Book Review: Geoffrey Durham, The Spirit of the Quakers

The Expository Times http://ext.sagepub.com/ Book Review: A Good Place To Meet Friends : Geoffrey Durham, The Spirit of the Quakers (Yale: YUP, 2010. £9.99. pp. 242. ISBN: 978-0-300-16736-8) Joshua A. Kaiser The Expository Times 2011 122: 616 DOI: 10.1177/00145246111220120707 The online version of this article can be found at: http://ext.sagepub.com/content/122/12/616.citation Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for The Expository Times can be found at: Email Alerts: http://ext.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://ext.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav >> Version of Record - Jul 29, 2011 What is This? Downloaded from ext.sagepub.com at UNIV OF NOTRE DAME on November 28, 2011 616 The Expository Times 122(12) Groups in Luke’s Gospel, BiTS 10 (Leuven: Peeters, 2009. €84.00. pp. lxvi + 655. ISBN: 97890-429-2348-5). This splendid reference tool provides detailed and highly useful data on the vocabulary used by the author of Luke. Its main features are a full alphabetical listing of the vocabulary of Acts, accompanied by: (1) a comparative statistical survey of the occurrences in Luke and Acts, Matthew and Mark; (2) discussion of various possible meanings; (3) a comparative listing of word groups; (4) a comparative list of words/word groups characteristic of Luke; and (5) relevant linguistic literature relating to each entry. The introduction provides a short history of research into the language and style of Luke. Extremely helpful is the comparative table (p. xv) showing the differing assessments of scholars in enumerating characteristic Lukan lexemes, word forms, semantic groups, word groups and the total characteristic vocabulary items. On pages xxvi – xxix the authors lay out their own understanding of how the data should be categorized. In the appendix to the introduction there is a listing of words or word-groups that within the NT occur only in the writings of the author of Luke and Acts. The final introductory element is the guide to using the data as it is presented in this volume. As the authors state, the vocabulary is base on the form of the text found in NA27. In the top frame the lexeme is printed with the number of usages in Luke and Acts (variant readings are also enumerated) then the number of occurrences in the other synoptic gospels is also listed. Under this, in the lower part of the frame the range of meanings in Luke and Acts is listed with references to passages where that meaning is found. There is also a listing of supplementary possibilities listed in BDAG. The second frame lists word groups: highlighting common combinations of the base lexeme with other words. The third frame reports if a word is considered characteristic of Luke. Authors who consider the lexeme characteristic of Luke are listed in this frame. Finally the fourth frame provides the relevant linguistic literature that concerns the Lukan lemma. This work is an extremely focused, helpful and scholarly reference work. It is relevant not only to those interested specifically in lexical studies, but also is highly beneficial in addressing exegetical and source critical studies. One wonders if similar volumes are projected for the Johannine Literature or the Pauline Epistles. The present volume is bound to be in close reach of all those engaged in serious and close textual analysis of the author of Luke and Acts. This is a fine work of reference. PAUL FOSTER School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh A GOOD PLACE TO MEET FRIENDS Geoffrey Durham, The Spirit of the Quakers (Yale: YUP, 2010. £9.99. pp. 242. ISBN: 978-0300-16736-8). A good anthology of religious writing should do two things: first, it should effectively introduce readers to a particular theme or topic; second, it should present its collection of texts with a light editorial touch, allowing the writings to speak for themselves and inspire readers toward further study. For the most part, Geoffrey Durham’s recent book, The Spirit of the Quakers, accomplishes both of these goals and proves itself a valuable publication for those who are curious about the people called Friends. At the very beginning of the book Durham announces his hope that the anthology might serve as ‘an introduction to the faith and experience of members of The Religious Society of Friends’ (p. 1). While it lacks any in-depth discussion of Quaker history or practice (which Durham readily acknowledges) the book still manages to effectively introduce the Quaker tradition in a very Quaker fashion: by focusing largely on historical and contemporary texts that describe first hand experiences of Quaker faith and practice. Thus, a reader learns about Quaker worship not through reading extended theological and philosophical reflections on worship, but through ‘listening in’ as different authors describe what it is like to sit in a Quaker meeting for worship and experience the attendant sights, sounds, and feelings. After reading several of these accounts one