Loading...
4th out of 35 books
—
10 voters
My rating:
add to my books
The Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman
The secret of Woolman's purity of style is that his eye is single, and that conscience dictated his words. This Quaker preacher and tailor was a man of wisdom and true philosophy. These pages are filled with insight and messages for our time. A major classic of American spirituality.
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
August 28th 1989
by Friends United Press
(first published August 1989)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
67)
If you ever wondered who the first recognized animal rights activist was, look no further.
Who WALKED the up and down the eastern seaboard convincing all the other Quakers that they must oppose slavery so that the Quakers as a group became the first major force in abolition? Him again.
What other missionary goes to the Indians during a war and asks them what THEY think so he can learn from them? Him again.
He was an incredibly dedicated person, dropping a ...more
Who WALKED the up and down the eastern seaboard convincing all the other Quakers that they must oppose slavery so that the Quakers as a group became the first major force in abolition? Him again.
What other missionary goes to the Indians during a war and asks them what THEY think so he can learn from them? Him again.
He was an incredibly dedicated person, dropping a ...more
view 1 comment
Even though Woolman's wording and phrasing may seem archaic to modern readers you cannot miss the passion with which he writes. This is a man who influenced many against slavery (including southern Quakers who owned slaves as hard as that is to believe), toward a responsible and simple and "plain" life of devotion to God and to their fellow human beings.
Larry Yates
added it
John Woolman was a religious fanatic by modern standards, a skilled organizer by any standards, and extraordinarily lacking in self-deception. In the sharpest Quaker style, he saw truths that are fundamental to being human.
This is a tough read, but well worth it. I recently re-read "A Plea for the Poor" and it still applies today as much as in the 1700's. One example from Chapter 6: "Were there more men usefully employed and fewer who eat bread as a reward for doing that which is not useful, then food or raiment would, on a reasonable estimate, be more in proportion to labour than it is at present."
This is an important book but difficult to read. You need to be in a class or discussion group with someone knowledgable about the subject. Otherwise if you want to learn about John Woolman a biography or history of American Quaker thought would be easier to grasp.
Erika
is currently reading it
Ashley Moman
marked it as to-read
Sally O'surrey
marked it as to-read
Paul Britt
marked it as swap
Loafingcactus
marked it as to-read
Rebekah
marked it as to-read
Ryan
added it
Killearnan
added it
Matt Hartzell
marked it as to-read
Niadwynwen Koch
marked it as to-read
Brandon Slater
marked it as to-read
James
added it
Michael-Francis
added it
Inna Shpitzberg
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
