One of the exciting aspects of the Quaker faith for me is the way in which it continually revisits the detail while remaining true to its overall integrity of purpose. As times change, so do the preoccupations and priorities of Quakers. The Religious Society of Friends listens as a body – really listens – to the witness of its members, and opens itself to fresh insights as it does so. The effect is that, while the fundamentals of the Quaker faith have not wavered for 360 years, the Quaker way of living them gets shaken up regularly, usually as a result of the conscience, anger, inspiration or good sense of individual Quakers. Or, more often than not, a mixture of all four.
So, only eighteen months since its first publication, this volume needs updating for its second edition. To stay abreast of new developments in Quaker thinking (and occasionally my own), I have recast a number of paragraphs, rewritten much of the section on sustainability and added new recommendations for further exploration and resources. I look forward to returning to the text in future to make changes when they are needed.
In April 2012 the scientific journal Animal Behaviour published an article reporting that white-crowned sparrows in San Francisco now sing higher and more loudly in order to hear each other over the traffic noise on the nearby Golden Gate Bridge. In a similar way, Quakers are realising that they must express themselves more clearly if they are to be understood above the racket of twenty-first century life. I hope this book may do a little to add to that understanding, and that Quakers will never stop developing new ways to speak their truth.