Book Description

As the leader of one of the most progressive religious sects to emerge from England, William Penn envisioned Pennsylvania as an example of how a God-inspired society could succeed in the wilderness of North America.

However, once in the New World, Quakers pursued both wealth and power, proving that even the most devout could not resist the temptations of the New World.Despite this moral struggle, Pennsylvania , succeeded beyond anyone’s imagination. By Penn’s death in 1718, Pennsylvania was well on its way to becoming the most commercially successful colonial enterprise in English history.

This new addition to the Library of American Biography Series vividly follows Penn from his time in England, the son of a revered war hero, to his controversial conversion to the Quaker faith, to the realization of his dream: the holy experiment, Pennsylvania.

Quaker, Pennsylvania, American colonies, William Penn. United States Survey 1, Upper-level colonial history courses

Customer Reviews (2)

Intriguing and very all-encompassing
The biography, William Penn and the Quaker Legacy by John A. Moretta recounts the life of well-known pacifist, Quaker, and creator of Pennsylvania, William Penn.Penn impacted both American and English society by being an outspoken proponent of religious freedom and for reflecting his Quaker ideals in his political decisions.Moretta's biography takes one on a journey through Penn's turbulent political, spiritual, and emotional life.
William Penn was born in 1644, the son of a wealthy English sea captain, and lived a lonely childhood in a home with a father who was rarely present. He was put into both classical and practical schooling, however his true interest was intense reading of the Bible and pondering the Quaker messages of George Fox.As a young boy Penn became enraptured by Quaker practices and much to his father's chagrin, at age 23, he became a devoted follower.While father and son rarely understood each other, the relations his father's status allowed him to develop, like his friendship with King Charles and his brother James, would be how Penn was able to succeed throughout his life.
Penn created a stir in England and Ireland by preaching, debating, and, after being imprisoned, writing pamphlets extolling and validating the Quaker tradition.Some of his main arguments were that one should always live and dress in a plain way, people were naturally good, and that Jesus preached the brotherhood of man, meaning no wars or arms.Penn's family status, money, and his cunning use of words managed to get him out of jail the many times that he was imprisoned by the angry puritans.
As a young man Penn realized Quakers would never be free to worship in England and became fully dedicated to the development of a safe haven for Quakers and all other religious people in the New World.In 1676 Penn began the intense planning and negotiations for the colony which would meet many obstacles in the following decades.The colony was to be built on the idea that all men and women could own land and worship their own religion.While most of Penn's plans did not work out, one of the biggest things he accomplished was a peaceable relation with the Native Americans.Political disputes, personal debt, and constant pressure from the Crown and surrounding colonies kept William and Pennsylvania in a constant state of turmoil, having Pennsylvania's economic prosperity being one of the few things keeping the experiment alive.By 1700 Pennsylvania had become a state of 15,000 people, largely in part to internal emigration by people from other states wanting to worship freely and escape militia duty.Penn died in 1718 at the age of 73 having had two wives, numerous children, and many trials that he overcame using his prestige, support from the Friends, and his intelligence.He left the right to govern Pennsylvania, a state where people of different religions coexisted, with the Crown and gave the land to twelve people in American and England, including his wife.
This book was full of historical detail regarding Penn's life and gave tremendous insight in to William Penn as a person rather than just what he accomplished.Bringing in Penn's attitudes to issues allowed the book to read smoothly and allowed the reader to understand Penn on a deeper level.I particularly enjoyed how Moretta would tie a lot of events back to Penn's relationships with people important to him; his father, mother, wife, children.This put in perspective that Penn was still a human being and not just a machine who was constantly working to accomplish his next great thing.However, occasionally it would quickly skip over key historical events, requiring one to do further research into the time that Penn was living. Also, perhaps to make the book a smooth read, I frequently found myself wondering the date in which something had occurred.Oftentimes I was confused as to whether it was that in one particular year a tremendous number of events occurred or if that the writer was presenting information that spanned over a number of years.Even when I looked back to pages I had already read, this never became clear to me.
In my opinion the book made the key historical developments in Penn's life unclear because it gave a very similar amount of attention to things that seemed to be of varying importance.In that sense I wish the book had been more succinct in clearly elaborating or stating that certain events had a particularly large impact on history or Penn's life.Also, because there was so much detail about trivial events, I found the book could be repetitive and felt that the information could have been condensed.
Moretta's book left me with a deep respect for Penn and appreciation for the fact that he had been a far from perfect person but had still done tremendous good in his life.I was confused regarding certain historical developments that had been glossed over in the book (The Glorious Revolution, the Great Fire of London, the reign of William and Mary) and was curious to research more.In regards to Penn's development of the state of Pennsylvania, I did find myself wondering how much of his endeavor was a desire for religious freedom and how much was a desire to fulfill his need to wander and quest for economic prosperity.William Penn lived a determined life full of a quest for more and attaining a deeper understanding of these has made me have a strong appreciation for his strength to persevere through the tremendous opposition he met along the way.

