Swarthmore Lecture

Lecture at the Quaker Britain Yearly Meeting

Swarthmore Lecture is one of a series of lectures, started in 1908, addressed to Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The preface to the very first lecture explains the purpose of the series. “This book is the first of a series of public addresses to be known as the Swarthmore Lectures. The Lectureship was established by the Woodbrooke Extension Committee, at a meeting held December 9th, 1907. The Minute of the Committee provides for “an annual lecture on some subject relating to the Message and Work of the Society of Friends.” The name “Swarthmore” was chosen in memory of the home of Margaret Fox, which was always open to the earnest seeker after Truth, and from which loving words of sympathy and substantial material help were sent to fellow workers. “The Woodbrooke Extension Committee requested Rufus M. Jones, M. A., D. Litt., of Haverford College, Pennsylvania, to give the first lecture on the evening preceding the holding of the Friends’ Yearly Meeting of 1908. In accordance with this decision, the lecture was delivered in the Central Hall, Birmingham, on May 19th. “The Swarthmore Lectureship has been founded with a two fold purpose: firstly, to interpret further to the members of the Society of Friends their Message and Mission; and secondly, to bring before the public the spirit, the aims and the fundamental principles of the Friends. This first lecture presents Quakerism as a religion of experience and first hand reality—a dynamic, practical religion of life.”

Transcripts and recording of some of the lectures are available from the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre website.

