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Quaker History/Beliefs

Signs of Salvation:
New Life Where Grace and Truth Meet
By Ben Richmond
2005, ISBN 0-944350-68-2, 200 pages, $20.00

Salvation is not private fire insurance; Salvation is a new kind of life.

Those who resonate with Jim Wallis's best-selling God's Politics or Ron Sider's The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience will find that in Signs of Salvation Ben Richmond has provided the necessary biblical theology of salvation to move Christians to reconnect personal faith with Jesus' ethics: peace, economic justice, and the inclusive community that is formed by listening to God's living word. Includes resources for individual or group study.

Engaging Scripture:
Reading the Bible with Early Friends

By Michael L. Birkel

Foreword by M. Basil Pennington, ocso

2005, ISBN 0-944350-67-4, 52 pages $12.00

In the face of today's political, economical, and social crises people seek guidance from sacred writings. Many turn to the Bible. These dangerous and unpredictable times call for an increasing depth of faith and spirituality found through study, reflection, and prayer. Michael Birkel describes a practice of interacting with the Bible that opens the door to these transformational disciplines.

A Near Sympathy:
The Timeless Quaker Wisdom of John Woolman
By Michael L. Birkel
2003, ISBN 0-944350-63-1, 150 pages, $15.00

Today's world cries out for lives of integrity, for Christian models that integrate "the inward life of devotion and the outward life of the activist for justice and peace." We can find no better example than the eighteenth-century Quaker John Woolman.

A Near Sympathy is an invitation to a friendship with John Woolman and an invitation to consider what John Woolman has to say to us today. Michael Birkel writes of the profound impact John Woolman has had on his own life. He invites readers to become acquainted with the spiritual disciplines and resources that nurtured John Woolman's empathy with the stranger and empowered him to engage the world as a witness on behalf of the disenfranchised, and for the earth and all its creatures. Includes a group discussion guide.

Undaunted Zeal: The Letters of Margaret Fell
Edited and Introduced by Elsa F. Glines
Foreword by Rosemary Moore
2003, ISBN 0-944350-64-X, 536 pages, $35.00

Margaret Fell is unarguably one of the primary founders of what became the Religious Society of Friends.Undaunted Zeal reveals, letter by letter, Margaret Fell's passion for God, peace, and justice — and the unwavering courage with which she speaks and lives out her faith without regard for personal consequences.

From the Foreword: "The first publication of a complete corpus of early Quaker letters, Undaunted Zeal is invaluable material for anyone interested in women's history, Quaker history, or the history of any aspect of the seventeenth century.... This is a mighty work of scholarship.... Informative introductory essays set the scene for each historical period...every letter is preceded by a summary elucidating difficulties, giving full biographical details about the individuals addressed or mentioned...with cross-references to secondary material." Includes scriptural references and index.

New England Quaker Meetinghouses
Silas B. Weeks
ISBN 0944350518, 128 pages, $18.50

"The design of our meetinghouses—old and new—reflects who we are as Quakers," says Silas Weeks. "Like our journals, and meeting minutes, our structures are another archival record of our heritage." New England Quaker Meetinghouses is the product of fifteen years of work photographing structures and collecting interesting facts and delightful stories associated with Quaker meetinghouses and burial grounds in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Weeks' work provides history, a look at how design reflects the Quaker culture, and a resource for travelers and genealogists. Includes an index.

The Quakers
Hugh Barbour and J. William Frost
ISBN 0313228167, 434 pp, $30.00 (Available Fall 2006)

In the first comprehensive book since 1942 on American Quaker history, scholars Hugh Barbour and J. William Frost summarize the development and life of the American Quaker communities themselves, and look, as well, at the times and cultures in which they lived. "We hope," they write, "to present the common Quaker tradition at a time when Friends are painfully divided, to interpret the varied religious experiences of Friends in many eras and regions, and to illustrate the rich variety of cultural forces which have shaped and often limited Quaker worship and social service."

Hugh Barbour is Professor Emeritus at Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion, Richmond, Indiana. J. William Frost is Professor of American History and Librarian of the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

History, Research, Genealogy, Religious Studies.

