and practices of early Friends. Personally I found it deeply inspirational and will definitely be re-reading it.
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Anne Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive collection of well-known and less well-known documents and ...Reviewed in Canada on 18 November 2014
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A comprehensive collection of well-known and less well-known documents and statements that indicate core Quaker development over the last centuries.
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readermike R
4.0 out of 5 stars Quaker Writings: An Anthology, 1650-1920Reviewed in the United States on 12 April 2012
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I have been a member of the Society of Friends for over 25 years and have read many Quaker writings. Thomas Hamm has crafted a concise, accessible condensation of some foundational works that I have found challenging without being too dense to digest. The author of "Quakers in America", Hamm has gleaned enough essential flesh from writings by Fox and others to enlighten and inform reader while respecting brevity and simplicity. The e-book, by the way, is a very convenient medium for quick reference.
28 people found this helpfulReport abuse
Rich Green
This is an excellent book for someone who is interested in Quakers and wants to learn more about their roots particularly the beliefs and practices of early Friends. Personally I found it deeply inspirational and will definitely be re-reading it.
12 people found this helpfulReport abuse
Anne Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive collection of well-known and less well-known documents and ...Reviewed in Canada on 18 November 2014
Verified Purchase
A comprehensive collection of well-known and less well-known documents and statements that indicate core Quaker development over the last centuries.
Report abuse
readermike R
4.0 out of 5 stars Quaker Writings: An Anthology, 1650-1920Reviewed in the United States on 12 April 2012
Verified Purchase
I have been a member of the Society of Friends for over 25 years and have read many Quaker writings. Thomas Hamm has crafted a concise, accessible condensation of some foundational works that I have found challenging without being too dense to digest. The author of "Quakers in America", Hamm has gleaned enough essential flesh from writings by Fox and others to enlighten and inform reader while respecting brevity and simplicity. The e-book, by the way, is a very convenient medium for quick reference.
28 people found this helpfulReport abuse
Rich Green