A Much Needed Book
I am very pleased to find a book on this topic.Although his writing sometimes seems a little more aimed at college/ history students than the general public, John Moretta does a good job of drawing a full, yet succinct, picture of the man and his times.The content and the topic make this book a very worthwhile purchase.
Besides being a valuable lesson on a significant part of our nation's history, there is much to learn from reflection on Penn's life. His journey from being a child of privilege, rejecting that heritage, embracing egalitarianism and eventually returning to a preference for privilege is a good representation of the way many people travel a full circle in their lives.His desire to both profit personally while at the same time helping others with the founding of a colony ended up benefiting others but not himself.The conflict of idealism and financial pragmatism is a dilemna countless individuals with an altruistic bent must confront as well.And there are many other valuable reflections as well.
For more information on the founding of the Quaker movement, see "First Among Friends: George Fox and the Creation of Quakerism" by H. Larry Ingle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mastering the paradox
The illustrations are wonderful!To start with that recommends the book, but the dynamic tension of trying to find what a life lived in the Holy Spirit looks, feels and sounds like animates these selections.Althoughall the authors are Quakers, anyone can identify with their striving tochoose what God would have them do and finding that it often eludes words. The dialectic between two ways of telling about the experience, one fromthe holiness of Wesleyanism and the other from a more traditional Friendsright discernment of God's will for action in the world, gives depth towhat could have been merely repetitious. ... Read more

Book Description
Silence is a key characteristic of Quaker worship.The author shares his experience of learning to wait in the silence and find God. Perfect for seekers, inquirers and seasoned Friends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

THE SILENCE SPEAKS
THE WRITER IS PERSONAL AND NOT AFRAID TO BARE HIS SOUL.HE TRAVELS US THROUGH HIS "FINDING" HIMSELF AND THE QUAKER RELIGION AND GROWING THROUGH HIS DISCOVERIES.
I AM ENJOYING THE BOOK, HAVING A HERITAGE OF QUAKERISM WITHOUT THE UPBRINGING NOR EXPERIENCE.

An excellent read, if not original
"Encounter With Silence" is a most impressive, if not original, outline of the Quaker tradition which dates back to the middle seventeenth century.

The book, written by Quaker John Punshon and controversial theologian Matthew Fox (who gives a useful introduction from his experience of Quakers), aims to outline the distinctive practices involved in Quakerism and does so most effectively because Punshon is able to write so well from the experience of his own life. He shows how silence aims to produce recollection in those who encounter it and the existence of historical precendents for the Quakers before the seventeeth century. Punshon understands effectively how the first Friends saw convincement (being reborn as a Quaker).

Punshon then focuses on unprogrammed Quaker worship and the manner in which it occurs through believers coming together in silence to pray. He is very effective in focusing on the enviroment created by the simplicity of worship so evident in Quakerism, and he does a useful job of understanding the way in which Quakerism has evolved into the present.

