The Quakers: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #177

by Pink Dandelion

Here is the perfect introductory guide to the history and ideas of the Quakers, one of the world's most fascinating and enigmatic religious groups. Emerging in England in the 1650s as a radical sect challenging the status quo, the Quakers are now best known for their anti-slavery activities, their principled stance against war, and their pioneering work in penal reform. Famous Quakers include Thomas Paine, Walt Whitman, Lucretia Mott, Herbert Hoover, James Dean, Judi Dench, and A.S. Byatt. And while the group still maintains a distinctive worship method to achieve a direct encounter with God, which has been at the heart of the movement since its beginning, Quakers today are highly diverse: some practice a protestant evangelicalism, others are no longer Christian. In this generously illustrated book, Pink Dandelion, the leading expert on Quaker Studies, draws on the latest scholarship to chart the history of the sect and its present-day diversity around the world, exploring its
unique approach to worship, belief, theology and language, and ecumenism. It concludes by placing the Quakers in the wider religious picture and predicting its future.

About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, and Literary Theory to History. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given topic. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how it has developed and influenced society. Whatever the area of study, whatever the topic that fascinates the reader, the series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

Genres: Religion, History, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Philosophy, Spirituality

142 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2008

Reviews

[Kaleb Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pink Dandelion's introduction to Quakerism was precisely what I was looking for when I typed "Quaker" into the GoodReads search box. Dandelion provides an effective overview of the various branches of "Friends" (as they're called), how each branch of Friends practices their faith, and the theology (or lack thereof) behind each branch's practice. I found reading the book reinforced my conviction that I would like to investigate a Quaker mission myself when the opportunity presents itself, which is exactly the result for which I was hoping.

That being said, the book is not perfect. It is titled a "Very Short Introduction," but it could be shorter. First, the history was dissected in a very granular manner. Perhaps such a tedious detailing is essential for some, but I found those chapters much more of a slog to get through. More bothersome was the repetition. I must have read the same lines about specific aspects about conservative and liberal Quakerism 4-5 times. The removal of some of these redundancies would have made a world of difference. I also think some of the themes could have been presented in a more user-friendly, organized manner.

Finally, Dandelion needs a graphic designer. Some of the stats and charts presented in the book look like they were made in Microsoft Excel. I think a number of the topics mentioned (such as the various divides of Quakerism) could have also been better reinforced with some sort of added graphic or diagram, but that's just my opinion.

[Caleb Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like learning about Quakers. Might convert to liberal Quakerism tbh.

[Candy Wood]

If I had not read some older, longer books about Quakerism first, I might not have recognized the mastery of this Very Short Introduction. In just seven chapters, a bit over 100 pages of text and illustrations, Pink Dandelion clearly explains the varieties of Quaker belief and practice from 1652 to the present (2008). Direct quotations from the writings of early and more recent Friends as well as from former and current books of discipline from both the UK and America help to clarify the distinctions and point to other sources. The small format still has room for lists of references and further reading, a timeline, a glossary, and an index. Starting here would have saved some time and confusion, but now I really appreciate this book. If I did ratings, I would give it five stars.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction but slightly repetitive. Does excellent job explaining the difference between the 3 major branches of Quakerism.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE QUAKERS: A Very Short Introduction by Pink Dandelion is a pretty substantial presentation of Quaker life and belief in 160 pages. Dandelion divides the book into the chapters History, Worship, Belief, Theology and language, Ecumenism and finally The future of Quakerism.

I grew up in a Philadelphia suburb founded by Quakers, but I could never really get a handle on what the religion was all about. Dandelion delineates three clear strains of Quakerism today, from the Evangelicals who have structured services to the Conservatives who balance Scripture and the "inner light" and finally the Liberal Quakers who are not longer explicitly Christian and don't necessary acknowledge the existence of a God. In the final chapter, the author speaks of the probable developments in Quaker demographics, with the first two denominations surviving in the Global South, and the third declining just like other postmodern Christian denominations.