A broad portrait of a way of life and a way of thought which is a live option for vital, contemporary Christians. D. Elton Trueblood, author of more than 30 books, depicts the Quaker experiment in radical Christianity. His portrayal of early Quakers and their lives is vital background for the impact that Quakers have had on society for more than three hundred years.

Gentle Invaders
Linda B. Selleck
ISBN 0944350305, 312 pp, $16.00

Grounded in the Quaker sense of spiritual equality for all believers, and funded primarily by Friends in northern yearly meetings, more than two hundred Quaker women headed south to establish and/or teach in the first schools for contraband and former slaves during the Civil War and period of Reconstruction.

What audacity prompted nineteenth-century Quaker women to befriend and teach blacks in areas where virulent racism had persisted for centuries? What were they hoping to accomplish?

Author Linda Selleck's readable and well-documented work reveals the individual hardships and successes of the more visible leaders of these enterprises-as well as issues of slavery and membership of blacks in monthly meetings faced within the Society of Friends itself.

Women's Studies, Race Issues, Quaker History.

Quaker author of fiction and non-fiction, Daisy Newman writes of the role Quakers have had in befriending Indians, opposing slavery, providing humane treatment for prisoners and the mentally ill, and opposing war and capital punishment. This is history in its most readable form, as the author's sense of detail gets beneath the facts to give the reader the sense of place and emotion in each event.

A Living Faith: An Historical and Comparative Study of Quaker Beliefs
Second Editon
Wilmer Cooper
ISBN 0944350127, 217 pp, $24.00

Books which present a systematic theological reflection on Quaker beliefs are rare. Wilmer Cooper draws on thirty years of teaching theology and social ethics, with a concentration on Quaker studies, for this work. Each chapter has questions for use by those who wish to use the book for group discussions. Includes glossary of theological terms.

The secret of Woolman's purity of style is that his eye is single, and that conscience dictated his words. This Quaker preacher and tailor was a man of wisdom and true philosophy. These pages are filled with insight and messages for our time. This is a major classic of American spirituality.

George Fox and the Quakers
Cecil Sharman
ISBN 0944350143, 255 pp, $15.00

Cecil Sharman places all the key events of George Fox's life within their historical setting and brings out his warmth of personality and intense sense of mission.

The Power of the Lord Is Over All: The Pastoral Letters of George Fox
Edited by T. Canby Jones
ISBN 0944350089, 530 pp, cloth $29.00

The book of the letters of George Fox is a must for every library and meeting or church. Jones has produced a valuable index to the epistles. The earnest reader will find that this index is to the epistles what a concordance is to the Bible. Fox's clear and concise manner comes through these letters in a strong calling to return to the leading of the "light" which Christ has made known. Devotional reading, scholarly reference.

Gwyn emphasizes the apocalyptic perspective behind George Fox's declaration that "Christ has come to teach his people himself" and describes how it affected Fox's view of preaching, worship, and Church order. This work helps explain the urgency of the message that sparked early Friends.

In-depth discussion of the Quaker method of worship and business, sacraments as an attitude toward life, simplicity, peacemaking education and service to others.

The maxims and comments on life are as true today as when Penn wrote them.

Phillips P. Moulton's edition of John Woolman's Journal and Plea for the Poor is translated into Russian by Tatiana Pavlova and edited by Nadya Spassenko. Introduction by Tatiana Pavlova, popular Russian radio commentator and critic. Co-published by Friends United Press and Alteya.

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Quaker Mission

Discover the story of the Quaker presence in Jamaica-from the arrival of the first English Quaker settlers shortly after the British conquest in 1658 through investigation of conditions for ex-slaves, American Friends' missions activity, and life today in Jamaica Yearly Meeting. Mary Jones Langford provides not only a history, but an instructive commentary on Quaker missionary and local Jamaican cultures.

Rwanda: In the Trail of the Red Horse
Norval Hadley
ISBN 0944350380, 75 pp, $6.00

A vivid and first-hand account of the atrocities in this African nation. The author tells his impressions as well as personal stories of many who lived through the tragedy. Compelling and heart-wrenching.

