Helen Holt – författare

Quakerism has a rich tradition of engaging science and has produced many notable amateur and eminent professional scientists in fields ranging from psychology to physics. Quakers and Science discusses some of the historical reasons why Quakers embraced science, introducing ten 20th-century Quaker scientists to explore the intriguing resonances between science and Quakerism. The distinctive Quaker emphasis on deeds not creeds inspires Quaker scientists to be particularly interested in the ethical questions raised by science. And the emphasis on continual revelation implies that Quakers have welcomed the opportunity to reformulate their religious beliefs in the face of new scientific discoveries.

Rufus Jones was a Quaker giant of the 20th century. Charismatic and controversial, he reshaped the way many Quakers thought about the relationship between God and humans. Rufus Jones and the Presence of God traces Jones' life from adventurous farm boy to much-loved college lecturer and popular author on mysticism, showing how he wove together ideas from Quakerism, psychology and philosophy. It also explores some of his spiritual practices, asking whether there is anything we can learn from them today, whatever our beliefs.

Cadbury�s Dairy Milk, Rowntree�s Kit Kat, and Fry�s Turkish Delight are all well-known chocolate treats. The three 'cocoa families'�who indulged our chocolate cravings for over a century were all Quakers, and this affected both how they amassed their fortunes and how they spent them. George and Richard Cadbury in Birmingham, and Joseph Rowntree in York, all strove to improve the lives of those living in Victorian slums. They built factories and towns in the countryside, provided recreation and medical facilities, and gave away significant proportions of their wealth to establish charitable trusts. Some of their descendants carried on the family businesses, but others made significant contributions elsewhere. Richard�s daughter Beatrice campaigned vigorously against capitalism and for peace, and Joseph�s son John Wilhelm was instrumental in bringing Quakerism in line with the latest discoveries in science. Quakers and Chocolate�provides a brief history of chocolate, focusing on the convictions and actions of some members of the Quaker families who did so much to make chocolate part of everyday life.

Rufus Jones’ promotion of mysticism and his novel formulation of the Inner Light, which saw God as an inherent part of human nature, were sweepingly influential within liberal Quakerism in the early 20th century and have had long-lasting effects on Quaker faith and practice. In spite of the importance of his ideas, however, they have received little critical attention. In Mysticism and the Inner Light, Helen Holt provides a systematic analysis of Jones’ thought in historical context, showing how he attempted to synthesize his own experience with aspects of the psychology of William James, the idealism of Josiah Royce, and liberal Christianity. She finds that because Jones presented his ideas informally, he is sometimes misinterpreted, especially regarding his views on Christ and humanism. The book draws on Jones’ extensive corpus and on unpublished archived letters.