What is Quakerism

29/07/20 | By Rhiannon Grant
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Quakers Do What! Why?


Quakers Do What! Why? is an introduction to Quaker oddities. Based on a question and answer format, it is for anyone who has learned a fact about Quakers - perhaps only that Quakers exist - and wants to know more.

This brief but informative book is an excellent introduction to modern Quaker beliefs and practices aimed at people who know very little about Quakerism other than the fact that they worship in silence. Grant does a good job explaining the jargon and procedures involved, as well as a step-by-step description of what to expect at a Quaker meeting for worship - Progressive Voices Magazine

Structured around questions which non-Quakers often ask, this book explores Quaker practices, explaining them in the context of Quaker theology and present-day diversity. It describes how Quakers make decisions and why they have preferred this method, as well as looking at the Quaker rejection of common Christian practices like baptism. Each short chapter gives an answer, considers why that is so, describes some of the diversity within Quaker groups, and points to other resources which could be used to find out more.

This lively, honest and clear introduction to contemporary Quakerism offers their Christian and other fellow travelers a compelling insight into the life and witness of one of Britain’s most distinctive faith communities. I hope it will be widely read and that it will help foster understanding and dialogue between Quakers and others. David Cornick, General Secretary of Churches Together in England 2008-18 and Fellow in Theology at Robinson College, Cambridge


Ever wondered who Quakers are, what they believe in and how they worship? Then this series will answer these questions and more.



Quaker Quicks : Quaker Roots and Branches

This book explores what Quakers call their “testimonies” – the interaction of inspiration, faith and action to bring change in the world. It looks at Quaker concerns around the sustainability of the planet, peace and war, punishment, and music and the arts in the past and today. It stresses the continuity of their witness over three hundred and sixty-five years as well as their openness to change and development.

John Lampen has a gift for connecting the contemporary concerns of Friends with the rich heritage of the Quaker past. In his latest collection of essays, he shows us how the experiences of Friends like George Fox, William Penn, and Elizabeth Fry offer us wisdom and guidance in confronting the problems we face today. - Thomas Hamm, Professor of History, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana.

From his insight that modern day Quakers are the product and carriers of an inspiring tradition, John Lampen paints a compelling picture of the Quaker character: clear intellectual enquiry, resolute moral integrity, and quiet, unsung heroism. The lives he describes are led by the guidance emerging from silent worship. In describing the resonance of these Quaker lives with his personal experience, John makes these stories relevant for us today. Gerald Hewitson, author of Journey into Life: Inheriting the Story of Early Friends.

John Lampen is a Quaker with experience of peace building in Northern Ireland, South Africa, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia and elsewhere. He is the author of Twenty Questions about Jesus, Mending Hurts and The Peace Kit.


Quaker Quicks - Telling the Truth About God

How do Quakers tell the truth about God? This book explores this key theological process through fourteen short chapters. As Quakers, we say that we know some things, but not very much, about God, and that we are in a constant process of trying to improve our ways of saying what we do know.

...wide-ranging, warm, wise, and witty. It's a wonderful introduction to the varieties and vagaries of Quaker theology. J. Brent Bill, author of Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality

This is a book for non-Quakers as well as those familiar with the Quaker tradition. Canon David Jennings, Canon Theologian, Leicester Cathedral

Rhiannon Grant is tutor of Quaker Roles at Woodbrooke Quaker study centre and is the Deputy Programmes Leader for the Centre for Research in Quaker Studies, where she teaches on Modern Quaker Thought. Her research includes work on Quaker uses of religious language and changing Quaker practices.





Quaker Quicks - What Do Quakers Believe?

Geoffrey Durham answers the crucial question clearly, straightforwardly and without jargon. In the process he introduces a unique religious group whose impact and influence in the world is far greater than their numbers suggest. What Do Quakers Believe? is a friendly, direct and accessible toe-in-the-water book for readers who have often wondered who these Quakers are, but have never quite found out.

The clearest introduction to Quakers I have read. Beautifully and clearly written, this book brings Quakerism to life in a very accessible way. Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, broadcaster and writer

I warmly commend this book to you. It caught my attention from the very first page. Terry Waite CBE, bestselling author of Taken on Trust and Solitude: Memories, People, Places

Geoffrey Durham went to his first Quaker meeting in 1994 and has been going regularly ever since. He worked as an entertainer, actor and director for thirty-five years before retiring in 2006 to work more actively for Quakers. He was one of the founders of Quaker Quest, a ground-breaking outreach project and an editor and contributor to the Twelve Quakers series of books (republished as New Light). Geoffrey has written three introductions to Quakerism for newcomers and is a regular speaker at Quaker events.



Quaker Quicks - Practical Mystics

Are Quakers mystics? What does that mean? And how does it translate into how we are and what we do in the world?

'Jennifer Kavanagh has written a lovely book which I found to be to be compelling reading. In a very practical way she explains the meaning of mysticism for Quakers and how an experience, which some might regard as being esoteric, can be truly meaningful for many today.'
Terry Waite


Practical Mystics is Jennifer Kavanagh's first addition to the burgeoning series Quaker Quicks, which examines every aspect of what it means to be a Quaker, from Collective Ink imprint Christian Alternative.




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