Still in this day and age, Quakerism remains a frequently misunderstood religion, not for the complexity of its tenets, but for the difficulty of expressing its dimensions and depth in ordinary speech and language. Because the spiritual journey of the Quaker is primarily conducted inwardly through gatherings held in silence, words rarely do the experience justice and leave more questions asked than answered.
But through poetry, longtime practicing Quaker Stanford J. Searl Jr. has found a vehicle to express the inexpressible and bring his inner journey outward to break the silent surface with beautiful, heartfelt words that celebrate the vital undercurrents of his faith.
A collection of fifty poems that vibrantly depict Quaker life, Quaker Poems: The Heart Opened explores the transformative power of silence and the principles of love, compassion, and peace that are the lifeblood of Quaker spirituality and practice.
With sections devoted to Quaker worship; Quaker history; Quaker activism and outreach; and Quaker values, people, and themes, the collection provides invaluable insight into the aspects of Quakerism that may confound those of other faiths, and it gives Quakers a soulful and accurate account of spirituality to which they can relate.
About the Author: Stanford J. Searl Jr. is a prolific writer and longtime follower of the Quaker faith. A member of the Santa Monica Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, he currently lives in Culver City, California, with his wife, Rebecca, a birthright Quaker.
Searl holds a PhD in English from Syracuse University and previously worked as a core faculty member, mentor, and advisor at Union Institute & University, where, for nearly twenty-five years, he urged students to find and connect with their passion for learning and life.
Deciding to practice what he preached, Searl went on to pursue his own passions and completed qualitative research on Quaker silent worship, which led to his publication of two books on the topic, Voices from the Silence and The Meanings of Silence in Quaker Worship. His first book of poems was completed in 2013 and his second, Quaker Poems: The Heart Opened, shortly thereafter.
