Enlarging the Tent By Jonathan Doering and Nim Njuguna Reviewed by David Wicks, Editorial Team Member, Aotearoa/New Zealand Friends Newsletter This is a book that needs reading at least twice and dipping into many times. It is not a difficult read but it is informative and thought provoking. The book is a series of profound conversations between two eminent Quakers, one English and the other Kenyan who has been resident in England for some time. They discuss racism and other forms of discrimination and explore how Friends could and perhaps should, react to these behaviours. One of the many questions it explores is how do predominantly white, affluent, middle-class Quakers and their meetings connect with black organisations striving for equality, or with other groups often discriminated against such as LGBTQ, people with disabilities and people of other faiths. How do we become sensitive to their needs? There is now debate over the use of the Quaker word ‘overseer’ and how it could be interpreted by the black community. There is a similar controversy over the naming of the William Penn Room in Friends House, London as it is known that Penn kept slaves. The authors spend time discussing how we move from being a novice in such issues, along a continuum to expert and everything in between. They question when does one first agree to look at such issues with an open mind? If you are a novice who wants to listen and learn, you continue along the continuum till you become an expert. A white person can then become what they describe as an “ally”. This is not only walking beside those discriminated against in solidarity, but they also now have the power to help remove the barriers that impede progress. This is not done for people but with people. It is holistic in the sense that it is not just about being an anti-racist campaigner. If you support anti-racism you must also support gay rights, women rights and so forth. It is all interconnected and intersectional. It is a way to enlarge the numbers of who come into ‘the tent’ against all forms of discrimination. The back of the book is given over to worksheets that expand on the Chapters in the book. They lay the groundwork to consider pathways for real and meaningful change. This book has relevance for Quakers in Aotearoa as many of the issues are significant for us especially with the present government tampering with Te Tiriti and Maori response to this. Where do we stand? How do we ally with them? ~ David Wicks, The New Zealand Quaker Newsletter