Norval Hadley is director of Evangelical Friends International Missions. He is also on the board of Concert of Prayer.

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Autobiography/Biography

Growing Up Plain:The Journey of a Public Friend
Wilmer A. Cooper
0-944350-44-5 200 pp, $16.50

Growing Up Plain is, in fact, three books in one-a mix of history, theology, and autobiography. In addition to placing Conservative Friends within the Quaker historical "mix," Wil Cooper draws on early books of discipline and favorite spiritual readings to clarify the basis of the Conservative Friends faith. He is honest about the strictures of that faith on his life as a young boy, as he also claims its benefits. Wil's final charge is for Conservative Friends to be true to who they are and to their role among Friends today.

You will delight in this story of a Quaker culture that has wisdom to offer Friends today and its impact on the life of Wilmer Cooper, founding dean of the Earlham School of Religion. (Read an excerpt published in the September 1999 issue of Quaker Life.)

John Woolman 1720 - 1772: Quintessential Quaker

John Woolman, quintessential Quaker, was far ahead of his time. Aside from writing his celebrated Journal and many essays, he was an anti-slavery pioneer-long before there was an abolitionist movement.

Mystic and activist, today we would also call Woolman an "environmentalist" and a promoter of animal concern. As well, he championed Native Americans, learned from them, and worked for their better treatment. In an intolerant age, Woolman also displayed a noteworthy irenical attitude toward all religious groups.

This book offers Woolman to a new generation of readers, and by placing him into the historical context of 18th - century America, his extraordinary life shines forth even more clearly.

The Clouded Quaker Star: James Nayler 1618 to 1660

Vera Massey offers a compelling perspective on James Nayler's ministry before and after his trial and conviction for blasphemy by Parlament. It's all here: Nayler's power and faith, his torment, his stormy relationship with George Fox. In this new biography of James Nayler, Vera Massey draws the reader into the drama-the friendships, the falling-outs, and the courage-of the men and women who gave birth to the Religious Society of Friends.

In his introduction, James R. Newby describes D. Elton Trueblood as "a Christian encourager" who "encouraged students of all ages to excel," while her personally maintained a "sensitivity and openness in the worship of God." This is the Christian leader we find again in these essays. A study guide makes this a good book for adult Sunday School classes.

Louise Wilson is in demand as a seminar speaker, retreat leader, and teacher. This book is her story. She shares herself with the reader while retelling her life-long journey. The author does not leave out painful times as she reveals how God taught her to be obedient in all areas of her life.

This book is an inspiration to all readers who yield themselves to Jesus Christ and are willing to be used for the teaching of disciples.

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Contemporary Classics

The writings of Thomas Kelly, Douglas V. Steere, and D. Elton Trueblood have become classics. A new edition of Thomas Kelly's The Eternal Promise leads off the Contemporary Quaker Classics. Added to this collection of essays by Kelly is "Have You Ever Seen A Miracle?" and "Children of the Light." In addition, an introduction by Howard Macy and an index make this edition of The Eternal Promise especially valuable. Rounding out the set are Prayer and Worship (Steere) and The Trustworthiness of Religious Experience (Trueblood).

A sequel to a Testament of Devotion.

Discusses private and corporate prayer and devotional reading.

Speaks to the scientific skeptic who has rejected spirituality as a trustworthy basis for Truth.

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Underground Railroad

AWinding Road to Freedom

Cassie risks her hard-won freedom from slavery in order to rescue the infant son she left behind on a Kentucky plantation. On her side are a savvy black abolitionist network, Levi Coffin and other Quakers of the Underground Railroad, and her courageous friend Luke. The plot twists and turns in this sequel to Luke's Summer Secret.

Luke's Summer Secret
Randall Wisehart
ISBN 0944350178, 165 pp, $9.00

The author has given young readers a new look at Levi Coffin, leader of the underground railroad. This stirring novel is worth reading to renew interest in the struggles of the slaves, and the risks they were willing to take to obtain their freedom.

A classic book of Levi Coffin's life and times. A must reading for history buffs and those wanting to know about the underground railroad.

