Quaker Theology

George Amoss, Jr.

  • From “The Church, the Draft Board, and Me” by George Amoss, Jr.

    This article recounts George Amoss Jr.’s journey from his early years as a Catholic seminarian faced with moral and institutional failures to his evolving pacifist stance during the Vietnam War draft. It culminates in his transition to Quakerism, where he finds a faith centered on direct spiritual experience, love, and social witness without reliance on…

  • “Following Jesus: The Heart of Faith and Practice”* A Review

    This review critiques Paul Anderson’s book *Following Jesus: The Heart of Faith and Practice* for its attempt to merge Evangelical Christianity with early Quakerism, ultimately arguing that it reduces spiritual experience to scriptural interpretation rather than immediate guidance by the Spirit. The review highlights Anderson’s reliance on textual authority and traditional criteria for discernment, contrasting…

  • The Darkness of Mother Teresa, Two Reviews*

    This article critically examines the spiritual life and legacy of Mother Teresa through the lens of two books: the devotional “Come Be My Light” edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk, and Christopher Hitchens’ critical biography “The Missionary Position.” It explores Mother Teresa’s prolonged spiritual doubts, her embrace of suffering as redemptive, and critiques her approach to poverty…

  • The Psychology of Salvation: Recovering, Reframing, and Reclaiming the Early Quaker Experience

    This extensive essay explores early Quaker theology by interpreting the Quaker experience of salvation through modern psychological concepts, particularly schemas and cognitive dissonance. It emphasizes salvation as a profound inner transformation from self-centeredness to a love-centered orientation, rooted in the dynamic presence of God as life, light, and love within. The article advocates for Quaker…

  • The Making of a Quaker Atheist

    The article recounts the author’s personal journey from Catholic faith through loss of belief, exploration of Buddhism, and discovery of Quakerism, ultimately embracing a Quaker atheistic spirituality focused on love and communal discernment. It explores how Quaker worship and practice foster a living experience of Christ’s spirit without reliance on supernatural belief. The author also…