A word from the lost: Remarks on James Nayler's "Love to the lost and a hand held out to the helpless to lead out of the dark." by David Lewis (review)

Lewis has written an extended and engaging reflection on James Nayler's great theological statement, Love to the Lost (1656). In part, he aims to enable modern Friends to engage more closely with his message: "Several mountain ranges stand between us and James Nayler," including "all the cultural developments that have taken place between the 1650s and the 21st century. . . . Modern Friends probably understand more about (for example) Buddhism and Celtic mysticism than the theological mix of Reformation Europe." In addition, Lewis is exploring the extent to which modern British Friends may hold to the same Truth that Nayler preached, though expressed in modern terms. His search for insight, and where possible unity, comes with urgency: British Friends may not have all the answers, or an adequate Quaker theology: "On the contrary, as my title suggests, we may well be lost."

The majority of chapters consider particular sections of Nayler's work. In these, Lewis summarizes the main content of the section, with some interpretation or exegesis to clarify unfamiliar language or ideas grown inaccessible as Quakerism as traveled into the 21st century. He offers his personal reaction to Nayler's message, and often draws on other Nayler texts or secondary literature to unpack difficult points. Finally, in most of these chapters Lewis traces the chapter's theme as it appears (or is transformed) in books of discipline (mainly London/Britain Yearly Meeting's) over the past two centuries. Most often, he discovers evidence of common ground between Nayler and modern British Quakerism. In other cases, the continuity is problematic. For example, in his treatment of "the Word" Lewis recounts the early Quaker understanding of the Word, Christ, and its relationship with the Scriptures. He then points out that in different ways, various areas of Quakerdom have not maintained the original, perhaps paradoxical, view on sources of revelation. Perhaps as a result, our sense of unity as a people has also been strained—Lewis alludes to disparate attitudes towards homosexuality. These chapters have something of the character of a searching conversation between the reader and author.

Lewis steps back from the text in the Introduction and several topical chapters, to provide historical context for Nayler's story. Indeed, a subtext for the whole book is the "Bristol incident" which occurred in the fall of the year that Love to the Lost was published. Chapters on women in the Quaker movement, and on Martha Simmonds and her many possible roles in "Nayler's Fall" present material and interesting reflections on many unanswered questions. The chapter on Ann Nayler is sensitive but speculative, as so little is known of her. A chapter on the exercise of power in the movement, and its bearing on Fox's and Nayler's behaviors during and after 1656 returns us to some of the abiding puzzles Nayler represents. I ended grateful for Lewis's work, but also aware of all the riches of Nayler's thought still to be explored—in their own terms, and not in the service of the endlessly fascinating "Nayler question."