The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism ed. by Stephen W. Angell and Pink Dandelion

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism ed. by Stephen W. Angell and Pink Dandelion Jean R. Soderlund The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism. Ed. by Stephen W. Angell and Pink Dandelion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. xvi + 394 pp. Notes, bibliography, and index. Cloth £74.99; paper £24.99; Ebook $28. The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism, edited by Stephen W. Angell and Pink Dandelion, is a useful guide to the spiritual and cultural diversity of contemporary Quakerism. It is quite different from The Oxford Handbook of Quaker Studies (2013), also edited by Angell and Dandelion, which provided more detailed essays on Quaker history, beliefs, worship, witness, and expression, but in each of these areas focused primarily on Friends in Great Britain and North America. The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism, rather than offering comprehensive analyses, serves much like a tourist's guidebook, expertly pointing to significant landmarks in the complex history, theology and spirituality, and social testimonies of global Quakerism. The volume introduces readers to Friends throughout the world, but requires scholars and seekers to dig more deeply through first-hand research and experience. This is not a criticism—the book amply fulfills its mission as part of the Cambridge Companions series. The suggestions for further reading that accompany each chapter and the volume's substantial list of references provide suitable direction for in-depth study. Ten of the eighteen essays are written by two (and in one case four) authors, which contributes to the liveliness and accessibility of the volume. The multitude of voices, as well as the nature of Quakerism [End Page 45] throughout its history, signals the book's emphasis on exploration and inclusion. Part I, entitled "History of Quaker Faith and Practice," includes chapters on the periods 1650-1808 by Robynne Rogers Healey, 1808-1920 by Thomas D. Hamm and Isaac Barnes May, and 1920-2015 by Timothy Burdick and Pink Dandelion. These chapters provide a useful foundation for the subsequent topical discussions in Parts II to IV, offering a clear chronological framework while also suggesting how the remarkable variety of Friends' beliefs and practices developed over time. The essays are well written and direct, avoiding historiographical debates about Quakers within their religion and larger society. Part II, entitled "Expressions of Quaker Faith," includes chapters on the evolving views of Friends on fictional literature (Nancy Jiwon Cho) and material culture (Emma Jones Lapsansky), and a history of Quaker education by Stephen Angell and Clare Brown. Essays by Katherine Murray on social justice and sustainability, and Elaine Bishop and Jiseok Jung on the peace witness demonstrate the ways in which testimonies help to unify Friends globally but can create divisions locally. Murray points to the efforts of the Friends World Committee for Consultation to address climate change by holding conferences in Kenya and Peru. Bishop and Jung, within a comprehensive discussion of the Quaker peace testimony over the past century, highlight work for peace and unification of South and North Korea and efforts for the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Part III, "Regional Studies," further distinguishes this volume from previous books on Quakerism, with its attention to communities of Friends in Latin America (essay by Ramón González Longoria and Nancy Thomas), Africa (George Busolo, Oscar Malande, Ann K. Riggs, and Theoneste Sentabire), and Asia-Pacific (Stephanie Midori Komashin), as well as North America (Angell and John Connell) and Europe and the Middle East (Hans Eirik Aarek and Julia Hinshaw Ryberg). The essay on Quakers in Kenya and other African nations underscores the shift in global Quakerism, as Kenya has many more Quakers than any other nation, including the United States. Busolo et al. discuss the colonial beginnings of Quakerism in Africa then focus more specifically on Kenya, with the impact of economic challenges and cultural differences among tribal and super-tribal groups. They provide a case study of beliefs and practices of members of the Vozoli Village Meeting of Chavakali Yearly Meeting, demonstrating the impact of both Quakerism and traditional African religion and culture. [End Page 46] The chapters in Part IV, "Emerging Spiritualities," feature the impressive range of belief systems that Quakerism enfolds: "Unprogrammed Quaker Spiritualities" by Michael Birkel and Deborah L. Shaw; "Quakers...