The Quaker Reader

Rating:
Summary: Great reading, but a very minor criticism...
Review: I loved this book. However, I did notice that it seemed a bit light as regards the founders of the early Quaker movement. This is a very minor criticism though, and I happily award the book a 5 star rating. All in all, The Quaker Reader gives a wonderful view of Quakerism as it has developed through the centuries. I highly recommend it.

For those who (like me) are interested in the development of the early Quaker movement, I can heartily recommend Rosemary Moore's 'The Light in Their Consciences', which is an in-depth look at the early charismatic Quaker movement.

Rating:
Summary: Quakerism 101
Review: It isn't easy to find information telling you what Friends believe. Our history is traced primarily through the words of George Fox and John Woolman. Later, here in the US, there were splits dividing believers into liberal and conservative groups.

This book does a very good job of giving the reader an understanding of the Quaker faith by offering the reader essays and journal bits from William Penn (a well-known Pennsylvania Friend!) and others, both inside the faith and out.

For those interested in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), those newly convinced, or for those who just like to read about the beginnings and progress of Quakers, The Quaker Reader is a basic for their library.

For other books about Quakers, be sure to read Robert L. Smith's A Quaker Book of Wisdom; and The Quakers by Jean Kinney Williams

Rating:
Summary: good reading, but not complete
Review: This is an excellent book, and I think anybody with a serious interest in Quakerism should find a copy. The early coverage is very good, and the excerpts from George Fox's journals are excellent; there is also a really stunning excerpt from the journal of a Quaker who visited John Brown.

I confess I am a little disappointed by the coverage of the 20th century, which is a little light, and does not, to me, fully address contemporary spiritual concerns from a Quaker perspective. In other words, West has done a wonderful job, but there is still a pressing need for a compilation of 20th century Quaker writing.