The next part of the book looks at the Quaker testimony and the way in which Punshon was attracted to Quakerism and the meaning of this "Testimony" which is expressed, Punshon feels, through one's life rather than though the Testimony's words.

The remainder of the book aims to deal with the way in which Quaker ethics can be expressed in everyday life. Punshon shows very well who a Quaker meeting can be used to avoid distractions from everyday life, but he spends a lot of the book explaining how one still has to "know how to feel". The book then turns to the meaning of ministry and the rhythm of the unprogrammed meeting.

Punshon does an effective job at remembering what he has learnt throughout the book, especially with repect to the various pieces of Quaker ministry. He does a very good job about explaining how ministry comes to people, and how harmony comes to a religious community.

The next piece focuses on the way in which Quaker principles are applied outside of worship, with examples relating to decision making and being faithful ("if you are faithful in little you will be faithful in much"), and how Friends do not seek to avoid conflict in their opinions. The last few chapters of the book are focused on how Quaker principles are applied in daily life.

Whilst none of Punshon's these are original, they are still a very good read.

Inspiring
An excellent apologetic for the Quaker approach to faith.Although Punshon is not well known, he is an outstanding and eloquent writer -- one of the best writers on religious issues I've encountered since Thomas Merton.He makes a strong case for an approach to faith that is groundedboth in contemplation and prophetic action; two areas thatare often seenas mutually exclusive.

The book is succinct and to the point and willenhance your understanding of Christianity even if Quakerism is not yourinterest.Punshon takes a common sense approach to much of much ofChristian doctrine and even manages to make sense of the sometimesmystifying (to the nonChristian) belief in the divinity of Christ. Especially recommended to agnostics or struggling Christians although itshould be noted that Punshon is equally critical of the liberal andconservative wings of the Quaker movement. END ... Read more

Product Description
Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. I - VI (SIX Volumes)A Complete Searchable Publication on CD by William Wade Hinshaw originally published by Edwards Brothers, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1938 Almost no class of records, religious or secular, has been kept as meticulously as the monthly meeting records of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The oldest such records span three centuries of American history and testify to a general movement of population that extended from New England and the Middle Atlantic states southward to Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia; then west to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The importance of these records cannot be overstated. Not until recently have the vital statistics of Quakers been recorded in civil record offices. Thus, for more than two centuries, the only vital records identifying these people are to be met with in the Quaker records themselves. Fortunately, the monthly meeting records contain extensive lists of births, marriages, and deaths, as well as details of the removal of members from one meeting to another. ... Read more

Book Description
Quaker women in the eighteenth century were carrying on the faith and activity of their seventeenth-century forebears, but as a group their lives and writings have been neglected in modern times by both Quaker and other historians. Gil Skidmore brings together a rich array of letters, spiritual autobiographies, journals, and memoirs to put the lives and concerns of these women into context. ... Read more

Product Description
Three of Penn's most important works: Some Fruits of Solitude, More Fruits of Solitude, and The Rise and Progress of the People Called Quakers. ... Read more

Book Description
An eloquent introduction to Quaker spirituality---for all who are seeking a fresh approach to God.

People of all faiths and backgrounds are drawn to silence. We yearn for it in these busy and difficult times, but often, when silence becomes available, we don't know what to do with it.

For centuries, Quakers have taught that when we are silent, God grants us insights, guidance, and spiritual understanding that is different from what we might realize in our noisy, everyday lives. This wise book invites us to discover this and other unique gifts of the Quaker way. It is a satisfying experience and taste of a spiritual tradition unflinching in its dedication to listening for the sounds and voice of God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