YearAuthorTitleNotes1908Rufus M. JonesQuakerism: a Religion of life1909William Charles BraithwaiteSpiritual Guidance in the experience of the Society of Friends1910Joan Mary FryThe Communion of Life1911Thomas HodgkinHuman Progress and the Inward Light1912Terrot Reaveley GloverThe Nature and Purpose of a Christian SocietyFor biographical information on the lecturer, see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article.1913Joshua RowntreeSocial Service its place in the Society of Friends1914Edward GrubbThe Historic and Inward Christ: a study in Quaker thoughtFor biographical information on the lecturer, see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article.1915Silvanus P. ThompsonThe Quest For Truth1916Henry T. HodgkinThe Missionary Spirit and the Present Opportunity1917William LittleboyThe Day of Our Visitation1918Lucy Fryer MorlandThe New Social Outlook1919L. V. Hodgkin (later known as Lucy Violet Holdsworth)Silent Worship: The way of wonderMay 1920Herbert G. WoodQuakerism and the Future of the ChurchFor biographical information on the lecturer, see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article. August 1920Rufus M. JonesThe Nature and Authority of ConscienceIn August 1920 there was an All Friends Conference held. Rufus M. Jones gave the second 1920 Swarthmore Lecture on the eve of this event.1921T. Edmund HarveyThe Long Pilgrimage: human progress in the light of the Christian hope1922Carl HeathReligion and Public Life1923Helen Maria SturgePersonal Religion and the Service of Humanity1924Gerald Kenway HibbertThe Inner Light and Modern Thought1925John William GrahamThe Quaker ministry1926A. Neave BrayshawThe Things that Are Before Us1927Henry Thomas SilcockChrist and the World's Unrest1928John S. HoylandLight of Christ1929Arthur Stanley EddingtonScience and the Unseen worldU. S. Macmillan, UK Allen & Unwin. 1980 Reprint Arden Library 2004 U. S. reprint Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Publications: 2007 UK reprint by Quaker Books, BYM, with a new foreword by George Ellis, Allen & Unwin 1930Gerhart von Schulze GaevernitzDemocracy and Religion: a study in Quakerism1931Howard BrintonCreative Worship1932Francis E. PollardEducation and the Spirit of Man1933Shipley N. BrayshawUnemployment and Plenty1934George Barker JefferyChrist, Yesterday And Today1935William Ernest WilsonOur Response To God1936Howard E. CollierTowards a New Manner of Living1937Caroline Cassandra GravesonReligion and Culture1938A. Barratt BrownDemocratic Leadership1939David Elton TruebloodThe Trustworthiness of Religious Experience1940John Armstrong HughesThe Light of Christ in a Pagan World1941Edgar Bradshaw CastleThe Undivided Mind1942Margaret M. HarveyThe Law of Liberty1943Leyton RichardsPlanning for Freedom1944W. Russell BrainMan, Society and Religion1945Wilfrid AllottWorship And Social Progress1946Joseph Edward HoareThe Warrant For Youth's Search1947John W. HarveyThe Salt and the Leaven1948There was no lecture this year1949Roger C. WilsonAuthority, Leadership and Concern. A study in motive and administration in Quaker relief work 1950Konrad BraunJustice & the Law of Love1951Richard Duncan FairnQuakerism — a faith for ordinary men1952Thomas Farrimond GreenPreparation for Worship 1953Kathleen LonsdaleRemoving the Causes of War1954Wilhelm AarekFrom Loneliness To Fellowship: A study in psychology and Quakerism Article on Wilhelm Aarek at Norwegian Wikipedia.1955Douglas V. SteereWhere Words Come From an interpretation of the ground & practise of Quaker worship & ministry 1956Edgar Grieve DunstanQuakers & the Religious Quest1957Henry J. CadburyQuakerism & Early Christianity1958Margaret B. HoblingThe Concrete & the Universal1959Harold LoukesThe Castle and the Field1960Kenneth C. BarnesThe Creative Imagination1961Richard Karl UllmannTolerance and the IntolerableBiographical article in German Wikipedia1962J. Duncan WoodBuilding the Institutions of Peace1963L. Hugh DoncasterGod in Every Man1964Richenda C. ScottTradition and Experience1965John MacmurraySearch for Reality in Religion1966William E. BartonThe Moral Challenge of Communism: Some Ethical aspects of Marxist/Leninist Society1967Kathleen M. SlackConstancy and Change in the Society of Friends1968William Homan ThorpeQuakers and Humanists1969Maurice A. CreaseyBearings, or, Friends and the new reformation1970Kenneth E. BouldingProspering of Truth1971Charles Frederick CarterOn having a sense of all conditionsFor biographical information on the lecturer, see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.1972Richard S. PetersReason, Morality and Religion1973George H. GormanAmazing Fact of Quaker Worship1974Wolf MendlProphets and Reconcilers, Reflections on the Quaker Peace Testimony1975Ralph HetheringtonThe Sense of Glory A psychological study of peak experiences1976W. Grigor McClellandAnd a new earth: Making tomorrow's society better than today's1977Damaris Parker RhodesTruth a Path & not a Possession: A Quaker woman's journey1978John Ormerod GreenwoodSigns of Life: Art and Religious Experience1979John ReaderOf Schools and Schoolmasters. Some thoughts on the Quaker contribution to Education1980Janet ScottWhat Canst Thou Say? Towards a Quaker theology1981Adam CurleTrue Justice, Quaker peace makers and peace making1982Gerald PriestlandReasonable Uncertainty: a Quaker approach to doctrine1983Michael RutterA Measure of Our Values: goals & dilemmas in the upbringing of children1984Laurence LernerTwo Cinnas: Quakerism, Revolution and Poetry. A dialogue1985Christopher HoldsworthSteps in a Large Room: a Quaker explores the monastic tradition1986Quaker Women's GroupBringing the Invisible into the Light. Some Quaker Feminists speak of their experience (Lecture performed at the University of Exeter)1987John LampenMending Hurts1988Harvey GillmanA Minority of One1989S. Jocelyn BurnellBroken for Life, given at the University of Aberdeen
2010/2011 reprint is planned by Quaker Books, BYM.1990John PunshonTestimony and Tradition: some aspects of Quaker spirituality1991Geoffrey HubbardPatterns and Examples. Quaker Attitudes and European Opportunities1992Brenda Clifft Heales & Chris CookImages and Silence: Future of Quaker Ministry1993Sydney D. BaileyPeace is a Process1994Margaret HeathfieldBeing together: our corporate life in the Religious Society of Friends1995Anne ThomasOnly Fellow Voyagers. Creation stories as guides for the journey1996Jonathan DaleBeyond the Spirit of the Age1997Christine TrevettPrevious Convictions and end of the millennium Quakerism1998Young Friends General MeetingWho do we think we are? Young Friends' Commitment and Belonging1999Alex WildwoodA faith to call our own. Quaker tradition in the light of contemporary movements of the Spirit2000Tim NewellForgiving Justice. A Quaker vision for criminal justiceOriginal: 2007 reprint: 2001Tony StollerWrestling with the Angel2002Jackie Leach ScullyPlaying in the Presence: genetics, ethics and spirituality2003Eleanor NesbittInterfaith Pilgrims: living truths and truthful living2004Simon FisherSpirited living: waging conflict, building peace2005Helen StevenNo Extraordinary Power: Prayer, Stillness and Activism2006Roger and Susan SawtellReflections from a Long Marriage2007Beth AllenGround and Spring: the foundation of Quaker Discipleship, BYM Press Release2008Christine A. M. DavisMinding the Future2009Peter EcclesThe presence in the midst: reflections on discernment, the 2009 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Yearly Meeting Gathering at University of York on Tuesday 28 July.2010Paul LaceyThe unequal world we inhabit, the 2010 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Yearly Meeting in London on Saturday 29 May 2010.2011Pam LunnCosting not less than everything: Sustainability and spirituality in challenging timesThe 2011 Swarthmore Lecture was given at Yearly Meeting Gathering in Canterbury on Monday 1 August 2011. 2012Rachel BrettSnakes and Ladders: A personal exploration of Quaker work on human rights at the United NationsThe 2012 Swarthmore Lecture was given at Yearly Meeting in London, on 26 May 2012. It was published by Quaker Books. A free MP3 audio is available from the Woodbrooke website.2013Gerald HewitsonJourney Into Life: Inheriting the story of early FriendsThe 2013 Swarthmore Lecture was given at Yearly Meeting in London, on 25 May 2013. Available online as an Audio recording MP3, Text (Word document) and Text (PDF) at the Woodbrooke website2014Ben Pink DandelionOpen for Transformation: being QuakerThe 2014 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Yearly Meeting Gathering at the University of Bath on Sunday 3 August 2014. An online audio recording is available.2015Diana FrancisFaith, power and peaceThe 2015 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Britain Yearly Meeting at Friends House, London on Saturday 2 May 20152016Esther Mombo and Cécile NyiramanaMending broken hearts; rebuilding shattered lives Quaker peace building in eastern AfricaThe 2016 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Britain Yearly Meeting at Friends House, London, May 20162017Catherine West MP and Cllr Andy HullFaith in politics?The Swarthmore Lecture 2017: Faith in politics? A testimony to equality was given by Catherine West on Monday 31 July 2017 as part of Yearly Meeting Gathering at Warwick University. ISBN 9 781999 7269042018Chris AltonChanging ourselves, changing the worldThe 2018 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Britain Yearly meeting at Friends House, London on 5 May.2019Eden GraceOn Earth as it is in Heaven; The Kingdom of God and the yearning of CreationThe 2019 Swarthmore Lecture was given during Britain Yearly meeting at Friends House, London in May.2020Tom ShakespeareOpenings to the Infinite Ocean: A Friendly Offering of Hope2021Thomas PennyKinder Ground: Creating Space for Truth2022Helen MinnisPerceiving the Temperature of the Water

For further details see the list of lectures at the Woodbrooke Centre.