Night Journeys (review)

Night Journeys: The Power of Dreams in Transatlantic Quaker Culture

by Carla Gerona

reviewed by Carol Giantonio

When historian Carla Gerona began her research on dreams recorded in the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain and colonial America, she discovered hundreds of dreams of early Friends, mostly neglected by Quaker historians. Although not a Quaker herself, she decided to focus her research exclusively on Quaker dreams.

In reading Night Journeys: The Power of Dreams in Transatlantic Quaker Culture, I was surprised to learn that dreams have served as an important source of continuing revelation through much of Quaker history, and dream interpretation has played a role in the evolution of our faith and practice.

Early Friends would practice group discernment to interpret dreams, often adding new layers of meaning to the original dreams. Some dreams were judged to be messages from God for the entire community. Some would inspire Friends to question authority and push for radical change. Sometimes dreams were cited by Quaker leaders to encourage conformity with Quaker values.

In the 17th century, a time of great religious and political turmoil in Britain, prophetic dreams predominated. For example, from 1660 to 1680, more than 10,000 Quakers were sentenced to prison. Esther Biddle called upon her prophetic dreams in public preaching to convince authorities to end Quaker persecution. She warned that London would face a “dreadful day” when “God’s Fire” would “burn as an oven.” The Great Fire that engulfed London in 1666 seemed to confirm her prophesy.

In the American colonies, traveling minister Elizabeth Webb shared that God had called her through a dream to preach to everyone regardless of race. This was a radical idea in a time when many slave-owning Christians feared that converting Blacks to Christianity would lead them to rebellion. In Webb’s dream, she called a group of people, both Black and White, to help her draw water. When she asked them, “Why have ye stayed so long?” they responded that “the buckets were frozen, and we could come no sooner.” A number of dreams in this book pre-figured the abolition movement and the Civil War.

In the 18th century, as Friends became less persecuted and more settled, the prophetic tone of their dreams diminished. Elizabeth Wilkinson, a traveling minister, came to America in 1763 to preach about a specific dream. In that dream, she sought to protect young green trees that were planted dangerously near the road. This symbolism expressed her concern about young Friends having too much exposure to “worldly” influences and leaving the Society of Friends by “marrying out” of the faith.

I found this book to be intriguing and challenging. It left me wondering about the role of dreams in our post-Freudian, individualistic era – and wondering whether Friends have lost our ability to access dreams as a source of continuing revelation. If we want to become, in Marge Abbott’s words, “everyday prophets,” then Carla Gerona’s book might provide us the inspiration we need. ~~~

Carol Giantonio is a member of Eugene Friends Meeting (NPYM).