begins to gain a sense of what the Quaker ethos is all about, though some may also become frustrated that several basic questions are not fully addressed (e.g. how did what began as a distinctively Christian movement become, for many Quakers, devoid of any explicit connection to Christianity?). Downloaded from ext.sagepub.com at UNIV OF NOTRE DAME on November 28, 2011 617 Book Reviews The selection of texts for an anthology is always subjective, as Durham acknowledges in his introduction. While one could quibble with some of his omissions – particularly the lack of excerpts representing the evangelical Quaker tradition, which is by far the largest expression of contemporary Friends worldwide – it is difficult to fault him too heavily. The texts he does include offer a nice blend of historical and contemporary writing from a range of familiar and lesser-known Quakers. Each reader will surely develop favourites; I found the contributions from Thomas Kelly and Parker Palmer to be especially insightful. Also included are four longer journal entries, which offer an extended glimpse into the lives of George Fox, Mary Penington, John Woolman, and Pierre Ceresole. Interspersed throughout the texts are editorial comments by Durham. While these are mostly helpful and unobtrusive, they can occasionally raise eyebrows. For example, it is difficult to know quite how to interpret his assertion that George Fox, the seventeenth century founder of the Quaker movement ‘was not a typical Quaker, either then or now’ (p. 51). In the end, The Spirit of the Quakers is a useful resource for those wanting to bypass more academic studies of the Quaker tradition and plunge straight into reading first hand experiences of Quakers themselves. For this purpose, Durham’s book is undoubtedly a good place to meet Friends. JOSHUA A. KAISER School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh POLITICAL THEMES IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES Jules Gleicher, Political Themes in the Hebrew Scriptures (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. £52.00. pp. 260. ISBN 978-0-2306-1822-0). Reflecting the growing interest in political theology, there have been several books published in recent years on the political and social themes to be found in Scripture. Within this genre notable general commentaries on the Hebrew texts are God and Earthly Power: An Old Testament Political Theology, Genesis-Kings by J. G. McConville and The Social Visions of the Hebrew Bible: A Theological Introduction by J. David Pleins. This book sits alongside these others in terms of intent, but varies considerably from others in the field for several reasons. Firstly, this text is from a Jewish scholar with a Jewish audience in mind. In fact, the essays began as divrei Torah presented at a synagogue in Illinois, beginning in 1993. These reflections were later developed into articles, and then this book. Not surprisingly, since the author is Jewish, the focus of the commentary relates mainly to Jewish interpretations and sources. There are times that Gleicher comments on the misuse or misreading of texts. He makes a case at several of these points that Christian translations or interpretations distort the nature of the Hebrew text for Christological ends. An example of this is Isaiah 9:6, where in traditional Christian translations a child becomes Christ and, therefore, divine. This cannot be the Jewish translation since this ascribes divinity to a human (p. 216). Secondly, this work is not from an expert in biblical scholarship (the author is a political philosopher). So, although this makes the text more accessible for the non-specialist, it means that it will be of limited interest to biblical scholars. But this work will not be of much more interest to secular political philosophers. This book offers a close reading of part of the Hebrew Scriptures. It begins with origins in Genesis and takes the reader through Exodus, Mosaic Law and the Prophets. The author draws out many interesting facets of the texts under review, but sometimes the relevance of many of these to political themes appears tangential at best. As one reads on, one suspects that the book is mistitled, since there are few political themes explored in any depth. Most of the writing is expository, offering a close reading of the selected stories, and teasing out lessons that may be hidden or obscured to the casual reader. There is much merit in this approach, especially when drawing, as the author does, on a wide range of literature in support of the themes discussed. But the author stops short of explicating the political nature of Scriptures, sadly pulling his political punches in relating the texts to political themes such as justice, sovereignty, law, and rulership. But for a Jewish perspective on Scripture this book nonetheless offers a good methodological introduction to how the Hebrew texts may be read for political themes. Downloaded from ext.sagepub.com at UNIV OF NOTRE DAME on November 28, 2011 RICHARD A. DAVIS University of Edinburgh