Jim Newby

James R. (Jim) Newby is the Minister and Public Friend at Cincinnati Friends Meeting. He began his second tenure here in April 2016, having served here previously from 1975-1980. The son of a Quaker minister, Jim is a member of the Religious Society of Friends and has served as a minister among Friends in Nebraska, Ohio, and North Carolina. He has been the Editor of Quaker Life magazine, and served on the faculty of the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana for ten years. Jim holds degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry), William Penn College (Doctor of Divinity), Earlham School of Religion (Master of Divinity), and Friends University (Bachelor of Arts). He has written numerous books and articles on religious and spiritual subjects, primarily dealing with renewal. His most recent book is Reflections from the Inner Light. Jim is married to Elizabeth Salinas Newby, author of A Migrant with Hope and a specialist in matters concerning immigration. They have one daughter, Alicia Marie Clark, who lives with her husband, David, near Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wounded Healers

For many years I have led seminars for religious leaders who are in transition. The seminars are called Sacred Chaos, after the title of my book by the same name. The ministers who are attracted to this seminar are experiencing a great deal of turmoil in their lives—divorce, retirement, the

Gratitude

This is the season of joy and gratitude. Although joy and gratitude are emphasized in a special way at this time of year, they are elements of life that should be a part of who we are throughout the year. Joy is something that is difficult to define. It is

A Plague Among Us

In his book The Plague, Albert Camus writes about a town that was engulfed by the plague, killing scores of people. On the last page of the book, the main character, Dr. Rieux, is listening to the surviving inhabitants of the town celebrate the end of the plague: “As he