Jason looks forward to the stories his mother tells about the Underground Railroad. These stories will show children how they can be a part of any work that brings glory to God. This illustrated book is for junior-age children or "one evening" readers.

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Historical Fiction

A story of Peter and Serenity, two young people confronted with the problem of making a true marriage in the midst of today's confusion. On one side is the modern lifestyle of their college friends-on the other, the pressure for a formal wedding in a church they have never attended. A novel, sharing Quaker beliefs, for all readers.

Diligence Bliss (Dilly) finds herself confronted with a friendship she is not sure she is ready to continue. Durand is attentive, attractive and someone she cannot forget. Another Kendal novel that will capture the reader as the life of 52-year-old Dilly unfolds.

A simply told, beautifully characterized novel about a sophisticated woman, who found much to learn and admire among the Quakers-and saved her marriage from disaster.

For the Love Of A Friend
Susan McCracken
ISBN 0944350291, 168 pp, $10.00

Becky was not excited about leaving the cultures and pace of city life in Indiana for the unknown wilderness of Iowa. This historical novel is based upon a true story of a Quaker family uprooting and helping settle the west. Delightful reading for every age.

This book continues the story of Joshua and Rebecca as they face the challenges of life on the western frontier of Iowa. Her faith in God sees Becky through many hardships and trials, but she comes to realize she has been prepared along each step of her journey. For readers of all ages.

In this sequel to For the Love of a Friend and For the Gift of a Friend, Rebecca's daughter Julia is faced with decisions as she leaves home to attend boarding school and deals with all the questions of life that confront a sixteen-year-old. Find out how this nineteenth-century teenager seeks God's will for her life in trying and exciting times.

For the Blessings of a Friend

In her ministry to freed black refugees from the South at the Kansas Freedman's Relief Association, Julia is caught between spiritual and physical passsion in her relationship with Hosea, one of the refugees. God blesses Julia's ministry and eventually blesses her with a husband and children, something she had yearned for. Fourth in a series.

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Inspiration/ Self-Help

A Very Good Marriage
Tom Mullen
ISBN 0944350577, $17.00

"In A Very Good Marriage, we're given the tools to enhance our own unions. I don't know any marriage that couldn't be made richer and stronger by following these gentle precepts." Philip A. Gulley, author of Home to Harmony.

When Nancy Mullen died suddenly on December 18, 1998, author Tom Mullen lost his "wife...lover...companion...best friend in the world...(and) light of (his) life." In A Very Good Marriage, Tom gives an intimate and inspiring look into their forty-one-year marriage and into the heart of his own grieving process after Nancy's death. Stories, conversations, and personal notes reflect the faith, generosity, commitment, and (most certainly) the humor that filled Tom and Nancy's days together.

In the midst of this compelling story are clues to creating a loving, long-term marriage from Tom and Nancy and other voices of experience. Those who have lost a spouse will find companionship on their own journey through grief. At the heart of it all is Tom Mullen's celebration of a wonderful marriage—"Oh, what a ride we had!"

"A Very Good Marriage is compelling in its honesty and presentation. Tom & Nancy Mullen experienced a lasting, workable, beautiful marriage. The value of this book lies in its potential to help married couples see and believe it can be done. The sharing of this 41 year process is Tom's beautiful gift to the reader." Marta Felber, counselor and author, Grief Expressed: When a Mate Dies and Finding Your Way After Your Spouse Dies

Come Pray: A Guide to Deeper Personal and Corporate Prayer

Those who are familiar with Mary Glenn Hadley’s workshops on prayer will welcome this invitation to prayer life. In Come Pray, the author draws on her years in the mission field, her ministry stateside, biblical prayers, and insights from contemporaries for a clear guide to maturing in prayer. Each chapter includes a summary and list of resources. Useful for individual or group study.

Encounter With Silence
John Punshon
Foreword by Matthew Fox
ISBN 0913408964, 131 pp, $15.00

"A serious and contemporary story of a soul," says Matthew Fox in the foreword to this book. "It provides guidance both for the puzzled first-time visitor to a Meeting and the seasoned Friend," says Parker Palmer. (Co-published with Quaker Home Service, London.)

