Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism: An Historical Analysis of the Theology of Holiness in the Quaker Tradition (Studies in Christian History and Thought) [Paperback]

Carole Dale Spencer (Author), Arthur O. Roberts (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Christian History and Thought | Publication Date: December 2007

No single word conjures up religion, spirituality or the sacred more than `holiness'. Yet its meaning in Christian theology and application in Christian practice, has been greatly misunderstood. Few Quakers today of any persuasion would recognize the mystical depth of meaning the concept had for Quakers down through the centuries. Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism recovers the essential place of holiness theology in three centuries of Quaker history. It explores how Quaker spirituality was shaped in its inception by the experience of union with God, otherwise known in Christian tradition as `perfection' and examines selected figures from Quaker history who represent different emphases of holiness in the context of their time and culture.

It examines the history of Quakerism in terms of the holiness tradition arguing that the holiness heritage of Quakerism can be traced to its founder, George Fox, who understood union with God or perfection, as the essence of the Christian experience. The study identifies eight different traditions of Christian holiness and shows how Quakerism uniquely combined elements of each, reinterpreting them into a radical new kind of holiness movement. It also identifies eight essential elements that comprise Quaker holiness and shows how these are located within differing emphases in the writings of early Friends and in Quakerism thereafter—Scripture, eschatology, conversion, evangelism, charisma, suffering, mysticism and perfection.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`In this original and stimulating work, Carole Spencer takes holiness as her interpretative key, rooting Quakerism firmly in the Christian mystical tradition. She uses her analysis to challenge a number of widely-held assumptions about Quaker history and theology and has opened the doors to a wide range of new research possibilities. This is one of the most powerful and interesting studies I have read for a very long time.'
- John Punshon, Retired Professor of Quaker Studies, Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion, Richmond, Indiana, USA

`This book breaks the mould of Quaker history with its original and compelling thesis. Carole Spencer's work is first rate and highly readable. All scholars of Quakerism need to read this.'
- `Ben' Pink Dandelion, Programmes Leader, Centre for Postgraduate Quaker Studies, University of Birmingham, UK

`Carole Spencer is one of a new generation of Friends focused on exploring commonalities in a diverse community of faith rather than highlighting schisms. She shows how Quaker holiness cuts across all the usual doctrinal boundaries. Her careful research into Quaker theology is conscious of the flow of history and the dynamics of cultural change. She draws on her extensive knowledge of Christian mysticism as she reflects on Quaker worship and spirituality. Her work opens a new area of scholarship as well as a perspective on faith and should be widely read.'
- Margery Post Abbott, Quaker, Author, Clerk of Friends Committee on National Legislation

`What Rufus Jones did with the relation between Quakerism and Continental mysticism, and what Hugh Barbour argued regarding the Puritan background of Quakerism, Carole Spencer has now performed in heightening the holiness and transformational essence of historic Quakerism. This book performs a remarkable feat in ways that no other book has done: outlining the spiritual and religious continuity between early Friends and the majority of Friends today. It will be read with interest by readers in all sectors of the Quaker movement and beyond.'
- Paul Anderson, Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies, George Fox University, Newberg, Oregon, USA
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Carole Dale Spencer, PhD, teaches Church History and Spiritual Formation at George Fox Evangelical Seminary. She is also Pastor of Adult Education at Reedwood Friends Church in Portland, Oregon and a recorded Quaker minister. She was raised in the Presbyterian Church and joined with Friends later in life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 319 pages
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers (December 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556358091
• ISBN-13: 978-1556358098
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,067,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling tale of the Quaker synthesis, January 4, 2009

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Simon St.Laurent (Dryden, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism: An Historical Analysis of the Theology of Holiness in the Quaker Tradition (Studies in Christian History and Thought) (Paperback)

While Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism is written for an academic audience, I hope others, especially Quakers, will explore the compelling story Spencer tells. I was delighted to see that her definition of "Holiness" isn't monolithic, but rather combines classic strands of Christian thought into a uniquely Quaker synthesis.

Much of the interest here comes from her description of the initial synthesis, and then her analysis of how later periods of Quakerism and specific individuals within those periods exemplified or wandered away from those aspects. The fracture lines that would later become schisms make more sense in this context, and it feels much easier to me to discuss what Quakerism has lost in the centuries since its founding given this structure.

I also recommend the appendices, which examine the ties between Quakerism and earlier Christian mysticism, other movements of the same time, and Methodism. Each of them could probably become a book of its own (as could other aspects of the book), but they introduced some new areas worth exploring.