The People Called Quakers

by D. Elton Trueblood

D. Elton Trueblood succeeds here in his attempt to depict the Quaker experiment in radical Christianity, with emphasis on their ways of thinking. He does indeed present the Quaker faith as a live option for contemporary men and women.

"The assets of The People Called Quakers come from the author's acquaintance witih all the major current brands of Quakerism, from his well known facility in writing, and from his repeated use of favorite persons in the history from George Fox to the Gurneys or Rufus Jones."

---Henry J. Cadbury

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology

Paperback

Published November 1, 2016

Reviews

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting exposition which seems to me to fall short of its goals. At the broad level, despite claiming that it will only use history where necessary, it is mainly historical. In detail, there are unfortunate errors or failures to see problems in the round (for example, in a paragraph explaining why Quakers wanted to be fair to Native Americans, he explains how wonderful Quakers are and describes Native Americans as 'primitive people'). Comments about how 'the world is now' are also inevitably dated - probably good in 1966 when it was first published, and his chapter on the peace testimony is especially nuanced in this regard, but not worth reading now unless, like me, you are studying how liberal Quaker theology has developed.

[James]

An overview of the Quakers. Very interesting reading, but a little dense. Each chapter was on a different aspect of the Quaker religion and lifestyle - including history, key leaders. I think the most interesting part was reading about the influential leaders in the movement. I only read half of this book, but some parts were really inspiring. They were a deeply spiritual people moved by God.

[Jessica Culver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slogged through it and finished with more questions than when I started

[Candy Wood]

Having grown up in the Congregational Church (now United Church of Christ), I knew nothing about Quakers except the stereotypes until I met some in London and started attending meeting for worship with them. That was a good introduction, and so is Elton Trueblood’s book. Published in 1966, it provides an interesting overview of Quaker history in Britain and the US from 1652, focusing on influential people and quoting extensively from their writings. Trueblood’s main intent is to explain, as his subtitle indicates, “the enduring influence of a way of life and a way of thought,” and he attributes Quakerism’s survival to its roots in the Christian faith. Although many of the Quakers I have met since the 1980s are not comfortable with Christ-centered language, Trueblood contends that Christian faith and action are essential. At the same time, he emphasizes an openness to change, cautioning against any insistence on tradition that can be an obstacle to growth. Both life and thought are as important as faith: in chapters about worship practices and leadership, the peace testimony, and attitudes toward the arts and sciences, he shows that there are many possibilities rather than one prescribed approach. Some of the writing seems dated now. For example, considering that Quakers even in the 17th century welcomed spoken ministry from women, it can be jarring to read about meetings full of “men.” But I still recommend it to anyone curious about the Religious Society of Friends and their living, experiential faith.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stirred my soul. I do not call myself a Quaker, but I am drawn to Quaker ways of following Jesus. The book is a bit dry, academic, and historical in places, but even these parts were often surprisingly life-giving and valuable.

[Jed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great general overview of Quaker history, mostly in America.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like mostly about this book is the theology, how it is interpreted and how it is practiced. Chapter Four, "The Heart of the Quaker Faith" has the best discussion on theology.

[Lavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty difficult read but very informative.