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Living the Quaker Way: Discover the Hidden Happiness in the Simple Life
A Publishers Weekly “Top 10 in Religion” selection.
“This is nothing less than the gospel itself…a much-needed book.”
—FR. RICHARD ROHR, OFM, Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Philip Gulley invites us into a bracing encounter with the rich truths of Quakerism—a centuries-old spiritual tradition that provides not only a foundation of faith but also vision for making the world more just, loving, and peaceable by our presence.
In Living the Quaker Way, Gulley shows how Quaker values provide real solutions to many of our most pressing contemporary challenges. We not only come to a deeper appreciation of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality, we see how embracing these virtues will radically transform us and our world.
Living the Quaker Way includes a 30-day spiritual practice that applies the Quaker tradition of Queries .
“This is nothing less than the gospel itself…a much-needed book.”
—FR. RICHARD ROHR, OFM, Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Philip Gulley invites us into a bracing encounter with the rich truths of Quakerism—a centuries-old spiritual tradition that provides not only a foundation of faith but also vision for making the world more just, loving, and peaceable by our presence.
In Living the Quaker Way, Gulley shows how Quaker values provide real solutions to many of our most pressing contemporary challenges. We not only come to a deeper appreciation of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality, we see how embracing these virtues will radically transform us and our world.
Living the Quaker Way includes a 30-day spiritual practice that applies the Quaker tradition of Queries .
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
110 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Philip Gulley
38 books403 followersPhilip Gulley has become the voice of small-town American life. Along with writing Front Porch Tales, Hometown Tales, and For Everything a Season, Gulley is the author of the Harmony series of novels, as well as If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, which are coauthored with James Mulholland.
He hosts "Porch Talk with Phil Gulley" on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI television's flagship show Across Indiana.
Gulley lives in Indiana with his wife, Joan, and their sons, Spencer and Sam—in a rambling old house with Gulley’s eclectic chair collection (64 at last count) and a welcoming back porch.
Gulley is also the Pastor at Fairfield Friends Meeting House in Camby, Indiana. If you find yourself in Camby, you're invited to attend a sermon.
He hosts "Porch Talk with Phil Gulley" on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI television's flagship show Across Indiana.
Gulley lives in Indiana with his wife, Joan, and their sons, Spencer and Sam—in a rambling old house with Gulley’s eclectic chair collection (64 at last count) and a welcoming back porch.
Gulley is also the Pastor at Fairfield Friends Meeting House in Camby, Indiana. If you find yourself in Camby, you're invited to attend a sermon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
January 11, 2015
I was given a review copy of this from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, but it first came out in 2013, so perhaps they are trying to get more readers of the book!
I feel like I need an additional disclaimer to add to the one saying I got this for free - Philip Gulley is somewhat of a pastor to me as an individual. I saw him speak at a UU church in Indiana in 2005 or so, and after writing him a letter about a previous book, he invited me to lunch. He is caring and open, and I am far more primed to hear what he has to say than I would be for any other religious writer. He's earned it; I trust him.
You can tell Philip Gulley is a pastor in this book because of how he tells stories - he often starts a new concept with "I once knew a person who..." or "A person in my congregation once..." or "I once learned the lesson...." It is a rhetorical device that is a bit overused in the text, but after a while I let those bits fade into the background and focused on the rest of the ideas.
When I went off to college at a Quaker university, I read books like Why Friends Are Friends to get an overview of the beliefs. I relaxed into the focus on equality and social justice, ideas I had found lacking in my very fundamentalist upbringing. I attended both programmed and unprogrammed meetings, and discovered a very different "church" than I had grown up with. A focus on "centering down" paired with spiritual conviction was fascinating. Gulley suggests that these stark differences to many other denominations may be fueling an increase in Quaker "converts" in the past few years, and this book is his attempt to give an overview of Quaker principles for anyone who is curious. Quakers aren't big on converting others, except the few evangelical strains such as those found in the northwest yearly meeting, so even more surprisingly, many new Quakers have found their way on their own. Gulley emphasizes the lack of formality for "becoming" a Quaker, in fact gives a somewhat tongue-in-cheek "Altar call" at the end if the ideas have resonated with the reader. I read it as tongue in cheek anyway, since you would be hard pressed to find a Quaker meeting with an altar call.
