Faith Friday: The Quakers (The Society of Friends)

I met with the Quakers last Sunday.  Like all Christians, they focus on some scriptures more than on others.  I messaged QuakerSpeak, a group that shares information about the Friends, and asked which scriptures they think Quakers focus on most.  They sent me this video.

When I considered their history, I couldn't help but want to add the following verse to the list.  How often it comes up among them, I can't say, but it does reflect one of their defining characteristics.  "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

The following is a quote from George Fox's The Great Mystery.  Fox is considered the founder of Quakerism.

And the scriptures, which signify writings, outward writings, with paper and ink, are not, as you say, infallible, nor are they divine, but human, and men get a human knowledge from them; and so writings with paper and ink are not infallible, nor is the scripture the ground of faith, but Christ [is the ground], who was before the scripture was written; this the scripture tells you, and that God is divine; and the scriptures are the words of God, which Christ, the [W]ord, ends, who is the author of the faith. (SOURCE)

How "The Word of God" Shapes Doctrine

The question "What is the Word of God?" is the primary question that divides theological conservatives and theological liberals.  One's answer to this question will affect how he or she interprets the Bible.  If Jesus is the Word of God, perhaps the Bible needs to be taken seriously only insofar as it sheds like on Him.  If however, the Bible is the Word of God, then perhaps it should be taken literally.  The two faith claims aren't mutually exclusive, but theological liberals generally reject the idea that the Bible is the Word of God.  Similarly, where theological conservatives might refer to the Bible as the revelation, theological liberals usually use this word to refer to Jesus.

Understanding this is important not only for theological liberals and conservatives who don't understand each other.  It's also important for Humanists who might not understand the differences between Episcopalians and Southern Baptists.  Consider the issue of gay marriage.  An Episcopalian looking at the issue is likely to say, "knowing what we know today, what is a Jesus-like attitude towards gay marriage?"  A Southern Baptist, on the other hand will ask "What does the Bible say about homosexuality?"  Both questions are theologically coherent from their respective perspectives.

My Neighbor's Faith: The Friends (Quakers)

I wanted to catch an early service this morning, so I chose the 7:30 am Friends' meeting in downtown DC.

I approached the house and buzzed the doorbell.  A young man with a German accent answered.  I explained that this was my first time attending a Friend's meeting.  He brought me into room where several chairs faced each other in a circle. He was not a Quaker either, but had come from Germany to do charity work in retribution for Germany's crimes during WWII and was working with the Friends to assist with social justice work.  We shared a Friends worship service which involved sitting together in silence for about 30 minutes.

The Friends believe that since all humans are made in God's Image, that God communicates with all of them - all we need to do is listen.  So their worship services involve sitting together and listening.  If God speaks to an individual, that individual might share the message with the community gathered.  Anyone can speak, but no one has to.

The chairs facing each other reflects their view of equality.  The Friends don't have clergy in the same way that most churches do.  Instead they have councils that help make them make decisions.  I don't understand this very well yet.

My German friend and I were the only ones participating in silence with God, but there were several other people moving about the house.  The house is used for a variety of social justice related events throughout the week.  They even have a hostel there with about 30 beds.  They charge little to nothing for people who need a place to stay.  There were several people waking as I was about to leave, probably in attendance from the Women's March on Washington.


Before we parted ways, my friend asked me what had brought me out today.  "I learned about the Friends in undergrad," I said.  "I was impressed by the fact that they emphasized equality in the 1600s.  I've always wanted to visit, so here I am."  He expressed a similar sentiment, then recommended that I visit one of the larger gatherings to learn more and get a better experience of how the community worships. I expect that I will do that sometime soon.