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Eugene Friends Meeting Library
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- Book Review – Encounters with Silence by John Punshon
The Guided Life: Finding Purpose in Troubled Times, By Craig Barnett
The Guided Life: Finding Purpose in Troubled Times (Craig Bennett) joins EFM’s library’s recent acquisitions that seem to focus on the question of “what do we do now?” Published in the UK in 2019 (midway through Donald Trump’s first term), that question is perhaps pertinent to Friends now more than ever. Bennett states the concern clearly in Chapter 1: “The world needs guided men and women, not guided missiles”, and Quakers “have made the cultivation of the guided life the focus of [their] practice for over three centuries.”
To what purpose do we seek guidance for living our lives? Simply, “for the healing of the world, through us.” This is no easy task, to be sure: the guided life “does not serve our comfort, self-image or security.” But if we are committed to personal integrity as a primary value, “we cannot surrender responsibility for our own lives by submission to authority or conformity to any group.” Perhaps paradoxically, when we consent to being led, we will find ourselves sustained, nourished and fulfilled.
The bulk of this little book consists of the author’s reflections on how this guidance can come to us and how we may be led to respond.
In four sections, Bennett describes the basics of Quaker practice as he has experienced it, largely in the unprogrammed tradition. The first chapter makes the case for the absolute necessity of seeking and committing to follow the guidance of Spirit as it reveals itself to us internally. Chapter 2 explains the value of the supportive community of Friends for, among other things, testing the trueness of our inner leadings. In “The Broken Life”, the third chapter, we read of the need for continuing guidance as we muddle through the world, making mistakes even as we are well-intentioned. Finally, in the last chapter, we are advised to “choose life”, perhaps in a reference to Deuteronomy 30:19. Bennett describes for us the ethical principles by which he tries to live, his personal testimonies: stillness, simplicity, forgiveness, truthfulness, friendship, living adventurously. The suggestion is for all of us to seek through determined Quaker practice to find and live in accordance with our own testimonies.
This is Bennett’s prescription for finding purpose in these troubled, troubling times: go within first, become grounded in the guidance of Spirit, then live life faithful to that guidance. One can do no more than this, but this is sufficient.
Encounters with Silence: Reflections from the Quaker Tradition, by John Punshon
John Punshon gives us, in this extended essay, not only a deep look at unprogrammed worship in the manner of Friends, but also his personal story of growth in faith. Punshon (1935-2017), born in London, was shipped off to the country to escape the Blitz, where he was exposed to Baptist worship and practice. As a young man at Oxford, he regularly attended Anglican services, but eventually became a convinced Quaker member. His adult life was spent teaching and writing (our library has two of his other books), but, as he makes clear in Encounters with Silence, his work and the development of his spiritual life went hand-in-hand.
Although he writes in common, non-technical language, Punshon is a theologian, and one should not expect a light read. In particular, his view that Quaker silent worship is not far at all removed from the Roman Catholic mass in terms of its ritualistic emphasis was for me rather confusing. However, an over-arching theme is that all forms of religious worship are good and to be respected, and in fact all religions are very similar at their deepest levels. This is presented in clear and unequivocal terms.
Two caveats may be in order here. First, Punshon is undeniably Christian, a fact that he states puts him at odds with many liberal Friends. Secondly, our library copy was donated to us and contains lots of underlining and marginalia, fortunately done in #2 1/2 or #3 pencil, so one can read them or overlook them as one chooses.
Updated: 3/2/2025
