Book cover of Quakerism: The basics, by Margery Post Abbott and Carl Abbott
Quakerism: The basics, by Margery Post Abbott and Carl Abbott
Authors: Margery Post Abbott and Carl Abbott. Review by Rhiannon Grant
This is a considerable achievement: a book that balances size, scope, readability and rigour to produce something short, yet with a wide range of material. It is also easy to read while retaining accuracy and original sources. Published by Routledge as part of ‘The Basics’ series, it comes into a relatively-crowded market of introductions to Quakerism, but does something distinctly different. It covers similar content to Ben Pink Dandelion’s An Introduction to Quakerism but Quakerism: The basics is more approachable for the general reader. It has a much wider international scope than my Quakers Do What! Why? and a more formal tone, serious rather than lively. The most similar existing book is in the parallel series from Oxford University Press, Pink Dandelion’s The Quakers: A very short introduction. But, with just slightly more space, Quakerism: The basics is able to cover more ground, figuratively (for example, including more from the eighteenth century) and literally (giving more attention to Africa and South America).
It is in that international dimension that the Abbotts really shine. As well as providing an introduction to Quakerism for the interested outsider, the authors have a good deal to offer people already well acquainted with one branch of Quakerism and interested in getting to know others. Anything here that a British Quaker would already know is matched by something new about the world family of Friends. In an age of social media and the ability to visit other Meetings on Zoom, this handbook would be an excellent investment for the potential explorer. We have the technology to be a much more close-knit family now, and in order to make that useful we will need the kind of information in this book. What are the languages used by Quakers in Bolivia? Who would be expected to organise worship at a Friends Church in Kenya? What did the old Quaker farmer say to his bad-tempered cow? (Okay, that last one is a joke – but it really is in the book, in a section specifically on Quaker jokes.)
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the variety and development of Quakerism. It might be too much for a newcomer who just wants to know what to expect during worship in Britain, but it would be useful background for anyone who might travel in the ministry, physically or online. It would also be a good starting point to explore the history of Quakerism without skipping over parts that now feel uncomfortable. Involvement in enslavement as well as anti-slavery campaigns, and mission work as well as the natural growth and change of the community, are addressed directly. It is also warm and friendly. Like passionate, focused teachers, the Abbotts sometimes drop the neutral academic voice and share personal anecdotes and opinions. These add ‘salt and light’, making it an enjoyable read as well as a useful one.
