by Marshall Massey
In August 2003, a newcomer to soc.religion.quaker asked for book recommendations. Marshall Massey, one of the group's most learned and consistent voices, replied with this annotated bibliography — a curated introduction to the entire landscape of Quaker reading, from George Fox's Journal to modern treatments of discernment and social order. It is not merely a list; each annotation reflects decades of engagement with the tradition and a frank willingness to name both the strengths and limitations of the books he loved.
As with the Testimonies excursus he would write the following year, Massey here functions as a teacher: patient, precise, and genuinely concerned that seekers find their footing on solid ground. The post appeared in a thread titled "basic question on pacifism" — a typical Quaker crossroads, where practical questions about peace witness lead quickly into questions of the whole tradition. The list covers five categories: writings by early Friends, historical scholarship, modern introductions, discernment and decision-making, and the Quaker view of social order.
As with any other practice, there are aspects of Quakerism that cannot be learned from books, but only by seeing examples — and by trying it yourself.
Writings by Early Friends
John L. Nickalls, ed., The Journal of George Fox (London Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 1975).
The greatest work of Quakerism's principal co-founder. (His "epistles" — letters — are also good.) I recommend this edition in preference to others, because it includes the text of the Short Journal, and also quite a number of useful notes.
The Works of Isaac Penington: A Minister of the Gospel in the Society of Friends, in four volumes (Quaker Heritage Press, 1995–1997).
An expensive purchase, but if you can afford it, well worth the money. Penington was one of the most powerful thinkers and writers among early Friends; his protégés included both Robert Barclay and William Penn.
Robert Barclay, An Apology for the True Christian Divinity (1676–78; Quaker Heritage Press edition, 2002).
The basic book of Quaker theology. One may quarrel with details of it (e.g., not all early Friends conceived the Light precisely as Barclay did, and not all modern Friends do, either), but it is of outstanding quality overall, and it is easy to see why Friends quote it constantly even today. Note that I recommend the Quaker Heritage Press edition, not the paraphrase by Dean Freiday.
Hugh Barbour & Arthur Roberts, eds., Early Quaker Writings 1650–1700 (1973; Wallingford PA: Pendle Hill Publications, 2003).
Newly reprinted after far too long a wait. Every Friend on the Web ought to order this book immediately.
Phillips P. Moulton, ed., The Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman (Oxford Univ. Press, 1971).
The best-loved and best-remembered voice from the second century of Quakerism.
Writings about the Early Quaker Movement
Hugh Barbour, The Quakers in Puritan England (1964; Richmond IN: Friends United Press, 1985).
Elbert Russell, The History of Quakerism (Friends United Press, 1979).
John Punshon, Portrait in Grey (London: Quaker Home Service, 1984).
Douglas Gwyn, Apocalypse of the Word. The Life and Message of George Fox (Friends United Press, 1986).
Douglas Gwyn, The Covenant Crucified: Quakers and the Rise of Capitalism (Wallingford PA: Pendle Hill Publications, 1995).
Modern Introductory Works about Quakerism
Howard Brinton, Friends for 300 years, second edn. (Pendle Hill Publications, 1952, 1964).
Flawed by the biases that Brinton learned from Rufus Jones (neoplatonism and progressivism in particular), but still outstanding. Note that Brinton speaks from the unprogrammed tradition: he does not do justice to the programmed side of Quakerism.
D. Elton Trueblood, The People Called Quakers (Friends United Press, 1966).
Pastoral Quakerism's chief counterpart to Brinton's work. Not as good a book, but good for comparing.
William Wistar Comfort, Just Among Friends: The Quaker Way of Life, fifth edn. (Philadelphia PA: American Friends Service Committee, 1968).
An often overlooked gem from the unprogrammed side.
Geoffrey Hubbard, Quaker by Convincement, rev. edn. (1974; Quaker Home Service, 1985).
Another often overlooked gem, from Britain.
Texts on Quaker Practices of Discernment and Decision-Making
Michael J. Sheeran, Beyond Majority Rule: voteless decisions in the Religious Society of Friends (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1983).
Patricia Loring, Spiritual Discernment: the context and goal of clearness committees, Pendle Hill Pamphlet 305 (Pendle Hill Publications, 1992).
Barry Morley, Beyond Consensus. Salvaging Sense of the Meeting, Pendle Hill Pamphlet 307 (Pendle Hill Publications, 1993).
Texts on the Quaker View of Social Order
John Punshon, Testimony & Tradition, Swarthmore Lecture 1990 (Quaker Home Service, 1990).
Sandra L. Cronk, Gospel Order. A Quaker Understanding of Faithful Church Community, Pendle Hill Pamphlet 297 (Pendle Hill Publications, 1991).
Lloyd Lee Wilson, Essays on the Quaker Vision of Gospel Order (Burnsville NC: Celo Valley Books, 1993).
Where to Find These Books
Most items on this list are obtainable from the Friends General Conference book store, from the Friends United Meeting book store, from Pendle Hill Publications, and/or from Quaker Heritage Press.
- quakerbooks.org (the Friends General Conference book store)
- quakerhillbooks.org (the Friends United Meeting book store)
- pendlehill.org (Pendle Hill books and pamphlets)
- qhpress.org (Quaker Heritage Press)
Of course, Amazon.Com is also good, and abebooks.com for out-of-print items.
Colophon
Written by Marshall Massey in response to a request for reading recommendations in soc.religion.quaker, August 2003. Massey was one of the group's most consistent and historically-grounded contributors, known for his patient exposition of early Quaker theology and practice.
Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: [email protected]
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