He distills Quakerness into five basic tenets - simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. Each section has examples from his own life ("I once knew a guy...") and musings on the challenges of these concepts in contemporary society. He frequently talks about how he fails at each of them, which of course makes what he is saying far easier to consider. He leaves a lot of space for the variances in Quaker beliefs and practices, from the Atheist Quakers to the Evangelical, from the Taxation Refusing Quakers to the Military members.
I really liked the section on integrity, where he introduces a Quaker practice I had never heard of - the queries. Contemplative questions intended for private consideration, self-examination, with no particular timeframe or outcome intended. He includes thirty queries at the end of the book for anyone who wants to dabble in Quakerdom, and that idea appeals to me.
I marked a lot in this book but I'll put it behind a spoiler tag in case this isn't as interesting to you! This is a book I will buy and keep on my shelf, next to my Walter Wink and my Richard Foster, books that keep their importance in my life no matter where I am spiritually.
I feel like I need an additional disclaimer to add to the one saying I got this for free - Philip Gulley is somewhat of a pastor to me as an individual. I saw him speak at a UU church in Indiana in 2005 or so, and after writing him a letter about a previous book, he invited me to lunch. He is caring and open, and I am far more primed to hear what he has to say than I would be for any other religious writer. He's earned it; I trust him.
You can tell Philip Gulley is a pastor in this book because of how he tells stories - he often starts a new concept with "I once knew a person who..." or "A person in my congregation once..." or "I once learned the lesson...." It is a rhetorical device that is a bit overused in the text, but after a while I let those bits fade into the background and focused on the rest of the ideas.
When I went off to college at a Quaker university, I read books like Why Friends Are Friends to get an overview of the beliefs. I relaxed into the focus on equality and social justice, ideas I had found lacking in my very fundamentalist upbringing. I attended both programmed and unprogrammed meetings, and discovered a very different "church" than I had grown up with. A focus on "centering down" paired with spiritual conviction was fascinating. Gulley suggests that these stark differences to many other denominations may be fueling an increase in Quaker "converts" in the past few years, and this book is his attempt to give an overview of Quaker principles for anyone who is curious. Quakers aren't big on converting others, except the few evangelical strains such as those found in the northwest yearly meeting, so even more surprisingly, many new Quakers have found their way on their own. Gulley emphasizes the lack of formality for "becoming" a Quaker, in fact gives a somewhat tongue-in-cheek "Altar call" at the end if the ideas have resonated with the reader. I read it as tongue in cheek anyway, since you would be hard pressed to find a Quaker meeting with an altar call.
He distills Quakerness into five basic tenets - simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. Each section has examples from his own life ("I once knew a guy...") and musings on the challenges of these concepts in contemporary society. He frequently talks about how he fails at each of them, which of course makes what he is saying far easier to consider. He leaves a lot of space for the variances in Quaker beliefs and practices, from the Atheist Quakers to the Evangelical, from the Taxation Refusing Quakers to the Military members.
I really liked the section on integrity, where he introduces a Quaker practice I had never heard of - the queries. Contemplative questions intended for private consideration, self-examination, with no particular timeframe or outcome intended. He includes thirty queries at the end of the book for anyone who wants to dabble in Quakerdom, and that idea appeals to me.
I marked a lot in this book but I'll put it behind a spoiler tag in case this isn't as interesting to you! This is a book I will buy and keep on my shelf, next to my Walter Wink and my Richard Foster, books that keep their importance in my life no matter where I am spiritually.
August 24, 2013
Although Philip Gulley is himself a Quaker pastor, he is not necessarily trying to convince people to formally become Quakers. Rather, he believes that the world would be a better place if everyone would embrace five virtues—Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality (SPICE)—which are hallmarks of the Quaker faith.
