Quaker Theology

Issue #29 — Summer-Fall 2016

  • Editor’s Introduction, #29

        There’s some good news in American Quakerdom this fall: North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM), whose travails we have been following for two years, has decided not to split, and the two-year effort to purge its handful of “liberal” meetings has been given up. Instead, as our report here shows, it will undertake to “reorganize”…

  • Back From The Brink: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Says No To A Split

    The North Carolina Yearly Meeting (NCYM) recently decided against splitting over longstanding tensions between evangelical and liberal meetings, choosing instead to reorganize with subgroups under one umbrella. This decision ends a two-year purge effort and opens the possibility for future peaceful coexistence, although challenges such as declining youth participation and ongoing theological diversity remain. The…

  • “Our Life is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey”* A Review

    The review discusses Marcelle Martin’s book *Our Life is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey*, which explores ten key elements in Quaker spiritual life, drawing from both historical and contemporary Quaker experiences. The reviewer appreciates the book’s inclusivity and potential to stimulate meaningful discussions but notes its limited treatment of early Friends’ complexities, internal conflicts, and…

  • “Quiet Heroes: A Century of American Quakers’ Love and Help for the Japanese and Japanese-American”* A Review

    The article reviews “Quiet Heroes,” a book highlighting the century-long efforts of American Quakers who ministered to and advocated for Japanese and Japanese-Americans, particularly those interned during World War II. It details key figures like Herbert Nicholson and Esther Rhoads, Quaker missionaries and activists who provided support during internment, and explores the broader history of…

  • The Influence of Psychoanalysis and Popular Psychology on Quaker Thought & Practice: An Exploratory Survey

    This article explores the significant influence of psychoanalytic and popular psychology (PNAP) on liberal, unprogrammed Quaker thought and practice over the past century. It discusses how themes such as individual focus, unconscious motivations, transformation through techniques, and shifting cultural workshops and publications have shaped contemporary Quaker spirituality and community life. The author highlights both the…

  • Narrative Theology: The Land

    This deeply personal narrative explores the author’s spiritual journey intertwined with a profound connection to the land, rivers, and nature. It reflects on his evolving faith from evangelical Christianity through disillusionment with organized religion, Quakerism, and ultimately Buddhism, emphasizing the spiritual significance of the earth and environmental stewardship. The article also critiques religious dogma, institutional…

  • Whittaker Chambers, Alger Hiss, and Quaker Leadership: A Problem for Friends

    This article explores the complex and largely overlooked Quaker identity of Whittaker Chambers, a key figure in the Alger Hiss espionage case, and the challenges he faced within the Quaker community, particularly from Clarence Pickett. Chambers’s deep Quaker faith influenced his anti-Communist testimony, yet he was marginalized by Quaker leaders due to political and theological…

  • Attachments: NC Yearly Meeting Documents

    The article presents a series of attachments documenting the theological conflicts and resulting organizational challenges within the North Carolina Yearly Meeting (NCYM) of the Religious Society of Friends. It details proposals for separation due to irreconcilable theological differences, letters from quarters and meetings, dissenting opinions against splitting, and the eventual plan for reorganization into two…

  • About the Contributors, #29

    Ken Bradstock has been a U.S. Marine, a deputy sheriff, and for many years, a hospice counselor. He is also the Clerk of Fancy Gap Friends meeting in Ararat, Virginia. Chuck Fager is the Editor of Quaker Theology. His most recent book is Meetings: A Religious Autobiography. H. Larry Ingle is retired from teaching hisory…