The author has opened the arena to study George Fox's spirituality. A fresh new look at the core of Fox's reason for living.

Life-Work: A Career Guide for Idealists
by William A. Charland

Bill Charland, career counselor and employment training consultant, shows how to find meaningful work today by asking the right questions and listening carefully for the answers. The author of The Idiot's Guide to Changing Careers (Macmillan, 1998) takes a deeper look here at work-its history, meaning, and current trends. Drawing on his experience, as well as writings form biblical texts, Quaker, and other religious and literary works, he shares stories of those who have found personal satisfaction in their work and offers practical guidance for the search.

Paperback, 216 pages
Retail Price $15.00

A book of inspirational messages to challenge the reader to think and reflect. There is something for everyone in these pages.

Jay Marshall's lightness and joy in the telling of these eight stories increases the impact of their message for Christmas and all seasons. "(Marshall) combines the storyteller's ability to share anecdotes with the preacher's talent to connect them to Biblical truth," writes Tom Mullen. "In the process a small miracle occurs: Jay provides fresh insight about both Christmas and the Beatitudes."

For all readers.

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Humor

In the back of the mind of Stan Banker is a small place known as Middleroad Friends Church. You'll learn the trials and tribulations of the storyteller, Q. A Kerhill. The dynamics of any small meeting or church of any denomination are explored in this hilarious, illustrated book.

Stan Banker is the senior pastor of First Friends Church of Indianapolis, IN.

A book for all ages and one to lift the spirit.

Living Longer and Other Sobering Possibilities
Thomas Mullen
ISBN 0944350399, 118 pp, $10.00

Tom Mullen has done it again. This deeply serious, yet deeply delightful book will be a great read for everyone. Tom deals with growing older, medical problems, and adjusting to new routines for living in a way all can relate. His treatment of a serious topic with humor will lift spirits and renew the knowledge that God is in control, even of hospital routine.

Tom Mullen is a retired professor of preaching and was acting dean of the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, IN. He spent many years as a minister and now is in demand for retreats, conferences and just good conversation.

Inspirational reading for all ages.

Laughing Out Loud and Other Religious Experiences
Tom Mullen
ISBN 084499003297, 133 pp, $7.50

In the end, this book makes a convincing case for the value of laughter in our lives."Sometimes we laugh for sinister motives, and sometimes we use humor for noble reasons. But, thank God, we often laugh for the same reason fishermen laugh-for the halibut. Life is serious, and in the back of our minds we recall we're eventually heading for the cemetery. Fortunately, the Christian faith says the graveyard is not the last stop. Thus, we are free to enjoy funny things that happen along the way."

Where Two or Three Are Gathered Someone Spills the Milk
Tom Mullen
ISBN 0913408956, 119 pp, $10.00

One of Tom Mullen's most popular books adds that needed dose of humor to those all-too-familiar family situations.

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Howard Thurman

Howard Thurman Profile

When Howard Thurman spoke, he filled the entire room with compassion, truth, keen intellect, and joy. To be in his presence was to experience the drama of life itself-with all its attending conflicts-and to be carried beyond these realities to the Reality of a gracious God whose will is life and wholeness.

Howard Thurman was a graduate from Morehouse College and from Colgate-Rochester Theological Seminary. He then became a special student of philosophy in residence at Haverford College with Rufus Jones, the noted Quaker philosopher and mystic. After serving on the faculty of Howard University as Professor of Theology and Dean of Rankin Chapel (1932-44), he moved to San Francisco to help found the intercultural and interdenominational Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. In 1953 he became Dean of Marsh Chapel at Boston University (1953-65).

Friends United Press and Howard Thurman began their association in 1971 with the paperback edition of The Inward Journey. Since then, eleven other titles have been added to the Thurman paperback series.

Howard Thurman's close relationship to Quakers dates back to 1929 when, he began independent study at Haverford College with Rufus M. Jones. Thurman first discovered Rufus Jones through his book, Finding the Trail of Life. "When I finished (the book) I knew that if this man were alive, I wanted to study with him," wrote Thurman in his autobiography.

