An Introduction to Quakerism

by Pink Dandelion

This is a comprehensive introduction to Quakerism which balances a history of the theology of the Quakers or Friends with an overview of present day practice. It charts the growth of the Quaker movement through the 1650s and 1660s, its different theological emphasis in the eighteenth century, and the schisms of the nineteenth century which resulted in the range of Quaker traditions found around the world today. The book focuses in particular on notions of 'endtime', 'spiritual intimacy', and what counts as 'the world' as key areas of theological change. The second half of the book uses extracts from Quaker texts to highlight differences in belief and approach between the different traditions and analyses their future prospects. The book is generously illustrated and includes numerous diagrams to help the reader. Undergraduate and graduate students will find this an essential introduction to the Quaker movement.

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

294 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Twila Newey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Introduction to Quakerism, Pink Dandelion 255pp. A broad academic look at Quaker history and theology. I've been attending a Quaker Meeting a couple of times a month and was initially attracted by the lack of hierarchy, commitment to social justice, and simplicity as core values. This book confirmed that Quakers did things like outlawing slavery in their own communities almost 100 years prior to the rest of the U.S. The women were naturally drawn to the fight for women's rights, because they were treated as spiritual equals from the inception of the religion. They also went through long periods of creating all the trappings, so common to other religions, and classifying people as more and less righteous by their level of adherence to certain codes of dress and behaviors. It was helpful in giving me some understanding of the splits that have occurred over time and insight into the type of meeting I'm currently attending, as well as describing the approach and significance of stillness as spiritual practice.

I'm also beginning to make connections across reading materials, which is very satisfying. For instance, in Marilynne Robinson's intro. to "When I Was a Child I Read Books", she calls Walt Whitman a Quaker. I'd never heard that, though you can certainly hear the Quaker ideas in Leaves of Grass, which I'm currently listening to and reading. So I googled it. He was not a Quaker, but Elias Hicks was an early and profound influence. I would have had no idea who Mr. Hicks was or what his influence meant, but knowing that he was the leader of a major theological schism in Quakerism where he claimed the guidance of "inner light" as the ultimate authority, and opposed the adoption of pastors and ultimate scriptural authority, illuminates the significance of his influence. You can decidedly hear that line of thought drawn out in Leaves of Grass. I love books.

[Marie Zenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatively thorough history & philosophy of Quakers and the different internal sects. A great start for my research.

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative! After reading this book, the names of all the various branches of Quakerism in the US are much less confusing. It also answers why nowadays Quakers don't usually dress historically-plain and have colours and art.

[Fiona Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, especially if you wish to explore the history of Quakerism and an overview of how it has developed and evolved.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pink Dandelion is an internationally known scholar on Quaker history and thought. I heard him speak on the history of Quaker theology a few years ago and became intrigued enough to pick up this book and learn more. In it, Dandelion walks the reader through the basic ideas, practices and tenets of Quakerism from its mid-17th century beginnings in England, through the diversity of strains that evolved in the movement during the 19th century, especially in the US, to its current incarnations worldwide in the 20th and 21st centuries.

A lot of the focus of this exploration is on how Quakers viewed themselves eschatologically. Were the Quakers, "the beginning of the end?" And if they did view themselves as sanctified and set apart in some special way, how did this affect their relationship with "the world?" As the movement grew older, how did this view of the place of Quakers in history change? And how did Quaker theology shift to cope with changing views of the end times and of the larger believing and non-believing world?

For a practicing Quaker this is a fascinating book. If, like me, you belong to a Friends meeting but are aware of other "brands" of Friends, and want to know what makes those "other" Quakers tick, this might just be the book for you. Dandelion does a nice job of being descriptive and informative without taking sides. He describes the influences that caused the Orthodox, Hicksite, Wilburite and Gurneyite splits. And he effectively describes the major schools of thought in present-day Quakerism worldwide and suggests some possible future trajectories based on current trends.

I will warn you however that for someone not familiar with Quakerism at all, this book drops a lot of names and references with only the briefest of explanations. If you are not already familiar with some of the major Quaker historical figures and some of the basic Quaker nomenclature, this book might just leave you swimming. So although it calls itself "An Introduction to Quakerism," it might not be the ideal starting place to learn about Quakers for the non-initiated.

[Itai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Pink Dandelion is Programme Leader, Centre for Postgraduate Quaker Studies at Woodbrooke Quaker Studies Centre and Reader in Quaker Studies at the University of Birmingham. How did he come by his name? "When I was living in an anarchist peace camp, one of the few things we all agreed to do was change our names to protest against names’ being passed down from our fathers; also to choose ones that were neither obviously male or female. Quakers don’t use titles, so they would ask: “Who are you?” I would say: “Ben — but I’m not really Ben; I’m Pink Dandelion.” In the end, as more works have been published it would have been confusing to change; so I just say: “Please call me Ben Pink Dandelion.”

[Helen Lombard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Born into a Quaker family, it was nice reading about the diversity of the Quaker faith, and its complexity.
The reading is pretty dense, sometimes arid, and you do need to focus a little in the beginning to get the denominations right, but you get a clear and well written understanding of the situation.
There seems to be a small bias in favor of Liberal Quakers, but generally speaking the author stays rather neutral.

It was also neat reading how Quakers are just as picky and stubborn as any other religious group ^^

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and informative for the history of Quakerism, but I get the feeling that Dandelion does not come out of a Hicksite background, and I don't get the sense that he grasps the deep spirituality of the Hicksite branch of Quakerism. I was also a little disappointed that the second portion of the book spent comparatively little time on African and South American Quakerism as distinct from the Yearly Meetings from which they sprung.

[John Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Quakers. The writing style is a bit academic, but if you can stand that you'll be rewarded with a good understanding of Quaker history and have a good idea of what Friends are like today.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is pretty dense and heavy for an introduction, but, heck, it's an Oxford Press book, so you're in for a lecture.

Good, solid, and comprehensive look at Quakers.

[Gloria Denoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard and, in some cases, dry read, but extremely enriching, resourceful, and provocative.

[Paul Forste · Rating 2 out of 5]

For research.