BOOK REVIEW: ENLARGING THE TENT: TWO QUAKERS IN CONVERSATION ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE BY JONATHAN DOERING AND NIM NJUGUNA This book uses the metaphor of “enlarging the tent” to describe what the two Quaker authors feel is essential for freeing the life-blood of Quaker communities into channels that can help to heal the world. Both authors were residents of the UK. Nim Njuguna (NN) is of Kenyan heritage and is a retired Baptist minister and former Quaker prison chaplain. He writes on inclusion, spirituality and diversity in a wide range of Quaker and other periodicals. His 1995 PhD was on “Racism, Black Marginality, the Labour Party and the Church of England in the 1980s”. Jonathan Doering (JD) has been a Quaker for 20 years and has worked in sixth form and further education. His MA thesis on Quaker poetry was recently published in Quaker Studies. He has served in a variety of Quaker capacities, including Elder, representative to Meeting for Sufferings, and Local Meeting Assistant and Co-Clerk. Their book Enlarging the Tent was triggered by the horrific murder of George Floyd and the global outcry for social justice led largely by the Black Lives Matter movement. So at its core the book addresses the problem of global racism and seeks ways in which our responses can be more than mere sympathy or intellectual commitment to change. The book is demanding that Quakers lift their game, that they be more actively inclusive, that they open their hearts more actively and step past their comfort zones. The book is a strong call to action that could transform Quakerism world-wide and that could enable Quakers to be a continuing force for transforming the world. The book is an edited transcript of on ongoing dialogue in which NN and JD have agreed that the process itself could (and does!) become a mirror for what they are trying to achieve: a gradual opening and deepening to their “otherness”. The dialogue format is both a strength and a weakness of this book. Its strength is that it is like listening in to an ever-deepening conversation between two friends troubled by the global situation. Its weakness is that it takes several re-readings to begin to weave together the many random strands of their conversation and get a clearer sense of the underlying structure of their thought. But then this is clearly also part of the intention, that we become part of this ongoing free-flowing conversation and begin weaving our own stratagems in the context of our own worlds (meetings). For example: NN… how do we translate “that of God in everyone” in a socially manifest way? JD: I thought the same thing… would you like to kick off this time? Their book is grounded on a deep appreciation of several key writings that become the guiding principles of their enquiry. First there is the Quaker “Advices and Queries 7” which at its heart has the injunction “Are you open to new light, from whatever source it may come?” Their book asks us to take this question very deeply, into our experience, into our feelings and beyond our merely intellectual assent. The book then quotes from Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed: “To affirm that men and women are persons and as persons should be free, and yet to do nothing tangible to make this affirmation a reality, is a farce.” This quote cuts to the heart of how NN and JD are trying to find ways of navigating their audience beyond the disabling comforts of a tent that provides a place of security and identity. The Brazilian Paulo Freire, one of the most influential philosophers of education in the 20th Century, had as his goal to “eradicate illiteracy among people from previously colonized countries and continents. His insights were rooted in the social and political realities of the children and grandchildren of former slaves.” (IEP)[1] His life work was committed to ameliorating the living conditions of oppressed people. Through the context of Freire’s powerful vision, JD and NN perceive that “when the oppressed are freed, that frees the oppressors as well. The oppressors are just as oppressed as those they oppress, just in a different way…. Maybe that’s something that will feed into anything that we write, that in contributing in a small way to someone else’s freedom you’re actually freeing yourself as well.” (51)[2] This is one of many examples where the authors try to open our understanding to the real experiential benefits of pushing beyond our comfort zones, embracing the other as a way of expanding our own conditioned limits. Later in the book the authors return to this in their examination of that core South African concept of Ubuntu as described by Nelson Mandela “My search for a self takes the form of a quest: I go out to the other in order to come back with a self.” (89) During the course of their conversation, many texts are inspected and radically interpreted. Amongst these are African American poet and writer Jean Toomer, one of the founding members of the Harlem Renaissance and follower both of the Russian contemplative mystic George I. Gurdjieff and George Fox. Jean Toomer’s core insight into how we should live from the inside, not the outside, in his article “Keep the Inward Watch” drives the central energy of Enlarging the Tent. Quaker theologian Douglas Steere’s paraphrase of Toomer’s idea is quoted by JD “Why is it so difficult for us to go in and become able to live from the inside outwards as whole men… the way is blocked?” (70). And this idea is affirmed by the quote from Audre Lorde (African American poet, feminist, lesbian, teacher and civil rights activist): “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable to bring about genuine change.” This is in her book of essays Sister Outside. Here Lorde affirms that it is only through deeply acknowledging and allowing the value of difference in the world to speak that fundamental change will arise. As well as such challenging points of wisdom, the book is full of practical suggestions on how we can expand our understanding of the issues at the heart of the authors’ focus and, more especially how we can take this understanding to transform our own consciousness from being passive, enlightened observers into socially active agents of real change in the world. This is the core of the book’s purpose and outcome which manifests at the end in a series of interactive Worksheets designed to stimulate insights and creative action. The Worksheets provide a plethora of materials that range from prompting readers to telling their own story about Race, through to some wonderful case studies of key African American Quakers. These are presented as a powerful challenge to the tenor of many dominantly White Quaker meetings, globally. Among the writers presented are poet Helen Morgan Brooks (1904-1989), described as inviting “us into a world of ugliness and beauty, cruelty and grace, pain and love, not a false, enamel world where pain has been removed, but a real world in which God moves among the suffering.” (141). Then there is Barrington Dunbar (1901-1978), born in British Guyana and later educated in New York, who wrote his first article in Friends Journal “Black Power’s Challenge to Quaker Power”. Here he identified and celebrated “the holistic integration between the spiritual power of Quaker worship and the genuine commitment of practical action in the world” (132). He goes on to describe how much of that power appears to have been lost in contemporary Quaker communities: This close connection between work and worship – between the gathered community of the Meeting and the wider community – seems to be a missing ingredient in the practice of the Quaker Meeting today, which often tends to serve the purpose of a social club where people meet to pursue their common interests in isolation from the rest of the community…Because our hearts are not stirred or our minds made sensitive to the injustices of the communities in which we live, we accommodate ourselves to a whole system of personal and group relations… a system that has served to reinforce the assumption of White superiority. This way of life denies that there is that of God in every [woman and] man, the vital message of Quakerism that provides the basis for the “blessed community” in which everyone can achieve freedom from want and fear and can realize his full potential as a human being. (132-133). Overall the book is a wonderful, lively, dynamic interplay of two very lively human beings who have at their heart a profound wish to bring healing to a world in which human relations have often become incredibly broken. While Nim and Jonathan speak of what can be described as right thinking concerning our unconscious prejudices, the healing they hope for must come from right action, and the nature of these actions are dependent upon individual circumstances and leadings. This book is highly recommended. Published by Christian Alternative Books, Winchester, UK, 2023 Reviewed by Michael and Rose Griffith, New South Wales Regional Meeting ~ Michael and Rose Griffith, The Australian Friend

