Volume 1 · Books 1–2
Volume 1
- Opening Narrative
- Book of Beginnings
34
books in the collection
A library, not a manual
A library can do more than present answers.
The Common Books use different voices and forms. Some are long narratives. Others are records, correspondence, songs, lament, legal material or intimate accounts of ordinary life. Their differences are part of the reading experience.
They are held together by the Continuance, but they are not written as one continuous lecture. Tension, viewpoint, consequence and interpretation belong to the reading of them.
The literary cycle is complete at thirty-four books. New commentary, criticism and philosophical writing can grow around it without retroactively adding another numbered book.
The thirty-four books
Thirty-four books, published in nine volumes.
The numbered books appear below in their original literary sequence. The nine-volume arrangement is a publishing format; it does not change their order.
Volume 2 · Book 3
Volume 2
- Household Book
Volume 3 · Book 4
Volume 3
- Road Book
Volume 4 · Book 5
Volume 4
- Book of the Ruler
Volume 5 · Books 6–7
Volume 5
- Rebellion Chronicle
- Book After Victory
Volume 6 · Books 8–12
Volume 6
- First War Book
- Second War Book
- Third War Book
- Trial Book
- Woman Who Would Not Be Comforted
Volume 7 · Books 13–18
Volume 7
- Laments
- Farmer
- Traveller
- Merchant's Account
- Inner Country
- Correspondence of Faith and Doubt
Volume 8 · Books 19–27
Volume 8
- Dreaming
- Healer
- Accusation
- Child
- Age
- Dying
- Remains
- Small Things
- Songs
Volume 9 · Books 28–34
Volume 9
- Letters Between Communities
- Questions
- Disputed Book
- Mistakes
- Leaving
- Vision
- Last Book
How to enter the library
You can read in order, or begin where life is already asking something of you.
Reading from Book One follows the full literary movement. You can also approach the books by theme, occasion or curiosity, and return to them with different questions.
Opening Narrative through Book After Victory move from encounter and beginnings into domestic life, travel, authority, rebellion and what follows victory.
The War Books and the books that follow them turn towards evidence, grief, land, travel, money, identity, doubt and inward experience.
The later books move through healing, accusation, childhood, ageing, dying, memory, ordinary things, communal voice, error, departure and responsibility to the future.
Reading and interpretation
A founding text is still open to criticism.
The Common Books have a central place in the development of the philosophy. They do not remove personal judgement. Interpretation remains fallible, and quoting a passage gives nobody authority over another person.
Complete literary cycle
The thirty-four Common Books form the existing literary sequence.
Living interpretation
Commentary and discussion may change as people learn, argue, discover and live.
Ethical limits
No story or passage may be used to excuse coercion, secrecy, abuse, exploitation or the suppression of disagreement.
Beyond the Common Books
The books are part of a larger body of writing.
The Common Books form a complete literary cycle. Other Continuance works introduce the philosophy, examine its practices and explain how its ideas may develop.
Companion work
The Book of the Continuance
Martin Rothery’s central exposition of the philosophy, written to be read beside the Common Books.
Practice
The Practice Book
A companion for private and shared practices, calendar observances and reflection.
Framework
Living Tradition Framework
A framework for changing a philosophy openly, with records of disagreements and revisions rather than pretending every question was settled from the beginning.
Introduction
A First Introduction
The short public introduction for anyone who wants to understand the essentials of the Continuance before going further.
Free