An intro to Barclay’s Apology

Over on the Wood­brooke web­site, Rhi­an­non Grant makes a case for why this ear­ly Quak­er text is still rel­e­vant.

Work­ing through a text like this can be reward­ing. Although some ques­tions seem very dif­fer­ent in today’s world, there are many points which seem rel­e­vant. Like some oth­er ear­ly Quak­er writ­ers, he gives mov­ing descrip­tions of meet­ing for wor­ship and the spir­i­tu­al effects it can have. He has a knack for vivid images which clar­i­fy some the­o­log­i­cal ques­tions… His insis­tence on the impor­tance of wait­ing to be led by the Spir­it before we speak in wor­ship, teach, or offer oth­er kinds of min­istry is still rel­e­vant to my Quak­er com­mu­ni­ty. And even when I dis­agree with him, I find it use­ful to be prompt­ed to think through ques­tions from his perspective. 

Posted March 18th, 2021 , in Quaker.