Quakers in Victoria

          This is partly a review of the content of William Penn’s book, one of the classics of early Quaker writings, which he wrote in 1669 after having been a prisoner in the Tower of London.  In it he exhorts the spirit of Primitive Christianity, a religious perspective holding that the early beliefs and practices… Read more: No Cross, No Crown by William Penn (248.4 C.1 & C.2)

If you want to understand the roots of Quakerism in 17th century England — the political and religious culture from which it arose—a good place to start is with Christopher Hill’s The World Turned Upside Down. Radical Ideas During the English Revolution.  Hill focuses on the years 1645-1653, during which “there was a great overturning,… Read more: The World Turned Upside Down by Christoper Hill (942.06 HIL)

John O’Donohue was an Irish poet, author, Catholic priest, and philosopher, and was an ardent devotee of Celtic spirituality.  He had a PhD in philosophical theology from the University of Tübingen in Germany, focusing on the work of the German philosopher Hegel.  To Bless the Space Between Us was his last published book before he… Read more: To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue (242.8 ODO)

This book is in two parts: the first is an Introduction and a series of essays by Reynolds on John Woolman; the second consists of excerpts from Woolman’s writings.  It is, therefore, an excellent introduction to John Woolman if you are coming to him for the first time.           Reynolds sets the stage quite well,… Read more: The Wisdom of John Woolman by Reginald Reynolds (921 W00)

By Paul Kingsnorth (383.064 KIN)           Kingsnorth—novelist, poet, essayist—addresses what he calls the age of the Machine, where state power merges with tech power, potentially resulting in the unmaking of humanity.  Though we “have every gadget and recipe and website and storefront and exotic holiday in the world available to us, […] we are lacking… Read more: Against the Machine. On the Unmaking of Humanity