Gene knudsen hoffman biography

Books and Essays by Gene Knudsen Hoffman (1919 – 2010)

Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) Writer and Peace Activist

Click image for PDF file.

Compassionate Listening: An Exploratory Sourcebook (a free, 33-page PDF document) Perspecitives and Resources About Conflict Transformation By Gene Knudsen Hoffman, Leah Green and Cynthia Monroe. Introduction by Dennis Rivers

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Introduction to these essays

Compassionate Listening — First Step to Reconciliation?

Speaking Truth to Power 

No Conflict, No Reconciliation 

An Enemy Is One Whose Story We Have Not Heard

Listening for Truth 

On Preventing Future Holocausts

Review of Forgiveness: Breaking the Chain of Hate, by Michael Henderson.

Spirit and Trauma: A Universalist World View as an Instrument of Healing. Published by the Quaker Universalist Fellowship in 1994.  

“Compassionate Listening”

and other writings by Gene Knudsen Hoffman,

Quaker Peace Activist and Mystic

Edited and introduced by Anthony Manousos

“For more than half a ce

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Gene Knudsen Hoffman 1919-2010

Gene Knudsen Hoffman, the founder of Compassionate Listening, died peacefully on July 19. Gene was a mother and grandmother, international peacemaker, counselor, Quaker, poet, actress, writer, and more.

Gene was my treasured mentor for the last eight years of her active life. Although I had lost her years before as her mind progressively rejected coherent patterns of recognition and communication, her death last week touched me deeply. I’ve been sifting and reading through a huge file of her letters, transmissions, and articles. Carrying around my three-inch-thick “Gene file” like a precious jewel, I have been amazed at her voluminous outpouring and sharing.

Some people never find or recognize their mentors in life. I am grateful that I found Gene, and that we both recognized the nature of our relationship.

In the early 1990s, I was leading citizen delegations to Israel and Palestine for the Earthstewards Network. I was frustrated that my work seemed to be adding to the polarization of the conflict in a part of the world where I had lived

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Gene Knudsen Hoffman, the originator of Compassionate Listening as a practice, died peacefully on July 19, 2010. Gene was a mother and grandmother, international peacemaker, counselor, Quaker, poet, actress, writer, teacher and so much more. She was a remarkable individual who influenced many during her lifetime. 

Gene was my treasured mentor from 1996 - 2004, until her mind rejected coherent patterns of recognition and communication. Even though I lost her years ago, her death has touched me deeply. 

Over the past two weeks I've been sifting and reading through a huge file of her letters, transmissions, and articles. Carrying around my three-inch thick “Gene file” like a precious jewel, I have been amazed at her voluminous outpouring and sharing. Some people never find or recognize their mentors in life. I am grateful that I found Gene, and that we both recognized the nature of our relationship. (Photo of Gene and Leah by Carol Hwoschinsky, 1997)

In the early 1990s, I was leading citizen delegations to Israel and Palestine for the Eart