The Influence of the Writings of John Woolman

THE INFLUENCE OF THE WRITINGS OF JOHN WOOLMAN By Phillips P. Moulton* Although many articles on John Woolman have referred briefly to the influence of his writings, none seems to have focused on this question. It is therefore appropriate to do so. What effect have his writings had during the past two centuries—on the spiritual and moral experience of mankind, on race relations, on economic life, on issues of war and peace, on literature, and on culture generally? His spiritual influence doubtless explains the many references to him in Quaker literature and the wide dissemination of the Journal. It has been almost continuously in print and has appeared in several languages . We observe a reciprocal relationship: because his writings are influential, they are reprinted and widely distributed; then their availability increases their influence. A remarkable number of individuals have testified to new spiritual and ethical dimensions derived from reading the Journal. One example is Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In 1797 Thomas Poole asked Coleridge to write a series of letters about himself which would constitute an autobiography. As he began the series Coleridge referred to one other autobiographical work. We read in the first letter: "I should almost despair of that Man, who could peruse the Life of John Woolman without an amelioration of Heart."1 Closer to our own day, Thomas KeUy, in his Testament of Devotion, revealed through frequent references how much his insight and inspiration came from Woolman.2 George Willoughby, who in 1958 sailed on the Golden Rule to oppose the testing of atomic weapons, was jailed in Honolulu. He relates that a visiting Friend brought him a copy of the Journal. * Professor of Philosophy, Adrian College. The substance of this article consists of the address delivered at the Annual Meeting of Friends Historical Association , Eleventh Month 30, 1970, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of John Woolman. A portion of this article is taken (with permission) from the Introduction to the Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman, to be published about Dec. 1, 1971, by Oxford University Press, as a volume in A Library of Protestant Thought. 1 S. T. Coleridge, Collected Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. E. L. Griggs (London, 1956-1959), I, 302.» (New York, 1941), pp. 34, 42, 52, 117. 4 Quaker History He had read it before, but as he pondered it in that situation, its message of comfort and challenge spoke to him with a new force and directness. Willoughby further recalls that during the Delhi-Peking Friendship March in the early sixties, educated Indians, learning he was a Quaker, frequently asked about Woolman. In 1926 Rufus Jones had told Gandhi about Woolman, and in 1929 Gandhi's secretary, on behalf of the Ashram residents, asked Hoiace Alexander for more books about Quakers, and particularly about Woolman.8 Gandhi had close contacts with such Quakers as Alexander and Reginald Reynolds (author of TL· Wisdom of John Woolman). Evidence is lacking, however , that Gandhi was influenced directly by Woolman's writings. At least their spiritual kinship reflects nourishment from a common source. The impact of Woolman, to which Coleridge and others have referred , has been verified in my own experience. Upon first reading the Journal (at the suggestion of a student) I was profoundly impressed . Woolman not only confirmed and enriched some of my unconventional ideas; he also challenged several of my assumptions and revealed new levels of thought and action. Some readers of this essay can doubtless report similar experiences. Theologically, Woolman stood in the main stream of the Christian evangelical tradition. His doctrine was orthodox. Yet his breadth and tolerance gave support to the Uberai faction when the Quaker divisions came to a focus in 1827-1828. The liberal leader, Elias Hicks, purchased the first edition of Woolman's Works, and referred to it in addressing Philadelphia Quakers. He was deeply affected by Woolman's emphasis on simplicity and his antislavery views (notably his refusal to use the products of slave labor). He was also impressed by his mystical tendencies, which transcended rigid creeds.* In the 1830's Woolman's Journal was criticized by orthodox Quakers for lacking sufficient mention of particular phrases which symbolized their...