Synopsis
This book is adapted from talks by William J. Kreidler (1952-2000) in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
When Bill started teaching in Boston in 1974, the city was engulfed in racial strife. Teachers, students, and officials were all struggling to cope with violence and controversy following a federal court school desegregation order. Seeking peace in the classroom and in his spirit, Bill joined a meeting of Quakers, known as a religious group that worked both on inner harmony and outward activism. He also began developing conflict resolution techniques to help build a “peaceable classroom,” for himself and other teachers. This was groundbreaking work, and soon began attracting outside attention. Bill was young, gay, idealistic, creative, and on his way. He was also vulnerable. Soon he fell into a relationship that initially seemed glamorous, then turned abusive and addictive. After being nearly destroyed by drugs and alcohol, Bill found support for recovery in the emerging Quaker LGBTQ community, which also nurtured his intensive spiritual quest.
Both his spiritual path and public work were inspired by a series of 19th century paintings of “The Peaceable Kingdom” by Quaker folk artist Edward Hicks, which Bill had discovered in college. Bill’s Quaker faith also grew under the surprising ‘tutelage’ of some Catholic saints, especially Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Ávila, whom he playfully claimed to hear from as members of his personal disembodied “Clearness Committee.” Bill soon became renowned internationally for his groundbreaking work on conflict resolution with schoolchildren and for school systems. At the same time he also began sharing his spiritual journey with other Quakers.
As a speaker, Bill brilliantly rekindled a connection to elements of Christian thought and spirituality that have deep relevance in the 21st century. He became a Christian while continuing to be a proud gay man. He faced enormous suffering but could still say, with Julian of Norwich, that “All will be well.” His talks were also leavened constantly with a delightful sense of humor that kept listeners transfixed and laughing even while facing with him such crises as his AIDS diagnosis. He broke down the separation between modern culture and the ancient mystical stream of Christianity. For thirty years after his untimely death in 2000, audiotapes of his major talks were passed hand to hand and cherished. Now some of his remarkable spirit and wit have been captured on the page for the first time, and can usher readers into a fruitful and transcendent peace.