Enlarging the Tent has been included in the Quaker Bookshop's February Books of the Month: https://youtu.be/w5wLAoEZ-CE?t=2307 ~ The Quaker Bookshop, The Quaker Bookshop

Englarging the Tent offers and insightful approach for individual and group consideration of racial justice issues. In eight tender and thoughtful conversations Jonathan Doering and Nim Njuguna raise important questions about anti-racism and how to respond to it. Each conversation deserves time for reflection. As I read them, I feel part of their quest for mutual understanding, and wish I could join in. Perhaps the loose, open approach is a kind of model of how to talk about this difficult subject from different perspectives....... ~ Ruth Tod, The Friend, UK

5 Star Rating. Not typically a style of book I would read, but it is so well written that you feel you are part of the conversation. The discussions are on topic when relating to the current climate, and it was interesting to hear this from the point of view of Quakerism - a way of live I am in formula with. I especially liked the inclusion of the worksheets at the back of the book - giving you a chance to reflect on your own understanding and learning from the text. Would highly recommend ~ Liam P, Amazon

On 25th May, 2020, George Floyd, an African American, was murdered by a white police officer. Storms of outrage and protests spread globally. Many learned about the Black Lives Matter movement, and perhaps the most honest conversation began on racism’s causes, the tools that engineer and sustain it -- and how best to dismantle it. In late 2020, teacher, community development worker and freelance writer Jonathan Doering approached Nim Njuguna, a retired Baptist minister and former Quaker prison chaplain involved in social justice and mental health issues, seeking an interview on the current situation. Nim offered a project of co-interviews, both participants developing their thoughts on racism and right responses. These dialogues between willing novice and seasoned activist offer possible ways forward whilst the worksheets encourage allies to delve into their thoughts, feelings, and responses to this major challenge of our time. If you have never had the pleasure of getting to know the prose from both Nim Njuguna and Jonathan Doering, or have not even heard of these two excitingly thoughtful people, well, welcome to the all-inclusive Enlarging the Tent: Two Quakers in Conversation About Racial Justice Dialogues and Worksheets. In what turns out to be an engaging, insightful and thoroughly profound set of written conversations, the twosome explore not only how to approach these kinds of conversations, but with regard to anti-racist and other liberationist spiritual witnesses, how to rise above the noise and ensure that open-ended conversations are ones never closed (on either side, for better or for worse). ~ Exclusive Magazine, https://annecarlini.com/ex_books.php?id=588