The author notes that Quakers are most visible in protests against war or injustice. The only failing of the book I see is that she does not talk more about the organizations involved and how they are viewed by various Quaker denominations, or how they respond to Cold War allegations that they are Communist fronts. That for me would have made this a perfect introduction.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a very useful introduction to Quakerism and all of its complexities given the three paths Friends have taken over the years. Dandelion presents the three with quite a bit of impartiality, although the small, declining liberal branch is given a bit larger place than its membership numbers and trends might suggest is warranted. That said, the authoritarian/evangelical line seems so much like other protestant faiths (fairly?) that I struggled with why it is still considered part of the Society of Friends -- except as Dandelion nicely points out, all three share four core principles or designs.

I recommend this for anyone interested in understanding Quakerism. As the title suggests, it provides enough to introduce the topic and whet an appetite if one has any hunger or curiosity for greater understanding.

[Ashten Forde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was brought to my attention when I saw that a Goodreads friend (s/o to Kaleb) had read it. It then dawned on me that I'm currently employed at a Quaker College and I knew next to nothing about Quakers, so I decided to check it out. I found the book hard to follow at times and occasionally redundant, but ultimately an enjoyable quick read. After reading about the group being founded on anti-war and nonviolence principles, I can't get over our ironic school nickname. "The Fighting Quakers" lol

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review title: Quakers meeting has begun

It isn't just a childhood game to see who can sit silent the longest--Quakers really do worship in silence and call their worship time "meetings". This is a fact I learned in this "Very Short Introduction", one of an extensive series of small books from Oxford University Press of the same size, format, and cover design to provide readers a brief foundation in a variety of topics (from Plato to the Plague to Postcolonialism, to sample just a few titles from the P range). An expert in each field provides a slimmed down discussion of the topic, in this case the identity, history, beliefs, worship, and future of the religious sect the Quakers.

The expert in this case is Pink Dandelion. Yes that is his name, and no, he wasn't born with it as I found by googling, but adopted it legally as a way to express his rebellion against traditional patriarchal naming practices (he seems to have come of age in the 60s with hippie parents). And he is a recognized expert in the field, from what I learned,the author of several longer books on the topic and editor of an academic journal on the Quakers.

The Quakers (originally a slur bestowed by the mainstream church based on their visible shaking during worship) arose in the 17th century during the political and religious turmoil of the English Civil War, the brief republic led by Cromwell, and the Restoration of Charles II. Founder George Fox experienced a sudden vision of the "Inner Light"--a vision of Jesus declaring himself in spirit to Fox as spiritually all-sufficient for salvation with no need for the church orthodoxy and sacraments then well-established in all Christian creeds. As the experience repeated itself, Fox turned this experience into a loose doctrine of separation (earliest Quakers did not consider themselves "Christians"), silence to allow God to speak through the Inner (or Inward) Light, and the second coming of Jesus Christ beginning with the Quakers and spreading across the globe. As the denomination grew slowly and faced persecution and martyrdom in England and even in America after spreading there to worship freely, the Quakers matured into a small but vital Christian sect focused on the "meantime" of daily living instead of the "end time" of the second coming through mission outreach, abolitionism, and pacifist action.

Dandelion (yeah, it feels weird to write that) documents this history and progression to a current total of about 350,000 Quakers worldwide, with a majority in Africa (especially Kenya) and Central and South America due to missionary outreach. There are now three main branches of Meetings (the official term for both congregational groupings and their organizational documentation):

1. Evangelical, which often adopt statements of faith very similar to other evangelical and fundamental denominations, emphasizing the primacy of the written revelation in the Bible, with set worship structures and leaders, and subjection of the Inner Light to Biblical authority.

2. Conservative, which retain the earliest Quaker emphasis on the Inner Light as revelation equal to the written word of revelation (the Bible) and have no pastoral leaders or worship structure in their truly "Quakers meetings".

3. Liberal, which doesn't espouse any or even exclusively Christian doctrines, accepting non-Christian and even atheist worshipers focused on the inner experience. They have a "non-realist" view of God--since God doesn't exist any statements about him can not be real even if true--and adopt what Dandelion calls the "absolute perhaps" doctrine: "they are absolutely certain (rationally) that they can never be certain (theologically)" (p. 84).

As this is intended as a very short introduction, the chapters are brief and the statements are very broad, but including references, further reading, a time line, glossary, and index gives readers the tools to skim the surface and dive deeper into the Quakers. Consider this your Cliff Notes to Quakers.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm posting this review much sooner than I had planned on, namely because it was shorter than I thought and I've been in a hospital waiting room all day with nothing else to do lol. So - Overall the book delivers what it promises: A very short intro to Quakerism, detailing the history, sects, beliefs/practices and some statistics on potential growth or decline in the future (Although the stats are roughly a decade old by now so it's not a great reference today). Written in layman's terms, it's short and concise; good for anyone looking for a brief introduction to the subject. It also reveals how many Quakers have been influential to culture over the last few centuries.

