So I turned to this book because I'm one of those peculiar people who read early Quaker tracts and I was looking for theological and historical context in which to understand what I was reading. This book delivers. I now have a better appreciation of how what is going on in the texts I am reading may be quite different depending on whether they were written in the interregnum or the restoration.

Guiton's main thesis is that the proclamation of the Kingdom of God/Heaven of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels (especially as found in the Sermon on the Mount) was critical enough early Quaker faith convictions that we need to be using it as a lens through which to interpret the wealth of publications produced by Quakers of the period.

You will be quickly impressed by the sheer breadth of knowledge he has of the writings of the period. And at times he gets much more granular than I would like — citing tract after tract. But it is a necessary part of his writing strategy to build evidence for his thesis. Each chapter has a chapter conclusion where he draws out the main themes of those chapters. And if you're interested in the spiritual aspects of the Quaker writings of that. To clearly want to pay attention to his epilogue.

My own learning/writing style would have appreciated it more if he had chosen representative writings and done a close reading of them instead of mounting a campaign of evidence. It becomes clear from chapter 12 on why he needs to do this. The historians of this period have been strongly influenced by Marxist analysis. They see the ideational life of that period as “ideology” in a very Marxist way – as primarily products of socio-economics and thus as justifications for social and political moves rather than at the heart of them. Guiton holds that the Kingdom of God in a very realized eschatology sense (CH Dodd) was a genuine faith commitment impregnating everything early Quakers did. And consequently served as motivation for their social commitments to the poor and the marginal.

If you are interested in an intellectual or faith-focused history of the interregnum and restoration. It's you want this book on your shelf (or in my case in your e-reader). If you are interested in the historical and theological roots of Quakerism I also strongly recommend you read this. If you are easily overwhelmed by footnotes and academic writing consult the chapter conclusions to reorient yourself as well as the very helpful glossary at the back. ( )