Search

This book introduces readers to the life, thought, social activism and political conflicts of the Quaker intellectual and peace activist Henry Cadbury (1883-1974). Born into an established Orthodox Philadelphia Quaker family, Cadbury was among the most prominent Quaker intellectuals of his day. During his lifetime, he was well known as a contributor to one of the most important English translations of the Bible (the Revised Standard Version) and wrote scores of articles and books on the early history of Christianity and the history of the Society of Friends. He also had enormous influence over what may be the single best institutional instantiation of the Quaker commitment to nonviolence—the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an organization Cadbury helped to found in 1917 and served throughout his long lifetime. When the AFSC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947, Cadbury was asked to accept the prize on its behalf.

Rufus Jones was a Quaker giant of the 20th century. Charismatic and controversial, he reshaped the way many Quakers thought about the relationship between God and humans. Rufus Jones and the Presence of God traces Jones'life from adventurous farm boy to much-loved college lecturer and popular author on mysticism, showing how he wove together ideas from Quakerism, psychology and philosophy. It also explores some of his spiritual practices, asking whether there is anything we can learn from them today, whatever our beliefs.

William Hobson, a staunch nineteenth-century Quaker minister and determined follower of Jesus Christ, was shaped by revival, Quaker history, and his Friends upbringing. As a young adult he left his home state of North Carolina for the Iowa frontier where he honed his God-given leadership skills while shepherding the pioneer congregation at Honey Creek. After two decades in Iowa, Hobson received a mid-life call from God to establish a new missions-focused Quaker community somewhere on the West Coast. Following an extensive search for the perfect location, Hobson eventually chose Newberg, Oregon, and Quaker influence in the region quickly spread, culminating in the organization of the Evangelical Friends Church (Quakers) in the Pacific Northwest. Hobson's lifelong determination to follow God continues to serve as a godly example inspiring us to likewise dedicate our lives to God's kingdom purposes.