(As a side note, before reading this book I didn’t realize that there even was such a thing as a Quaker pastor. I thought that Quakers sat in silence at their Meetings until someone sensed the Spirit urging him or her to speak. Apparently there are different varieties of Quaker Meetings and different varieties of Quakers. Gulley acknowledges, “This makes the seemingly simple questions, What is a Quaker? or What do Quakers believe? almost impossible to answer.” However, one of the clearest statements Gulley makes about what defines a Quaker is: “To be a Quaker is to always understand yourself and your actions in terms of the world. It is an invitation to reflect, not simply react, to keep before you the question, “What would the world be like if everyone did what I am doing?”)
Gulley devotes a chapter to each of the five virtues. Using many real-life examples, he unpacks each virtue in an attractive and compelling way, displaying the benefits of living it out at individual, communal, and global levels. Gulley is a master of penning one-line “gems” and short passages that merit extensive consideration. For example:
“Any god we claim to fully understand is not God.”
“It requires little courage to believe the best about ourselves, but to acknowledge our need for growth is difficult.”
“It is because of our participation in the we that we learn to be an I.”
“[T]ruth can come from any person or event at any time, usually when we least expect it.”
“Behind every saint is a community.”
For the most part, I found myself drawn to the principles in each chapter, but the chapter on Peace left me confused and unsatisfied. Quakers are against weapons, violence, and war of any kind (at least, that is the perspective presented in this book). I found the Peace chapter to be completely idealistic with no practical solutions and no answers to my “But what if…?” questions. The only inkling of an answer I received to the questions that kept popping into my mind during the Peace chapter was provided later in the book: “[F]or the Quaker it is a matter of integrity to live out the ideals of faith, even when others aren’t.”
The final chapter of the book is a month’s worth of daily “Queries,” which are thought-provoking questions to reflect and meditate on as an individual or as a small group.
Disclosure: I received a free Advanced Reading Copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. This book will be released on September 17, 2013.
(As a side note, before reading this book I didn’t realize that there even was such a thing as a Quaker pastor. I thought that Quakers sat in silence at their Meetings until someone sensed the Spirit urging him or her to speak. Apparently there are different varieties of Quaker Meetings and different varieties of Quakers. Gulley acknowledges, “This makes the seemingly simple questions, What is a Quaker? or What do Quakers believe? almost impossible to answer.” However, one of the clearest statements Gulley makes about what defines a Quaker is: “To be a Quaker is to always understand yourself and your actions in terms of the world. It is an invitation to reflect, not simply react, to keep before you the question, “What would the world be like if everyone did what I am doing?”)
Gulley devotes a chapter to each of the five virtues. Using many real-life examples, he unpacks each virtue in an attractive and compelling way, displaying the benefits of living it out at individual, communal, and global levels. Gulley is a master of penning one-line “gems” and short passages that merit extensive consideration. For example:
“Any god we claim to fully understand is not God.”
“It requires little courage to believe the best about ourselves, but to acknowledge our need for growth is difficult.”
“It is because of our participation in the we that we learn to be an I.”
“[T]ruth can come from any person or event at any time, usually when we least expect it.”
“Behind every saint is a community.”
For the most part, I found myself drawn to the principles in each chapter, but the chapter on Peace left me confused and unsatisfied. Quakers are against weapons, violence, and war of any kind (at least, that is the perspective presented in this book). I found the Peace chapter to be completely idealistic with no practical solutions and no answers to my “But what if…?” questions. The only inkling of an answer I received to the questions that kept popping into my mind during the Peace chapter was provided later in the book: “[F]or the Quaker it is a matter of integrity to live out the ideals of faith, even when others aren’t.”
The final chapter of the book is a month’s worth of daily “Queries,” which are thought-provoking questions to reflect and meditate on as an individual or as a small group.
Disclosure: I received a free Advanced Reading Copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. This book will be released on September 17, 2013.
December 28, 2020
An excellent primer for those curious about Quakerism with sections for five of its primary values: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality.
October 10, 2013
Before reading this book, I knew a little general information about Quaker history as it intersects with American history. I have had some interest in Quaker history as it relates to genealogy as well. I had heard of the Quaker use of consensus, their history of promoting equality in regards to habits of speech and also in terms of supporting the underground railroad, and their traditionally pacifist stance. However, I didn't know a lot about the overarching philosophy that led to those actions.