As for the negatives, there are a few. First off, although it's advertised as being 160 pages long, in reality there are only about 120 pages of actual text not counting the notes and reference pages. Moreover, as others have commented, the book is simply boring. I'm honestly not sure how else to describe it, but it's just plain dull. It also gets very repetitive in describing the differences between Liberal, Conservative and Evangelical Quakers. Aside from the first two chapters on the overview and history of the movement, the author has a very annoying tendency to repeat the differences between the three sects of Quakers in terms of their beliefs, traditions and attitude toward ecumenicism. This continues until about halfway into the last chapter.

On a whole I recommend this book as a good quick history lesson with some cool pictures, but you will likely walk away disappointed if you're expecting it to be anymore than that.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having "officially" been a Quaker for two years now (I became a "member" of a Meeting House in 2016, but had been attending meetings before then), I decided it was high time that I found out more about my faith. Therefore, I decided to read this brilliant overview.

Pink Dandelion - the book is surely worth reading for that name alone - provides a well-researched, concise report of the beginnings of the Quakers, how they faced the challenges of having different viewpoints from each other (they did what all people of religion do when they disagree; essentially, they go off in a huff and start their own version), and the face of Quakers today.

While I knew (vaguely) that I was a Liberal Quaker, I was surprised to find that - on the global scale of things - Liberal Quakers are in the minority. In fact, everything points to Liberal Quakers dying out by the time I am in my 50s (2030s) - more than a little depressing! Though Pink Dandelion (his name is so epic, I will always use it in full) does stress that there has been a resurgence of late & the cinema didn't die out in the 1960s as predicted. Certainly, my meeting (admittedly, one of the biggest in London) is busy enough to warrant three meetings a week and its own newsletter (edited by someone fabulous*)

I think this book is an excellent read for anyone who is either a Quaker, interested in attending Quaker meeting, or simply wants to know more about the faith. Though, in true Liberal Quaker fashion, I'd advise anyone interested in the Quakers to come to a meeting because the experience is the most important thing.

* = Who just happens to be moi.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I went to a Quaker high school that had Silent Meeting every week, and although I've had a few periods of sporadically attending meeting for worship at Brooklyn Monthly Meeting as an adult, before reading this book I didn't know much about the history of Quakerism, or about current Quaker practice in areas other than New York/New England/Pennsylvania. I could have told you that George Fox is considered Quakerism's founder, and that Quakerism started in England, but I couldn't have told you much beyond that. I didn't even know that Friends today come in Evangelical, Conservative, and Liberal varieties, with the Evangelical ones being far more numerous globally. (Evangelical Quakers are Christian, with pastors and "programmed" worship that involves silence but also may involve preaching and singing; Conservative Quakers are Christian but with "unprogrammed" worship centered on silence, speaking if moved by God; Liberal Quakers, which are the kind I knew about, may or may not be Christian, and also have "unprogrammed" worship centered on silence, speaking if moved by what Dandelion at one point in the book calls "God, or 'God', or not-God-but" (107).)

This book is fairly dry, but it covers a lot of ground despite its short length and I definitely feel like I know more about Quakerism than I did before. I found the chapter on ecumenism less interesting than the others, but I like how Dandelion quotes from various primary sources, including George Fox's journals and letters, and how he traces different strains of Quaker belief, theology, and practice from the 1600s through to the 21st century.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very simple introduction and overview of the Quakers. And, it was quite insightful, especially to those of us who know nothing of the Quakers. The only downside is that this book is written primarily, though not exclusively, from the perspective of British Quakerism. The author is to be applauded, however, for his efforts in often drawing from American Quakerism as well. One of the most refreshing things about Quakerism is that it can be described in such a short book. Primarily, because there is no centralized system of beliefs, creeds, and doctrines. Though there are different strains of Quakers, nothing is systematized. Focus is on the inner light, the divine within, learning from the spirit; and not solely from scripture, pastor or priest. This, in my view, deconstructs the religious institutions that many of us know so well, and places the focus on revelation, growth, and maturity upon our individual faith in God.

