This early Quaker minister’s essay relates poverty to wasteful consumption, brings the rich and powerful to account, and calls for simplicity as a style of life.

A Pendle Hill reprint of John Woolman's original essay published in 1793. His sub-title carries real weight "A Word of Rememberance and Caution to the Rich." Poverty in a society effects not only the poor. ( )

The author's essay relates poverty to wasteful consumption, brings the rich and powerful to account, and calls for simplicity as a style of life.

This pamphlet is a reprint of Woolman's essay (first published in 1793, after his death), along with a brief introduction by Phillips Moulton. Woolman wrote a rambling argument clearly attributing poverty, oppression, and war to the accumulation of wealth and its attendant power. He is very plain, though gentle, in his condemnation of oppression of the poor and slaves, of the desire for gathering wealth for luxury and ease, and of the lack of empathy, as utterly contrary to God's principle of universal righteousness, justice, and love. Woolman calls for us to live plain and simple lives, without luxury, so we can live in brotherhood (sic), happiness, and close relationship with God.
Woolman is our great Quaker prophet, and his 18th century English (totally comprehensible) still speaks powerfully and eloquently to us.
Woolman is indeed remarkable for his love for everybody, expressed in his gentleness as he explains the depth of the challenge to us. It is interesting to note some of our other wonderful more recent Quaker prophets writing about poverty and wealth, such as Mildred Binns Young (PHPs 90, 109, and 145), Alice and Staughton Lynd (PHP 326), David Morse (PHP 356), Tom Head (PHP 405), Paul Christiansen (PHP 429), and Steve Chase (PHP431). ( )

A summary presentation of one of John Woolman's most important works. ( )