Quaker Theology

Issue #15, Winter-Spring 2008

  • About The Contributors, #15

    George Amoss Jr., a member of Homewood Meeting in Baltimore, attends Little Falls Friends Meeting in Fallston, Maryland. A social worker and psychotherapist, he has served as editor of Universalist Friends, the journal of the Quaker Universalist Fellowship, and he established the Quaker Electronic Archive Web site at http://www.quakerarchive.org. His earlier essay for Quaker Theology,…

  • Editor’s Introduction, #15

    This issue covers a wide spectrum. From reflections on John Wooolman’s visionary experiences, it ranges across an effort to reframe early Friends’ spiritual experiences in modern psychological terms, all the way to an exploration of the parallels between Quaker silence and Pentecostal speaking in tongues. And there’s more. Two of our reviews deal with matters…

  • “Seeking Paradise: The Spirit of the Shaker”* Reviewed

    This post reviews “Seeking Paradise: The Spirit of the Shaker,” a book exploring Thomas Merton’s meditations on Shaker life, craftsmanship, and spirituality. It highlights the Shakers’ integration of faith with practical work and their influence on Merton’s understanding of monastic simplicity, paradise consciousness, and the relationship between faith and manual labor. The review also considers…

  • “The Dark Side” and “Never Surrender”* Reviewed

    This article reviews two contrasting books about Fort Bragg’s role in post-9/11 U.S. military and intelligence operations. Jane Mayer’s “The Dark Side” exposes the use and spread of torture techniques in U.S. interrogations, while retired General William Boykin’s “Never Surrender” promotes an apocalyptic religious worldview justifying the war on terror. The review highlights the starkly…

  • Silence in Heaven: The Revelation to John Woolman

    The post explores John Woolman’s mystical vision and its theological implications, emphasizing his insights into social injustice, the redemptive power of prayer, and the spiritual safety found in inward quietness amid worldly turmoil. It highlights his integration of biblical imagery from Revelation and other scriptures to call Friends to faithful witness and resistance against oppression.…

  • 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 Spiritual Similarities of Quaker Silence and Pentecostal Glossolalia in Worship

    This article explores the spiritual similarities between Quaker silence and Pentecostal glossolalia as distinct means of worship both aiming for direct experience and guidance from the Spirit. It highlights four key shared aspects: direct divine experience, the sovereignty of the Spirit in worship, mutual edification of self and others, and the limitations and challenges of…

  • “Hideous Dream,” “Full Spectrum Disorder: the Military in the New American Century” & “Hold On to Your Humanity: An Open Letter to GI’s in Iraq”* Reviewed

    This article reviews three works by Stan Goff, a former Army Master Sergeant turned socialist, focusing on his military memoir, critique of US foreign policy, and an open letter to soldiers in Iraq. The reviewer, a U.S. Infantry Captain and aspiring Quaker, reflects on Goff’s insights into the moral complexities of war, his socialist critique…

  • An Interview with David Gosling, Winter 2008

    This article is an interview with David Gosling, a U.S. Army Infantry Captain deployed to Iraq, who reflects on his Quaker background and how his military experiences led him to reconsider his views on war and peace. Gosling discusses his spiritual journey reconnecting with Quaker writings and pacifist philosophies amidst the challenges of combat and…

  • “An Introduction to Quakerism” & “The Quakers: A Very Short Introduction”* Reviewed

    Reviewed by Doug Gwyn Over the past several years “Ben” Pink Dandelion has been party to a great deal of fresh Quaker research. His own sociological analysis of Friends in Britain has reframed our understanding of current liberal Quakerism on both sides of the Atlantic. It has also inspired a number of similar, sociological approaches.…