Living the Quaker Way

August 12, 2013
Quakerism has many admirers but considerably fewer adherents. Gulley, a Quaker pastor and much-published author (The Evolution of Faith), hopes to reach new members with his newest work, part of the inaugural list of a new imprint aimed at the spiritually curious. He explains central Quaker values and practices—simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality—in clear and inviting ways, drawing on Quaker history to provide context and illustration of the distinctive ways of the Religious Society of Friends (another name for Quakers). He also draws on his own life, acknowledging shortcomings in ways that disarm and attest to the Quaker value of integrity of speech. The set of queries at the book’s end is extremely helpful; queries are spiritual tools for self-examination and reflection that can give readers a small taste of the faith. The author goes light on his trademark charming humor, which is unfortunate; religion goes down easier when preached with a smile. Still, Gulley might make “nightstand Friends”—people who flirt with Quakerism, reading about it before going to sleep.

September 1, 2013
I took a test on the Internet, a newcomer told Quaker pastor Gulley, and it told me I'd be happy as a Quaker. Others saying much the same thing reconfirmed Gulley in his long-held suspicion that more people are philosophically Quaker than ever join a Quaker meeting. They are attracted by the Quaker way of life, which is best expressed in the basic Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. Gulley devotes a chapter to each testimonya persuasive homily delivered by a very personable ministerand considers the contemporary appeal of the Quaker understanding of the particular testimony being discussed. His aim throughout is not for you to seek out the nearest Quaker meeting but to help others embrace these values . . . so that our world might be transformed. In conclusion, he offers a month's worth of daily queriesexamples of the kinds of questions Quakers use to guide themselves in living out the testimoniesfor readers' reflection should they chose to take the Quaker way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)