Sabrina Darnowsky

During a turbulent period in their history, nineteenth-century members of the Religious Society of Friends were struggling with a challenging question: what exactly do Quakers believe?

My recently published work, Sowing the Seed of Truth: Orthodox Quaker Sermons of Murray Shipley (1873-1876), provides an almost unique glimpse into the preaching of Gurneyite Friends, who made up the largest of the segments of American Quakerism after 1820. This book is a collection of thirty-five sermons by the well-respected Cincinnati minister Murray Shipley, along with an introduction to the central tenets of Quakerism and how they affected early Friends’ messages. Through vivid personal anecdotes, dramatic narratives, unusual allegories, and engaging details about life in the 1870s, Shipley invites others to experience a life transformed by the spirit of God.

To celebrate the book’s availability, The Bookmatters is hosting an author event on Wednesday, August 14, at 6 PM at their bookstore on 6 Main Street in Milford, a beautiful nineteenth-century building that’s the perfect venue for this launch! I’ll be reading selected passages and signing copies. Space is limited, so please be sure to RSVP!