Here in the Pendle Hill Bookstore, we delight in unearthing relatively obscure Quaker writings that have, until now, somehow managed to fly under our radar. This article highlights some of these recent finds, most of which are currently available for sale in, please note, extremely limited quantities – one or two copies at most – while supplies last. Click on the images/links below for more information about the specific titles, including pricing.
Bread, edited by Rich Barner, Wini Osta, Don Morton, Darlita Taylor, and Amelia Thomas
Subtitled “Words and Graphics from The Pendle Hill Community, Wallingford, Pennsylvania, 1971-1972,” this is a delightful book of verse (and minimal artwork) from former Pendle Hill residents and resident staff, all presented within an uniquely-embossed burnt sienna cover.
The Quaker Story, by Sidney Lucas
Lucas compiled the Pendle Hill pamphlet The Quaker Message: Extracts from Quaker Writings (PHP #40) in 1948. A year later, he published this more substantial history of Quakerism. The Quaker Story makes first rate reading, and Quaker theologian Elton Trueblood has dubbed it “a competent and much needed short history of Quakerism, well designed to introduce the Quaker movement to any genuine seeker.”
Then & Now: Quaker Essays, Historical and Contemporary, edited by Anna Brinton
In a tribute to Henry J. Cadbury, the essays in this volume form a collection of works, of both an historical and contemporary nature, depicting the lives – and representing the interests – of members of the Religious Society of Friends. These writings touch on all subjects, from individual family history to the fruits of thought, experience, and research from all climates. The copy we recently acquired is signed by its editor, Anna Brinton, making it that extra bit special.
A Method of Prayer, by Johannes Kelpius
This pocket-sized devotional is a companion volume to Harper’s The Cloud of Unknowing and A Guide to True Peace, or: The Excellency of Inward and Spiritual Prayer, conveniently small, gilt-colored manuals that arrange/translate anonymous or historical writings for modern use. Kelpius was a mystic who spent time in isolation in a cave in Wissahickon Valley Park, and his ‘Prayer is a rewarding read… not to mention a fascinating bit of publishing history!
Help Wanted! The Experiences of Some Quaker Conscientious Objectors, by Arle Brooks and Robert J. Leach
Brooks was a conscientious objector during World War II and he collaborated with historian Robert Leach (Quaker Nantucket: The Religious Community Behind the Whaling Empire), an objector himself, on this 48-page booklet published jointly by the American Friends Service Committee and Pendle Hill in 1940.
Children of Light: In Honor of Rufus M. Jones, edited by Howard H. Brinton, with contributions from both Howard and Anna Brinton
Another formidable collection of Quaker writings compiled by the former Pendle Hill director. These particular essays were written on the occasion of Rufus Jones’s 75th birthday and include contributions from such luminaries as Henry J. Cadbury, L. Violet Holdsworth, William Hull, A. J. Mekeel, Janet P. Whitney, and H. G. Wood among others.
We do hope you stop by the bookstore the next time you’re on the Pendle Hill campus. You never know what you might find…
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