Quakerism: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the history and diverse approaches and ideas associated with the Religious Society of Friends. This small religion incorporates a wide geographic spread and varied beliefs that range from evangelical Christians to non-theists. Topics covered include:
- Quaker values in action
- The first generations of Quakerism
- Quakerism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
- Belief and activism
- Worship and practice
- Quakerism around the world
- The future of Quakerism.
With helpful features including suggested readings, timelines, a glossary, and a guide to Quakers in fiction, this book is an ideal starting point for students and scholars approaching Quakerism for the first time as well as those interested in deepening their understanding.
Chapter 1. Lives led by the Spirit: action grounded in faith
Chapter 2. A danger to the nation: the first generations of Quakerism in the seventeenth century
Chapter 3. A peculiar and contradictory people: the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
Chapter 4. A worldwide faith in the twentieth century and beyond
Chapter 5. A secret power among them: worship and practice
Chapter 6. Ministry, mission, and testimony
Chapter 7. Convergence or purity: being a Quaker in the twenty-first century
Biography
Margery Post Abbott is a member of the Multnomah Meeting in Portland, Oregon and an independent scholar who has published widely on Quaker belief and practice.
Carl Abbott is a member of the Multnomah Meeting and Professor Emeritus of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, USA.
"From its radical beginnings in the English Civil War to its diverse, multi-ethnic global presence, this concise introduction may be the single best panorama of the Quaker world yet written. It’s destined to be a standard source in the field for both scholar and general reader."
— Carole Dale Spencer, Portland Seminary of George Fox University, USA. Author of Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism.
"Quakerism: The Basics is an important work for anyone wanting to understand the essentials of Quakerism. In clear accessible prose, the Abbotts guide readers through Quakerism’s past and present revealing the incredible diversity within the Religious Society of Friends. Strongly foregrounding voices from the global south, this volume clearly introduces an often misunderstood religious group."
— Robynne Rogers Healey, Trinity Western University, Canada.
"In this new book covering the basics of Quakerism, Marge and Carl Abbot offer a refreshing combination of Quaker history, relevant aspects of faith and practice, and a helpful representation of the diversity of the worldwide family of Friends. Especially welcome is the featuring of emerging Quaker expressions in developing nations, illuminating how historic movements of the Spirit continue to touch the world in renewing and redemptive ways after the manner of Friends."
— Paul N. Anderson, George Fox University, USA.