In reading Philip Gulley's book I learned more about the values that direct the Quakers in their daily life. I felt a sense of peace and "rightness" on almost every page. Quaker values of SPICE sum up the focus of the book and the outlook of those following "The Quaker Way."
S - Simplicity
P - Peace
I - Integrity
C - Community
E - Equality
Each section of the book focuses on these qualities or values and is recounted in Philip Gulley's approachable Hoosier style, with the occasional anecdote and dry wit that I have come to love in all of his writing. If everyone who reads this book takes even some of its message to heart the world will indeed be a better place.
I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it.
In reading Philip Gulley's book I learned more about the values that direct the Quakers in their daily life. I felt a sense of peace and "rightness" on almost every page. Quaker values of SPICE sum up the focus of the book and the outlook of those following "The Quaker Way."
S - Simplicity
P - Peace
I - Integrity
C - Community
E - Equality
Each section of the book focuses on these qualities or values and is recounted in Philip Gulley's approachable Hoosier style, with the occasional anecdote and dry wit that I have come to love in all of his writing. If everyone who reads this book takes even some of its message to heart the world will indeed be a better place.
I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it.
March 21, 2019
There's nothing necessarily wrong with this book, if what you're interested in is a "feel good" read.
I sought this out as a means of spiritual growth, so when the author took a decidedly humanist stance, it left his discourse feeling empty; without substance. Just another exercise in self-congratulations.
I sought this out as a means of spiritual growth, so when the author took a decidedly humanist stance, it left his discourse feeling empty; without substance. Just another exercise in self-congratulations.
March 27, 2020
Loved to read about the Quaker values, thinking. Really admire their core integrity in living by their values. The author does a good job of presenting the Quaker values.
The author is a pastor and so tends to get a little preachy and presents himself as an example, though inadvertently - it is against the quaker principle of simplicity and to drawing attention to self! There is a bit of what's wrong in this world discussion that is preachy and boring.
I am happy to have read it. Will try to find more books about Quakers. Very rational, loving, sincere and committed people to make this a better world.
The author is a pastor and so tends to get a little preachy and presents himself as an example, though inadvertently - it is against the quaker principle of simplicity and to drawing attention to self! There is a bit of what's wrong in this world discussion that is preachy and boring.
I am happy to have read it. Will try to find more books about Quakers. Very rational, loving, sincere and committed people to make this a better world.
March 4, 2023
Interesting read, the queries included at the end are great jumping off points for self reflection and growth.
July 15, 2023
My ancestors were members of the Society of Friends for 200 years, but left the community in the mid-1800s. It was fascinating to learn that I was, nevertheless, raised in the Quaker Way. Phillip Gulley writes a clear, concise, and compelling overview of the values at the core of the Society.
Read
February 23, 2023An interesting, well-organized, and readable reflection on the Quaker way of life. The majority of of Living the Quaker Way is built around five chapters, each dealing with a Quaker testimony (value): Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality. (The acronym SPICE struck me as amusing given the commitment to plainness in Quakerism).
As someone coming from a secular-humanist position I was heartened to find that a) I agreed with most everything Philip Gulley had to say, especially regarding personal responsibility and social justice b) that he was willing to reflect on his own shortcomings and those of Quakers past and present and c) that in evangelical terms this book was the softest of soft sells (I took as genuine Gulley's statement at the end of the book that his interest in persuading readers to join a Quaker community is secondary to his hope that they will strive to embody the ideals he has described).
Even if, like me, you are unlikely to join a Quaker community there is still plenty of food for reflection here for anyone who tries to live in a way that makes the world a better place.
As someone coming from a secular-humanist position I was heartened to find that a) I agreed with most everything Philip Gulley had to say, especially regarding personal responsibility and social justice b) that he was willing to reflect on his own shortcomings and those of Quakers past and present and c) that in evangelical terms this book was the softest of soft sells (I took as genuine Gulley's statement at the end of the book that his interest in persuading readers to join a Quaker community is secondary to his hope that they will strive to embody the ideals he has described).
Even if, like me, you are unlikely to join a Quaker community there is still plenty of food for reflection here for anyone who tries to live in a way that makes the world a better place.
