Atomic Peace: The Chain Reaction of Good

In one of Rufus Jones’ earlier books, The Inner Life, there is an unforgettable chapter on “The Way of Contagion.” This was written at a time when the atom was considered the indivisible unit of matter, and chain reactions were not part of everyday language. The way of contagion, the chain reaction of good, has always been a central principle of the Society of Friends. In addition to the Book of Discipline and The Guide to True Peace, the books which have been most read by Friends are biographies: the Bible, and the Journals of a vast number of Friends.

This Pendle Hill pamphlet is, therefore, following in the tradition of the Society of Friends by the inclusion of a sketch of Dr. Goddard’s life, written by his daughter, Margaret Goddard Holt. We are grateful to Swarthmore College for permission to print this essay. Harold Goddard, as teacher, parent, friend, embodied the imaginative process of which he writes.