Books by Howard Thurman

Order Howard Thurman books
from Quaker Hill Bookstore

 

The Centering Moment
ISBN 0913408646, 125 pp, $13.00
A collection of prayer-meditations selected from worship services. Themes: The Mood of Celebration, No Man Is An Island, and Search Me, O God.

Disciplines of the Spirit
ISBN 0913408352, 127 pp, $13.00
Looks at the raw materials of daily experience as the time and place of the encounter with God. Includes discussion on commitment, growth suffering, prayer and reconciliation.

The Creative Encounter
ISBN 0913408077, 153 pp, $14.00
Interprets religious experience as it involves the total individual, including feelings and emotions.

Deep Is the Hunger
ISBN 0913408107, 212 pp, $15.00
Meditations written originally for the bulletin of Marsh Chapel, Boston University. Themes: A Sense of History, A Sense of Self, A Sense of Presence, For the Quiet Time.

Deep River and The Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death
ISBN 0913408204, 136 pp, $14.00
Explores the beginnings of the spirituals and their significances in our day as well as in the day of the slave.

Temptations of Jesus
ISBN 0913408476, 68 pp, $7.50
Five sermons on the dilemmas of Jesus, growing out of the temptations he faced. Meant to stir the heart and imagination and challenge us to live life meaningfully.

The Growing Edge
ISBN 091340814X, 181 pp, $13.00
For Thurman, the sermon was an act of worship. In these searching, meditative sermons he focuses on enemies, prayer, God, peace, festivals, and Christian character.

The Inward Journey
ISBN 0913408034, 155 pp, $13.00
Volume three of Deep Is the Hunger. Themes: The Quest for Meaning, The Quest for Understanding, The Quest for Fulfillment, The Quest for Love, The Quest for Peace, The Quest for God, and Psalm 139.

The Luminous Darkness
ISBN 0944350070, 113 pp, $13.00
A commentary on what segregation does to the human soul. In this book of this paperback series, Thurman bares the evil of segregation and points to the ground of hope which can bring all men and women together.

The Mood of Christmas
ISBN 0913408905, 127 pp, $13.00
These brief meditations incorporate the hope, celebration, love, compassion and blessing of the Christmas season and encourage us to find them throughout the year.

The Search for Common Ground
ISBN 0913408948, 108 pp, $13.00
Howard Thurman's book on community. In this book, Thurman calls us at once to affirm our own identity, but then to look behind that identity to that which we have in common with all life.

For the Inward Journey: The writings of Howard Thurman
Selected by Anne Thurman
ISBN 0151326568, 302pp, $24.00
An Anthology of Thurman's most important and eloquent writings. A passionate appraisal of the encounter between God and man, and between all peoples.

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Pamphlet Series

$1.00 each (no discounts)

Friends Women in Ministry
by Patricia Edwards-Konic

Friends View of the Sacraments
by Jack Kirk

A Quaker View of Ministry
by Keith Esch

An Introduction to Quakers
by D. Elton Trueblood

The Friends Peace Testimony
by Leonard Kenworthy

George Fox and the Early Quakers
by Howard Alexander

The Gospel According to Friends
by Wilmer Cooper

Principles of the Quaker Business Meeting
by George Selleck

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Sale Books

A Migrant with Hope (English)
Bracera con Esperanza (Spanish)
by Elizabeth Newby
ISBN 0944350232, 140 pp
Was $9.00, SALE PRICE $4.00

Hope and a Future
by David Johns
ISBN 0944350259, 107 pp
Was $9.00, SALE PRICE $4.00

Living in a Larger World
The Life of Murray S. Kenworthy
by Leonard Kenworthy
ISBN 091340893X, 120 pp, $9.00
Was $8.95, SALE PRICE $2.50

Practiced in the Presence
Selections in honor of T. Canby Jones
by Neil Snarr and Daniel Smith-Christopher
ISBN 0944350321, 266 pp
Was $19.00, SALE PRICE $6.00

Reflections from the Life of Christ
by James Newby
ISBN 0944350038, 110 pp,
Was $9.00, SALE PRICE $4.00

Richmond 1887
by Mark Minear
ISBN 0913408980, 165 pp
Was $7.00, SALE PRICE $2.50

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