Holy Silence: The Gift Of Quaker Spirituality - Softcover

Bill, J. Brent

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1557254206 ISBN 13: 9781557254207

Publisher: Paraclete Pr, 2005

Synopsis

People of all faiths and backgrounds are drawn to silence. We yearn for it in these busy and difficult times, but often, when silence becomes available, we don't know what to do with it. For centuries, Quakers have taught that when we are silent, God grants us insights, guidance, and spiritual understanding that is different from what we might realize in our noisy, everyday lives. This wise book invites us to discover this and other unique gifts of the Quaker way. It is a satisfying experience and taste of a spiritual tradition unflinching in its dedication to listening for the sounds and voice of God."A quietly lovely book in a hasty, clanging world. Holy Silence is a cooling balm." -Philip Gulley, author of the best-selling Home to Harmony series

About this title

About the Author:

J. BRENT BILL is recognized as one of the most important communicators of the spirituality of the Quaker tradition today. He is the Executive Vice President of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations, Inc. and the author of many books including Imagination and Spirit: A Contemporary Quaker Reader. Bill's writings have appeared in such publications as The Christian Century and Christianity and the Arts. A Friends minister, he and his wife Nancy live in Mooresville Indiana.

From Publishers Weekly:

For anyone who has ever wondered about the history and devotional life of this small but influential denomination, Bill's anecdotal and chatty book about the Quaker "sacrament" of silence will serve as a useful introduction. Some readers may not know, for example, that Quaker meetings may have pastors or a sacramental theology of silent worship that is analogous to that of many Protestant and Catholic liturgical traditions. "We believe that Christ comes in a physically present way in the same way that Catholics believe that when the host is elevated it becomes the literal body and blood of Jesus," writes Bill, the executive v-p of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations. In this brief primer on Quakerism in general and silence in particular, the author uses a practical tone to anchor reflections on what is essentially a matter of mystery: how God speaks in and through individual and communal silence. A self-confessed "type A personality," Bill brings a buoyant but realistic tone to his subject. Interspersed with quotations from various Christian writers and pauses for "quietude queries," or reflective moments for relaxation and contemplation, the slim volume is a useful tool for readers seeking a guide to devotional practice. (May)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Paraclete Pr
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1557254206
• ISBN 13: 9781557254207
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 147