The Meeting library contains a few of the books listed her. They and many other volumes you may find interesting, may be checked out by simply signing you name on the checkout list provided. Please be careful to return our books once you have read them. They are dear to us and we want to see them both used and well cared for. (Books not in our library may be purchased from various sources. Please ask if you are interested in this information.)
Bacon, Margaret Hope. The Quiet Rebels: The story of the Quakers in America. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1985
A contemporary history of American Quakers, giving special attention to the Quaker contribution to the history and development of nonviolent action.
Brinton, Howard H. Guide to Quaker Practice. Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Pendle Hill, 1942.
The basics explained by a”a weighty Friend” (a Friend with a great deal of experience in the faith).
Friend s for Three Hundred Years. Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Pendle Hill, 1965.
A classic and readable overview of Quaker history.
Cobin, Martin. From Convincement to Conversion. Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Pendle Hill, 1964.
Part of the excellent series of pamphlets published by the Quaker retreat and education center known as Pendle Hill, this little volume talks about becoming a Quaker..
Fox, George. Journal of George Fox. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends with permission form the London Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 1985.
A lengthy volume (more than 70 pages) by the founder of Quakerism, written in the English of the seventeenth century. A fine resource about the earliest experiences in the founding of the Religious Society of Friends.
Hartog, Jan de. The Peaceable Kingdom: An American Saga. New York: Atheneum, 1971.
This extensive novel covers the early years of Quakerism, both in England and the in the United States. It’s sometimes out of print, but is often found in public libraries.
Kelly, Thomas R. A Testament of Devotion. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1941. Large print edition: New York: Wallen and Company, 1987.
A deep, lyrical expression of the essence of Quaker mysticism. This is one of the classic readings for individuals interested in understanding the experience of the Inner Light.
Loring, Patricia. Listening Spirituality, Volume 1: Personal Spiritual Practices among Friends. Washington Grove, Maryland: Opening Press, 1997.
Spiritual formation is the process of deepening the spiritual life through practices that include prayer, devotion, meditation and listening to God. This volume examines spiritual growth for the individual.
Loring, Patricia. Listening Spirituality, Volume 2: Corporate Spiritual Practices among Friends. Washington Grove, Maryland: Opening Press, 1999.
The second volume in this set emphasizes the community and suggests practices for discernment within groups.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Faith and Practice of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends: A Book of Christian Discipline. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1998.
There are many “Faith and Practice” guides published by yearly meetings. It provides a clear and detailed understanding of one yearly meetings approach to Quaker Faith and putting that faith into practice. A good resource for understanding unprogrammed Quakerism as generally practiced in the United States.
Punshon, John. Encounter with Silence: Reflections form the Quaker Tradition. Richmond, Indiana: Friends United Press, 1987.
British Quaker, John Punshon offers simple but exceptional thoughts on silence, discernment, prayer, and worship from the perspective of the Quaker unprogrammed meeting,
Renfer, Linda H., ed. Daily Readings from Quaker Writings, Ancient and Modern. Grants Pass, Oregon: Serenity Press, 1988.
A generous and wide ranging collection of abbreviated readings from Quaker sources.
Sheeran, Michael J. Beyond Majority Rule: Voteless Decisions if the Religious Society of Friends. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 1983.
Written by a Catholic scholar, this volume provides an outsider’s view of how the Quaker method of decision making is deeply entrenched in scripture and holds a possible answer to the common contemporary wish for advancement beyond the fragmented individuation of “liberal” men and women.
West, Jessamyn, compiler. The Quaker Reader. New York: Viking Press, 1962.
Brief biographies and writings of Quakers from George Fox to Robert Barclay. Includes a Quaker chronology. Good overview of the beliefs of Quakers over more than three centuries.
Woolman, John. The Journal of John Woolman. Secaudus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1961.
John Woolman, an early American Friend with a strong conscience, creative convictions and an ability to share his spiritual life through words, left a journal that has enhanced the lives of many who came after him.
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