Book review by Topsy Evans, South Australia Regional Meeting

The Spirit of the  Quakers by Geoffrey Durham (Published in the Sacred Literature Series by Yale  University, 2010. ISBN 978 0 300 16736 8  242pp)

The author, Geoffrey Durham, was  a founding member of Britain Yearly  Meeting’s Quaker Quest. His book  is really an extensive anthology of  Quaker writings, from George Fox to  Pierre Ceresole, via our own Elizabeth  Stevenson, Margaret Bearlin and  William Oats. The passages quoted can  be quite long from George Fox, Mary  Pennington and John Woolman, or  shorter from the more modern writers.  It is well organised with the passages  quoted illustrating various aspects of  Quaker thought and in particular the  modern day Testimonies.

I was given my copy by the Pauline  Sisters who provided the wider range  of books for our bookstall at Yearly  Meeting in Wollongong. They were full  of apologies because they had received  their copies after packing up the stock  to go to Yearly Meeting. There are  Pauline Media bookshops in several  of the capital cities and they were able  to get several more copies for me very  quickly.

This anthology is the best summary  of Quaker thought that I have seen and  is well worth adding to your Quaker  library.

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