Face to Face and Close to the Ground

It's been a busy month here at Barclay Press, as we prepare for Northwest Yearly Meeting annual sessions at George Fox University. We'll be releasing two new titles during Yearly Meeting and now have them both available for pre-order.

Face to Face: Early Quaker Encounters with the Bible is the first of three volumes from T. Vail Palmer offering what C. Wess Daniels has called "the most comprehensive Quaker theology ever written." This first volume offers a "systematic look at Quakers' understanding and theology of the Bible." The second volume is scheduled for release in mid-2017. 

In Close to the Ground: A Collection of Poems, Nancy Thomas explores "the grace of God hidden in the ordinariness of life." The first section, “Playing with Words,” celebrates language. In the second section, “Family Album,” Nancy celebrates memory, one of the ancient traditions of the Christian faith. The third section, “The Absurdity of Prayer,” focuses on the human side of our relationship with God. It notices the klutziness of being the church. It celebrates spirituality with dirt on its face and saints with sullied reputations. The final section, “Longing for Home,” affirms the hope of resurrection and new life.  

I've spent a lot of time with both of these books over the last few months, and I'm convinced of the importance of both titles. Nancy's collection challenges me to think more creatively and to interact more playfully in my prayerful noticings of God with me. Vail's work offers perspective I wish I'd had years ago about what the Bible was for early Quakers and how their readings might offer life to us today. Please feel free to write me about your own experience with either title. I'd love to hear from you.

Eric Muhr