...well...
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed, especially after all those quite good reviews I've read here before I've ordered the book. I only just got interested in Quakerism and since you can't get much on the subject in Germany I've ordered a couple from the States. I'm quite glad I've read a fair bit on Quakerism on the internet before the book arrived cause otherwise I would have lost interest straight away. All the way throughhe makes it sound like there is only one way of worship and he points out that Quakerism is rooted in Christianity and so on. Well yes, but it would have been nice to read a bit more about it than his personal conservative view (and bible quotes). Bill's view is not the only one and certainly different in other parts of the world. I can imagine the book is quite good though when you are a Friend or at least familiar with the whole subject. But not as a newcomer.

popular quaker theology
"I have often repented of speech," wrote the fourth-century desert father Arsenios, "but never of silence." In this simple and popularly written book, J. Brent Bill introduces readers to the "holy hush" theology and practice of Quaker spirituality. Quakers number only about 200,000 people in the United States, but their influence extends far beyond that tiny remnant. With no creed, no liturgy, no sacred place defined by architecture, no observance of holy days, no sacraments, and no professional clergy, Quaker simplicity revolves around silence, both in personal spirituality and in corporate worship. Silence is what Bill calls the Quaker "sacrament," that place where a believer meets the real presence of Christ. Given the ambient noise in so much of our culture, silence is a gift most believers would do well to cultivate, and Quakers can help show us the way. Throughout his six chapters Bill shares his own personal successes and failures (banging nails on Good Friday, his divorce, visiting a Catholic church, etc.), and intersperses the texts with "Quietude Queries" that serve as guided self-examinations to help readers hear the voice of God. At the end of the book a glossary provides simple definitions for common Quaker terms, while a section called "Words on Silence" gives fifteen annotated suggestions for further reading (but where was Richard Foster?!). Readers will need to consult other books for more technical treatments of Quaker history, theology, and ethics (cf. pacifism), but I will say this--reading Bill's book tempted me to visit the Quaker meeting place not far from my house.

The Sacrament of Silence

INTRODUCTION:
If you were every wondering what makes Quakers stand out from the rest of the Christian traditions, it is their simplicity, their emphasis on a worship comprised of 'holy silence' and their pacifist stand.They are also known as the "the Society of Friends."Reading this book I could only be tempted to visit the closest Quaker meeting place in my Santa Cruz.

AUTHOR:
In the tradition of Richard Foster (another great Quaker author - "Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth") - J. Brent Bill expands our horizon about Christian spirituality.Bill focuses on one primary aspect of Quaker life - silence.

CONTENT:
In this book I was introduced to the "holy hush" theology and practice of Quaker spirituality.The Friends have their origin in 17th century England, have no liturgy, no creed, no observance of a Christian calendar, no professional clergy, and above all no sacrament (maybe silence is the exception).The simplicity of the Quakers is centered in "silence" - both in their corporate worship and in their personal spiritual life."Holy Silence"six chapters discusses how to find silence amid the noise of daily life, ways to practice silence both individually and communally, and how to listen to God with one's whole heart and mind.

CONCLUSION:
I have never read anything like this before.For someone who values moments of solitude, of escape from noise (external and internal), and deep personal peace, I had a lot to learn from fellow Christian J. Brent Bill.In our post-modern fast-paced society and our chatty & noisy personal lives, "holy silence" can be something very elusive to attain ... but a valuable treasure, nevertheless..

A compassionate and devout guide
Holy Silence: The Gift Of Quaker Spirituality by J. Brent Bill ( Executive Vice President of the Indianapolis Center For Congregations Inc.) is an invitation for readers of all faiths to discover spirituality through the Quaker way of listening for the voice of God in silence. Chapters discuss how to find silence amid the noise of daily life, ways to practice silence both individually and communally, and how to listen to God with one's whole heart and mind. "Quietude Queries" such as "Have I ever been a part of a 'non-church' experience where I felt God's presence? What made me feel that God was there?" are suggested for contemplation while experiencing the spiritual transcendence of silence. A compassionate and devout guide recommended to Christian readers of all denominational affiliations.