December 8, 2014
Readers accustomed to the gentle nudge toward a more progressive Christianity in Phil's fiction may have to brace themselves for Living the Quaker Way. Gulley doesn't hold back while sounding off on sacred topics such as same-gender marriage, military spending, and evolution. And I LOVED it! Living the Quaker Way joins Gulley's other nonfiction titles as essential reading.
If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person
If the Church Were Christian
The Evolution of Faith: How God Is Creating a Better Christianity
If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person
If the Church Were Christian
The Evolution of Faith: How God Is Creating a Better Christianity
July 31, 2014
A solid treatise on what it means to live the Quaker life, whether or not one joins a meeting. The emphasis on simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality have convinced me that I am a Quaker. All we need to do now is find a meeting that we can align ourselves with. I will be buying a copy of this book. There is a thirty day exercise at the end of the book that I want to embark on. I didn't feel it would be fair to keep this library copy for another thirty days!
February 10, 2018
An examination of the Quaker virtues of Simplicity, Peace-making, Integrity, Community and Equality. Love the openness and humility that characterizes modern quaker thinking. This one will find a home on my shelf so I can refer to it often.
May 6, 2018
My results from the belief.net quiz [http://www.beliefnet.com/entertainmen...] indicated I should look into liberal Quakerism. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the author mentions in the intro that many people make their way to Quakerism this way, although the quiz is not produced by Quaker evangelists and is not purposefully steering people in this direction. Apparently some people already have these beliefs and values and just aren’t aware that there is a community of like-minded people out there. As the author puts it, “there are far more people who embrace our Quaker traditions, testimonies, and beliefs than ever join a Quaker meeting.” He goes on to say that many find Quakerism’s “focus on the inner life to be an antidote to the complexities and challenges of modern life.”
Big Ideas:
+ Major Quaker values follow the acronym “spice”:
- Simplicity
- Peace
- Integrity
- Community
- Equality
+ Coercion is the root of violence
Potent Quotables:
“If you win the rat race, you’re still just a rat.” Anna Quindlen
The life of simplicity does not mean owning a bare minimum of goods. It is a commitment to live a liberated life, freed from constant distraction, devoted to our spiritual and emotional growth and the betterment of others.
April 13, 2024
This is the first book about Quakerism I’ve read. some of it reflected what drew me to this sect in the first place (the sections encouraging ppl to reflect on complicity in unjust systems and whether their consumption patterns are rooted in those systems) other parts were silly like the parts about shoplifting and how being pro choice and anti abortion are equal positions
May 4, 2024
Interesting look into the Quaker philosophy (perhaps not a religion) and the "testimonies" of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. An interesting and easy read with a bonus of 30 days of Quaker "queries," a self-reflectional spin to the typical evangelical devotionals.
October 5, 2021
The author dispenses some sound ideas. Chapter 3 on peace, is alone worth reading the whole book! With the chapter on equality a close second.
Read
July 25, 2024It is about Quakers and their ways of living
July 10, 2018
Most thoughtful and thought provoking book I've read in awhile. Highly recommended for anyone - Christian, non-Christian, atheist, human - anyone.
May 30, 2024
I'm particularly intrigued by the unity of community by shared values--Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, and Equality. Allowing space for divergent dogmas while preserving commonality in motivations and purpose in living. The queries at the end are also intriguing to me.
October 7, 2013
Over the past couple years, Phillip Gulley has become one of my favorite authors -- I believe this is the 4th title I've read of his. And they each get better. Here, Gulley details how to live the "Quaker Way", whether or not you actually, officially join a Quaker meeting group. He uses the acronym *SPICE* to declare the 5 main virtues of being a Quaker. Though he recognizes that Quakers themselves are loosely-bound set and may not agree 100% on all matters.
**Simplicity** -- odd for the 1st virtue, maybe just due to the acronym :)… …though this cliche is not uttered, I thought of "live simply, so others may simply live"… …but this section was more about how stuff can clutter out God
**Peace** -- some of the other reviews expressed some problems with this chapter but I liked it -- Quakers are pacifists. Some of the criticism was that there wasn't anything posed for "what if" queries typically lobbed at pacifists by those (including most other Christians) incredulous at such a hard-line adopting of non-violence.
