Abstract
Who did James Nayler think Jesus was? What did Jesus achieve in his life? How did Jesus inspire Nayler? How did Nayler understand himself? If you are interested in Jesus, and curious about James Nayler, a shadowy Quaker great from the past, then this book is for you. Stuart Masters skilfully harnesses Nayler’s religious, political and economic contexts to allow for greater comprehension of Nayler’s writings. This book invigorates under- standing of an early expression of Quakerism. More importantly, Masters’ Nayler defies the elite depiction of Jesus “sweet” and “meek.” Masters allows for Nayler’s radical and uncompromising Jesus to emerge who advocated war with compassion against violence, elitism, greed, and inequality. In short, Nayler lived as he believed Jesus lived, confronting authority and tradition, becoming poor, challenging all to take personal responsibility for their own culpability in injustice and poverty.
Recommended Citation
Bredin, Mark
(2022)
"Review of Stuart Masters, the Rule of Christ: Themes in the Theology of James Nayler (Brill, 2021).,"
Quaker Religious Thought: Vol. 139, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/qrt/vol139/iss1/6