by Michael L. Birkel

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review by David Robinson

I AM CERTAINLY NOT given to mystic experiences. I even remember when I first heard about >Lectio Divina; I thought it was the name of some Italian monk! Michael Birkel challenged me, whether he knows it or not. There are few things I would rather do than be engaged by Scripture, to be challenged by it, to be comforted by it, and to allow it to become part of me. I love to dissect Scripture passages and to let the words of Scripture wash over me. It is an exciting experience to give oneself to reading Scripture, as George Fox described it, in the same Spirit that gave them forth. And then to think about reading in the company of those early Friends was an intriguing venture. And so I decided to accept his challenge.

M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O., who penned the foreword, is a Trappist monk of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. Father Pennington helps us to place early Friends alongside the early church fathers and some of the monastic fathers of the Middle Ages as they allowed the Scriptures to form their minds and hearts. “Like the early Fathers they did not seek to develop their teaching in some strictly logical or discursive order but allowed one inspired Word to call forth another by association, enriching and expanding their understanding” (xi).

After Birkel introduces the reader to what it means to read in company with those from the past and to allow them to come alongside, he walks the reader through six experiences:

1. Reading inwardly
2. Reading and remembering
3. Reading meditatively (alone)
4. Reading together (in community)
5. Reading with the wider church
6. Reading to be transformed

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two chapters. The author gave us some sections from the writings of George Fox and an early Friend named Dorothy White to illustrate how these passages were permeated with Scripture allusions and direct quotations. It seemed just to be a natural part of their speaking and writing. I recalled a paper by Ron Worden from Houston, entitled “George Fox's Use of the Bible” (>Quaker Religious Thought, September 2001), in which he pointed out that Fox “weaves biblical terms, images [e.g. ‘light,' ‘seed'], expressions, and/or allusions into his own statements without attribution.” What would it mean to others if our speech and writings were saturated with scriptural allusions and quotations as were those of early Friends? It certainly would indicate that we would be, as Birkel suggests, >engaging Scripture.

The author helps us understand what it might mean to engage Scripture in worship experiences with other Friends—either in a small group or with the worshiping community. Engaging Scripture can happen also with other writers, largely of the contemplative tradition, as they help guide us in this process.

I'll mention a couple of things about the book I wish had been different. One is in Appendix B: Questions for Reflection and Journaling. I wish these questions had been placed at the end of each chapter. I would have made better use of them, rather than having to find them at the end of the book, almost as an afterthought.

The second is the selection of title. While I resonated with the thought of scriptural engagement, I wanted something more substantive than simply reading with early Friends. I believe Birkel gave us that in the book, along with other helpful insights. But I was wishing the subtitle had not sold the book short in its promise.

I recommend the book to those who want to experience anew and in a fresh manner how Scripture might come alive. It is not just for the individual to read meditatively. It is for group study also.

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