Quaker Theology

Issue # 7 — Fall, 2002

  • About the Contributors #7

    Chuck Fager is a member of State College (PA) Meeting, and Director of Quaker House in Fayetteville, NC. He is Editor of Quaker Theology, and his most recent book is The Harlot’s bible. Stanley Hauerwas is Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School. In September 2001 Time Magazine pronounced him the most influential theologian…

  • Quakers and The Lamb’s War: A Hermeneutic for Confronting Evil, Non-Violent Resistance

    This article explores the Quaker peace testimony as an active, nonviolent resistance rooted in spiritual warfare, tracing its historical development from early Quaker times through the twentieth century. It emphasizes the theological and communal foundations of Quaker pacifism, recent hermeneutics that interpret Jesus’ teachings as advocating assertive nonviolence, and practical models like the Alternatives to…

  • Friends for 350 Years Howard H. Brinton. Historical update and notes by Margaret Hope Bacon.

    Reviewed by Chuck Fager There is really no honest way to say this but straight out: Except for its handsome new cover design, this reissue of Howard Brinton’s Friends for 300 Years is an utter embarrassment. For the sake of Pendle Hill’s reputation, and out of respect for Brinton’s decades of service to that institution, it ought…

  • The Making of “The Tree Of Life” in Indigenous Mexican Beliefs

    The article recounts the author’s journey of making a film about the Totonac indigenous Mexican ritual known as the Voladores dance, its deep symbolic meaning rooted in Mesoamerican beliefs, and the connections to Quaker spirituality and intuition. The author reflects on the interplay between indigenous cosmology, Christian influences, and personal spiritual experiences, highlighting the transformative…

  • From Reason to Truth to Mystery: An Odyssey to Orthodoxy

    The article traces the author’s spiritual journey from a Presbyterian, reason-based faith through Evangelical Quakerism’s commitment to truth, culminating in a conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity that embraces mystery, incarnation, and liturgical worship. The author reflects on the challenges modern technology poses to ethics and peace, arguing for a sacred vision of all life that…

  • Real Presence and First-Day Pitch-Ins: Why Quakers Are, and Must Be, a Eucharistic People

    The article explores the idea that Quakers are inherently a Eucharistic people through their worship, ethical practice, and open table fellowship, despite traditionally rejecting outward sacraments like the Lord’s Supper. It examines the biblical and historical context of the Eucharist, the notion of Real Presence, and the challenge Quakers face in responding to Jesus’ command…

  • Abolishing War? An Appeal to Christian Leaders and Theologians

    This article is an appeal by Christian theologians Stanley Hauerwas and Enda McDonagh calling for the abolition of war as a means of resolving political conflicts. Drawing on the teachings of Jesus Christ and early Christian pacifism, it critiques the just war tradition and urges Christians to lead a global effort towards peace through non-violent…

  • Editor’s Introduction, # 7

    This issue of Quaker Theology covers diverse themes including a call for interfaith collaboration to end war, the importance of rebuilding strong Quaker meeting communities through eucharistic practices, personal spiritual journeys from Quakerism to Orthodoxy, and ethnographic insights into indigenous ceremonies in Mexico. It emphasizes the intellectual and communal work needed to sustain Quaker peace…