**Integrity** -- one of the best sections, where Gulley draws out how TRUTH == GOD. And how even Scripture is just a pointer to the truth of God/Jesus. Truth is something Quakers take seriously, that they consider their fallibility here will reflect on God. And how even history will view them -- which, to me, is no coincidence that they've been on the "just" side of a lot of history, i.e., abolitionists before the abolitionist movement, nonviolence, and even now, on the right side of LGBT equality issue
**Community** -- Need the accountability of others. Anyone can be good off by themselves, it's other people that test our spiritual mettle.
**Equality** -- Stamping out injustice and inequality (which go hand in hand) is paramount for Quakers and when one injustice is eliminated, time to tackle the next on the list
**Simplicity** -- odd for the 1st virtue, maybe just due to the acronym :)… …though this cliche is not uttered, I thought of "live simply, so others may simply live"… …but this section was more about how stuff can clutter out God
**Peace** -- some of the other reviews expressed some problems with this chapter but I liked it -- Quakers are pacifists. Some of the criticism was that there wasn't anything posed for "what if" queries typically lobbed at pacifists by those (including most other Christians) incredulous at such a hard-line adopting of non-violence.
**Integrity** -- one of the best sections, where Gulley draws out how TRUTH == GOD. And how even Scripture is just a pointer to the truth of God/Jesus. Truth is something Quakers take seriously, that they consider their fallibility here will reflect on God. And how even history will view them -- which, to me, is no coincidence that they've been on the "just" side of a lot of history, i.e., abolitionists before the abolitionist movement, nonviolence, and even now, on the right side of LGBT equality issue
**Community** -- Need the accountability of others. Anyone can be good off by themselves, it's other people that test our spiritual mettle.
**Equality** -- Stamping out injustice and inequality (which go hand in hand) is paramount for Quakers and when one injustice is eliminated, time to tackle the next on the list
November 5, 2013
This book is why Quakerism is so relevant today! This is not a book introducing you to an old religion or to a church institution, rather it is an introduction to a way of life. Philip Gulley in his "Friendly," yet pastoral, way is able to weave a primer for those wanting to live out the five main values/attributes of Quaker life - or what is described in the acronym, "S.P.I.C.E." - Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, and Equality.
Not only is this book a challenge to a different way of life, it is also a herald to those seeking needed life changes. Gulley takes the reader outside of the overly entertained, hollow, and isolated lives many are living today, and draws them to a life that is less cluttered, more valued, and honest. It is a call to make a life-shift and find what is most important in our world. "Living the Quaker Way" helps the reader "center down," embrace community, and embody grace, compassion, and generosity. And in the end, it is filled with hope and potential for what the church, our communities, and our relationships could be.
Not only is this book a challenge to a different way of life, it is also a herald to those seeking needed life changes. Gulley takes the reader outside of the overly entertained, hollow, and isolated lives many are living today, and draws them to a life that is less cluttered, more valued, and honest. It is a call to make a life-shift and find what is most important in our world. "Living the Quaker Way" helps the reader "center down," embrace community, and embody grace, compassion, and generosity. And in the end, it is filled with hope and potential for what the church, our communities, and our relationships could be.
September 26, 2013
The book begins with a couple of short chapters that give a quick introduction to the Quaker religion (or is it a way of life?). The bulk of the book consists of five chapters corresponding to the five major values of the Quaker way -- Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, and Equality.
Philip Gulley writes well. His chapter on Simplicity is full of wisdom and sound teaching. Other than that, there's not much good I can say about this book. His tone becomes more critical as he moves into the chapter about peace, perhaps reflecting his passion for the subject and the weight he feels it deserves. Unfortunately, he spent an entire lengthy chapter on the subject without mentioning abortion(!), the role of police(?), or whether self-defense or the protection of one's family ever justifies violence. The remaining chapters were a mixed bag of a bit of good stuff along with plenty of theological and political liberalism. If you're a fan of gay marriage, abortion, socialism, and religious pluralism you might well enjoy this well-written book.
