A publishing renaissance has occurred in Quaker studies in the twenty-first century as Quaker thought and practice has become a lively new field of research. Recent titles are no longer insider-focused conversations between Quaker scholars but printed by mainstream academic presses for a wide audience of researchers in diverse fields of study. The Cambridge Companion is the most recent example and the most useful resource on all things Quaker in its multidisciplinary approach. It is the most concise, yet comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and up-to-date guide to Quaker faith and practice, both historically and in its diverse contemporary manifestations. The strength of The Quaker Companion lies in two areas: the first is the combination of established and emerging scholars, including the first of its kind of regional and case studies by non-western scholar/practitioners; and the second is its exploration of emerging spiritualities, including the most recent development of “Convergent Friends” drawn together through the wide use of social media.

An overarching and well-documented theme of The Cambridge Companion is its exploration of how a small, culturally-specific historical faith with a strong tendency to preserve its radical, counter-cultural tradition can yet adapt and evolve into a wide array of religious branches and humanitarian organizations. The study shows how a denomination that remains a small, outlier group, can continue to have an impact beyond its numbers within diverse contexts, attracting adherents from vastly different cultures and theological/political perspectives ranging from evangelical Christian to secular non-theists.