Have you ever enjoyed eavesdropping on an interesting conversation? That is what reading this book is like. The book is the transcript of a series of discussions between two Quaker men on the topic of racial justice. Jonathan Doering, a White British writer, teacher, community organizer, and freelance journalist, approached Nim Njuguna about an interview. Njuguna suggested, instead, that they interview one another. Njuguna is a Black Kenyan who was living in England. He is a former Baptist minister who later attended Johannesburg Meeting in South Africa (he is now a member of Harrow Meeting, part of Britain Yearly Meeting). He is a therapist and spiritual director who in 2023 served with his wife as a Friend-in-Residence at Pendle Hill study center in Wallingford, Pa. Both men acknowledge that to really confront racism is to constantly examine oneself. They comment that social justice is more than what we do, it’s about who we are, who we are becoming. “Holisticity” is a central theme of the conversations: the idea that becoming effective antiracists requires constant growth and integration of one’s spiritual, psychological, and activist selves. As we recognize whatever privilege we have because of our skin color, gender, economic standing, or other characteristics, we need to deal with any sense of guilt we may feel. We need to avoid blaming or shaming those who are slow to acknowledge racist realities. We have to be willing to listen to others, to hear their stories. All this raises a variety of feelings that must be dealt with, a process that takes some time. In addition, we need to internalize the understanding that there is that of God in each of us, the spiritual basis of work for justice. And always, we must act. We need to find ways to actively counter racism that use our best gifts and passions. These psychological, spiritual, and activist steps are not simply sequential: we don’t complete one and go on to the next. Rather, we cycle back to earlier stages over and over as we gain new experiences and insights. The two explore many aspects of antiracism. One is alliance with the people directly oppressed by racism: How do we do it effectively? How do we connect with White people in denial? How do we work for diversity and inclusion among Friends without inflicting guilt or shame, which often hardens denial? How do we gain intellectual knowledge about racism without neglecting to continually examine our own attitudes and the assumptions we grew up with? We need to recognize how culture and the media reinforce certain beliefs, attitudes, and societal forces; how they are hard-wired to reinforce privilege; and how blind we can be to these factors. And how do we become comfortable with being uncomfortable? As Doering comments, antiracism is not an event; it is a lifestyle change. It’s the work of a lifetime. The book ends with a series of worksheets that could be used as the basis of a workshop series. The worksheets challenge participants to examine their own knowledge, feelings, and attitudes, and then note one new thing each session that they have learned and commit to one action they will take. I found the two discussants to be brilliant.… I found these dialogues to be rich, challenging, and quite wonderful. ~ Patience A. Schenck, Friends Journal

It's a delight to get to know two such faithful and thoughtful Friends as Nim Njuguna and Jonathan Doering through this wide-ranging and profound set of conversations that explore what Friends and others may be able or perhaps ought to be doing in regard to anti-racist and other liberationist spiritual witness. While this intersectional book is highly practical, at its heart it feels just like sitting down with a cup of tea in the authors' presence and being drawn into an open-ended conversation that sprawls beyond the pages of this book, as one asks, what more am I being led by the Spirit to do? ~ Stephen W. Angell, Leatherock Professor of Quaker Studies, Earlham School of Religion. Co-Editor: Black Fire; The Oxford Handbook of Quaker Studies; The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism.

Nim Njuguna's and Jonathan Doering's Enlarging the Tent records a provocative and informative dialogue between two Quakers coming together to address issues of racial justice, particularly in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. In addition to providing this heart-felt and compelling dialogue, the book also includes a set of exercises for small groups of Friends to engage in discussions about what is surely a key matter for our time. I highly recommend this book as a mechanism for Friends meetings to take on the often difficult discourses of race and anti-racism work. ~ James W. Hood, Charles A. Dana Professor of English Emeritus, Guilford College. Editor of Quakers and Literature.

In "Enlarging the Tent", the reader is invited to listen in to a series of dialogues on the journey towards racial justice. These warm, enjoyable and rich conversations offer personal stories and insights to inspire, and are ideal for group study. This book will be particularly appreciated by Quakers on a similar journey to the authors, and who want to bring others along with them. ~ Mark Russ, Quaker theologian, blogger and author of 'Quaker Shaped Christianity'.

I have read works on allyship and racial justice, but none come together in quite the constructive, co-operative and conversational way as Nim and Jonathan's exchanges. They make a great basis for workshops, but also stand on their own as insights into how we might build better understanding. ~ Dr Helen Meads, Quaker writer and activist.

The power of [their dialogue] lies in the relationship between these two kind and generous F/friends and their ability simultaneously to verbalise and demonstrate the quality of Ally-ship that we were discussing throughout the weekend. ~ Quaker activist, Racial Justice Conference at Bamford Quaker Community