Reviews Articles
George and the Flying Foxes, by Christine Hayes
This little book, in twenty-nine short chapters, and with illustrations, is for Quaker teenagers. It is written in a racy style, full of conversations. Some of the characters are themselves Quaker teenagers, George in particular, but also Freddie and Rosie. From the first chapter they interact with Axl, Guy and...
The Ethics of the Climate Crisis, by Robin Attfield
All Quakers, I think, have a concern about climate change, and here is the book you have been waiting for. It is a very readable account of the science involved, together with estimates of climatic effects on all living things, including humans, and an examination of the ethical and moral...
Another England: How to reclaim our national story, by Caroline Lucas
The starting point for this book is its author’s profound sadness at the outcome of the Brexit referendum. Caroline Lucas, of the Green Party, makes a timely attempt to deal with that shocking political decision, in a way that allows those she refers to as ‘progressives’ to move forward....
Playing God: Science, religion and the future of humanity, by Nick Spencer & Hannah Waite
Playing God begins with a walk in the park. The walk took place in Brussels in 1927; the walkers were Albert Einstein and the Belgian scientist Georges Lemaître. The pair discussed Lemaître’s discovery that the way galaxies move in the night sky could be explained if we accept...
A Disabled Apostle: Impairment and disability in the letters of Paul, by Isaac Soon
When he wrote his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul felt compelled to tell his correspondents about what he called the ‘thorn’ in his ‘flesh’, a mysterious ailment that has long puzzled readers. Isaac Soon’s book is the first to be devoted to this enigmatic complaint, and to other...
Alison Lapper: Lost in Parys
There was depressing news recently for the creative arts in the UK, as the government cut funding for performing and creative arts courses at English universities. All the more reason, then, to celebrate a new initiative to encourage young people’s engagement with the arts, focusing on how art can...
Bayard Rustin: A legacy of protest and politics, ed by Michael G Long
Everybody knows something about the 1963 March On Washington, when Martin Luther King delivered his powerful ‘I have a dream’ speech. Fewer people know that it was organised by a black Quaker, Bayard Rustin. This new book of essays on Rustin reveals how, over five decades of activism, Bayard did even...
Negotiating With the Devil: Inside the world of armed conflict mediation, by Pierre Hazan
Winston Churchill is not the first person to come to mind when one thinks of a mediator. But something he said came to mind while reading this book.
Jesus As Witnessed By the Disciple He Loved: A commentary on the gospel of John, by Alan Asay
The gospel of John has often been called the ‘Quaker gospel’, mainly, perhaps, because of its many references to light, which chime with much Quaker theological conversation today. Early Quakers were greatly inspired by this gospel, and it gives each new generation of Friends much food for thought. Alan Asay,...
The Dictionary People, by Sarah Ogilvie
Friends love wordless silence, of course, but some of us love words too, written or spoken. This book is the latest in a line of fascinating works about the history of the Oxford English Dictionary.