I like it!
I pre-read Holy Silence to see if it would be suitable for my Quaker meeting's study group.I've been a Quaker for 42 years, andHoly Silence is helpful for both the experienced practicer of silent worship and the newcomer.When I recommended the book to our study group, it was with the proviso that while Brent Bill is not at all doctrinaire, he does make heavy use of Christian metaphors, which the Universalists in the group should be prepared to learn from.If the Universalists in your group are similarly non-doctrinaire about their Universalism, they can profit from the book.If some metaphor sticks in someone's craw, my advice would be to challenge the group to brainstorm together how else to express the idea. Throughout the book Bill has inserted opportunities to experience silence while responding to a query.I will recommend to the study group that we respond to the Quietude Queries together, and afterward share what bubbled up to us during the silences. I look forward to reading the book again in the company of good Friends. ... Read more

Book Description
Shares an introduction to Quaker spirituality covering its history,significant voices, and its characteristic themes, including silent worship, the way ofsimplicity, prayer, discernment, and an emphasis on inner growth. ... Read more

Book Description
Here in one volume is combined a history of the Quakers in Ireland and inPennsylvania--a work no less esteemed for its invaluable abstracts of genealogical sourcematerials. The Appendix, comprising fully one-third of the volume, includes biographicalsketches and abstracts of certificates of removal received at various monthly meetings, togetherproviding such information as dates of birth, marriage and death, places of residence in Ireland,names of family members, dates of immigration, and places of residence in Pennsylvania. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Daughters of Light by Rebecca Larson is a startling reassessment of the place of women in American colonial history. Larson's story of 18th-century Quaker women describes women's power in popular reform movements of that era, and explores Quaker women's redefinitions of marriage and motherhood. Colonial Quakers, like their contemporary descendants, believed that "the Holy Spirit had been planted in the hearts of all humans to inwardly teach them."Although Quakers had strict rules regarding women's dress, language, and behavior, Quaker women were never denied their claims of a direct connection to God. (Their Puritan sisters, by contrast, practiced a religion that idealized female submission in both the earthly and spiritual realms.) So when Quaker women believed they were called to preach--in meeting houses, courthouses, and private homes; to other Quakers, to Native Americans, and to ecumenical audiences; in the West Indies, England, Europe, and the American colonies--they were given the freedom to do so. All domestic duties were configured to account for divine demands. (The Spirit leading Quaker women, as one wrote, "was to me like a needle of a compass ... for so it pointed where I ought to go.")

Daughters of Light begins with a deft summary of Quaker history; it moves on to consider the theological justification for women's preaching, the ways in which women discerned their callings and arranged their journeys, and the effects of these journeys on private life, on Quaker communities abroad, and on the larger culture of colonial America. Larson is best, however, at describing the transformations wrought by these journeys on the women's inner lives. "Thy mother is become very courageous in riding thru deep waters and over rocky mountains beyond what I could expect," one woman wrote to another's child, in 1724. "She says fear is taken away from her and that she is born up by a secret hand, which I am very glad of and thankful to the Lord for." --Michael Joseph GrossBook Description
More than a thousand Quaker female ministers were active in the Anglo-American world before the Revolutionary War, when the Society of Friends constituted the colonies' third-largest religious group. Some of these women circulated throughout British North America; others crossed the Atlantic to deliver their inspired messages. In this public role, they preached in courthouses, meeting houses, and private homes, to audiences of men and women, to Quakers and to those of other faiths, to Native Americans and to slaves.