Philip Gulley writes well. His chapter on Simplicity is full of wisdom and sound teaching. Other than that, there's not much good I can say about this book. His tone becomes more critical as he moves into the chapter about peace, perhaps reflecting his passion for the subject and the weight he feels it deserves. Unfortunately, he spent an entire lengthy chapter on the subject without mentioning abortion(!), the role of police(?), or whether self-defense or the protection of one's family ever justifies violence. The remaining chapters were a mixed bag of a bit of good stuff along with plenty of theological and political liberalism. If you're a fan of gay marriage, abortion, socialism, and religious pluralism you might well enjoy this well-written book.
December 19, 2014
It would take me more room than I have here to list all the quotes from this book that I loved. This is my first book by Philip Gulley and I want to read more of them. Gulley's vision of what faith and religion should be are so true. He recites many examples of how people proclaim religious faith and the "right way" while they ignore the principles of Jesus and other religious teachers, both in the Bible and out. Many of the Quaker "ways" are models we should live by. I have always know that the Quakers were anti-war, but Mr. Gulley discusses this issue with eloquence. I have wondered for decades why we are always fighting war after war with no end in sight. Maybe we should try the principles of the Quaker Way: SPICE--Simplicity, PEACE, Integrity, Community, and Equality. How would this world change?
Thanks, Kris, for letting me borrow this book, and to Sue for being the go-between!
Thanks, Kris, for letting me borrow this book, and to Sue for being the go-between!
September 19, 2013
I really looked forward to reading this book because I have enjoyed so many of Philip Gulley's other books and writings. This book speaks directly to me, and in many cases for me. I could not read this book without thinking about the many feelings Phil must have felt while writing this book.
I am reading this book during a period of time when their are people of privilege who want to shut down the government so others could not have health care insurance like they possess. I think about what their thought process might be and wish they would take the time to reflect on concepts such as the Quaker way. Injustice is not a new concept and will probably be with us until the end of time.
I am reading this book during a period of time when their are people of privilege who want to shut down the government so others could not have health care insurance like they possess. I think about what their thought process might be and wish they would take the time to reflect on concepts such as the Quaker way. Injustice is not a new concept and will probably be with us until the end of time.
March 9, 2014
I found Philip’s book affirmed all the reasons I decided to start going to the Quaker meeting I now attend. If you are interested in pursuing a simpler faith and life style. Connecting with God in a more direct way you may want to read this book and others written by Mr. Gulley. Neither he nor I are suggesting you change your church affiliation but just the way you live out your faith on a daily basis. What I really appreciate about Mr. Gulley is how honest he is about his faults and beliefs.
May 31, 2015
I have read all of Gulley's non-fiction and eagerly await his next book. I also enjoy his fiction where his truths are as important, just veiled in his remarkable wit. Gulley has crystallized my thinking in his books and does so again. His strength is in his approachability and clarity. He writes as though he were in a conversation with his reader. His writing is succinct, logical, and convicted, yet personal. As I read this my, Quaker ancestors spoke to me and I knew they were on to something fine.
October 2, 2013
This book describes exactly what drew me to the Religious Society of Friends. When I read these things, I realize I shared these values long before I ever considered myself a Quaker. I believe to the core of my being that the values described here, simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality, are how we are called to live. This book reminds me of what is important and urges me to continue striving to live these values in my daily life.
August 27, 2017
"It is not my place to say one understanding of Quakerism is superior to another. The God I believe in is happy to work anonymously, neither requiring or demanding recognition for every act of human kindness."
This book puts into words my entire religious, social and political beliefs. I read Quakerism, Buddhism and humanism in these pages.
This book puts into words my entire religious, social and political beliefs. I read Quakerism, Buddhism and humanism in these pages.
November 18, 2019
A great honest, and easy introduction of Modern Quakerism. I love the focus in inclusion of LGBTQ peoples, the need for activism, and the incorporation of SPICE!
Among it is the beautiful overall explanation of a Quaker way of life in this modern technocracy,
Its okay to slow down, breath, and give God a silent meditative hug!
Among it is the beautiful overall explanation of a Quaker way of life in this modern technocracy,
Its okay to slow down, breath, and give God a silent meditative hug!
November 5, 2018
Well written, inspiring, and thirty beautiful queries to close the book.
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