Very well written and concise for such a short read. Hats off to author Pink Dandelion.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as it was one of the only short introductions to the Quakers that I could find. However, as someone completely new to Quakerism (aside from knowing some of the ways they have aided in various social and political movements), I found this book provided much more information than I was able to take in. The first half of the book focuses very heavily on the history of Quakerism, after only a couple of pages explaining who the Quakers actually are. Obviously this is a personal preference, but I feel some of the topics that come up at the end of the book, such as distinctions between Evangelical, Conservative and Liberal Quakerism may have been best placed at the front of the book before we delved deep into the origins of Quakerism.
Overall, however, the book was very informative, and having read it and feeling that I am more knowledgeable about the Quakers, I feel a second read of this book would be far more beneficial than my confused first wander through it!

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a clear explanation of what exactly IS Quakerism! I now see it as the centuries-long grapple with how inward spirituality fits into a larger group of individuals. It is not a theology or doctrine, though it descended from Christianity. As members of the Liberal Quakers have made it more radically individualized and liberal, it has disintegrated as a religion and the more mainstream Christian Evangelical Quakers seem to be dominating around the world. Perhaps this is because religion is inherently a group activity and the individual was destined to vanish into the whole.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dense and academic. It excels at explaining the three types of Quaker meetings. I found it helpful in understanding my local Meeting more.

I would not recommend this for a newcomer to Quakerism or a seeker that wants to learn about the faith. I would recommend the Quaker Quicks book series for that audience. This is for those with some experience that want a brief understanding of Quaker history, types, and methods.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very comprehensive 'short introduction'. Like other books in the series written for non specialists from an academic viewpoint by a specialist in the field. Covers both beginnings, history and theology with a good overview and taking an international look, especially towards the end when he is looking towards the future.

[Iñaki Tofiño · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting something along the line of a cultural history, with explanations about the birth of the faith, its expansion, its role in peace movements... and I found a very dense treaty on Quaker theology which was simply unpalatable. My impression is that the author completely missed the point of the collection and recycled something written for a very different audience.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

did what it said on the tin. feel i have a fairly sound knowledge of the different branches of quaker belief, the direction it is moving in and elements of its earliest history. there was some repetition of facts about what each branch of quakers believes that should've been edited out but otherwise a fairly solid read.

[Reed Schwartz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a solid guide to early Quaker history and the differences between different traditions, but totally glosses over the schisms caused by the Vietnam War and the Nixon presidency–events that figured significantly in my Quaker education. There's no mention of evangelical support for the war and very little discussion of the influx of converts dodging the draft.

[Angela]

I think I mostly understand the difference between Conservative and Liberal Friends now, which is a first so I'll take it. Overall, this is fine. Somehow feels both redundant and lacking in context but I did find it useful.

Ultimately I'm not sure I'd recommend it but I did enjoy it. So there's that.

[Jessica]

Read selectively. I was inspired to learn more about Quaker theology and practice after a “Quakerism 101” sermon from a guest minister at church, during which I learned that my denomination had at one time discussed merging with one branch of Quakers.

[Barbara Carder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening .... the origin of Quakerism in England in the 1600s with George Fox and followers including New York state's Elias Hicks from Long Island who is a key figure in the history of Quakers. Excellent bibliography.

[Lawrence Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative

I found it interesting. Lots of information packed into a short space. It is enough to wet the appetite for more if this subject interests you.

[Dylan Groves · Rating 3 out of 5]

+1 star for author name

[Melissa Barbosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't know anything about Quakerism, so I learned a lot of new things.

[Kate Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of a complex subject. Very easy to read.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it did briefly explain the Quakers and some things that happened to them including schisms.
Not a flattering portrayal, it was okay.

[Brynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

like one long wikipedia article. a very helpful primer

[Daniel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 1: Who are the Quakers?
Chapter 2: The history of Quakerism
Chapter 3: Worship
Chapter 4: Belief
Chapter 5: Theology and language
Chapter 6: Ecumenism
Chapter 7: The future of Quakerism

[Dimitrii Ivanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, simple and easy overview of history, practices, beliefs and present of the Harmless and Innocent People of God called Quakers. An interesting group, and the book explains why and how.