Utilizing the Quakers' rich archival sources, as well as colonial newspapers and diaries, Rebecca Larson reconstructs the activities of these women. She offers striking insights into the ways their public, authoritative role affected the formation of their identities, their families, and their society. Extensively researched and compellingly written, Daughters of Light enriches our understanding of religion and women's lives in colonial America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very readable scholarly work
Daughters of Light reveals much about 18th Century society and shows how the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) furthered feminism by allowing and encouraging women from all walks of life to preach, although neither the Quakers of the time nor the book focuses mainly on feminism. Thesewomen traveled widely and enjoyed freedom of movement that was unheard offor women of other religions. They also had tremendous spiritual authority.The book is illustrated with specimen letters, excerpts from diaries, andpictures. ... Read more

Book Description
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 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very thorough introduction to Quakerism
I found this book very informative. It explains various aspects of what Quakers believe and why, and history of the Quaker faith.It discusses silent worship, Quakers view on communion and baptism, the Quaker testimonies, and much more.If you have a questions about what a Quaker believes and why, this is the book to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of "Mim and the KLAN
Nicely illustrated by Quaker graphic designer, Susanna Peebles Combs, Mim and the KLAN contains twenty chapters of three to five pages each. Set in the author's home of Wabash County, Indiana in 1969, detailed descriptions of rural family farm life invoke memories of a radically different American life style. The teen-age main characters, Mim and her cousin Karen, are children of a Quaker farming family, and so their lives and conversations revolve around experience of farms, animals, extended family and their Quaker Meeting. The skeletal story of the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana laced into the main story line creates a sharply conflicting value system to the rural Quakers. "I [Mim] told Karen what Grampa and Grams had told me. 'The Klan was here in Indiana - not just the South. And it was here in our county - even among our church members.' I thought we were past all that bigotry - prejudice." "Karen, I am ashamed to say this is a state that still [1969] harbors prejudice." (page 21). The story then moves smartly along, yet retains its integrity and homespun character.
Karen cans strawberries and Mim raises animals for show (4-H) at the Indiana State Fair while a parallel story finds the Klan, the Quaker Meeting and public institutions, both at county and state levels in mutual support of one another.Strange bedfellows indeed; William Penn's "Holy Experiment" failure in 17th century Pennsylvania illustrated the incongruity of Quaker values and the moral inversion of politics, but for the Klan to have gained credibility and support in a Quaker Meeting is truly remarkable. Mim does some library research about the Klan and uncovers rather embarrassing facts about their Quaker Meeting and a mob lynching of two black men a generation ago. But the Klan=s tentacles reach down through the generations, and a close family friend agonizing through serious self-examination in a context of typical Quaker sympathy, trust and cooperative association highlights the starkly contrasting values.
A new friend, Jonathan, a young African-American man and expert harness race driver, is introduced by scenes at the State Fair, while Mim and Karen challenge contemporary stereotypes and the harsh consequences of prejudicial thinking that dominate public thought. Quaker values, and Klan values which still permeate society today, conflict directly in the final chapters where Mim and Karen make assumptions about Jonathan radically different than the police.
Thematically, there are dimensions of value systems that make the book appealing to reflective people of any age.Quaker communities implicitly assume that we are spiritual beings on a human journey, and so embrace trust, sympathy and mutual support for one another. The Quaker commitment to living in community, caring for others and grounding their spiritual guidance in the form of questions (The Queries) make it natural to extend community to other people without judgment. The Ku Klux Klan on the other hand, prides itself on ethnic superiority, mindless antagonism and hatred expressed in intimidation and murder - the polar opposite of community (pages 88 - 92).Precedence for such moral inversion is as old as history itself (Isaiah 5:20), and remains with us in the form of 'market morality', 'growth and progress', 'ethnic cleansing' and other popular political and business euphemisms. The Quaker community in the story, and in reality, is in sharp contrast to political, 'market' values where mutual adversity and competition replace cooperative association; predatory economics replaces sympathy, and contractual penalty replaces trust.
Cynthia Stanley Russell's book is rich with implied questions for discussion among young people. It would work well in youth discussion groups in which each participant has read the book at least once, and enters the discussion with questions well prepared. It is also a suitable reading for university classes in ethics, Indiana history and sociology.Mim and the Klan has a nice flow, well integrated themes and is grounded in a fertile history. There are many questions elicited by this book, and thoughtful adults who look past the surface structure will find a deep, rich significance for their own lives. ... Read more