07. Biography
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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…
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A Biographical Sketch of Chuck Fager
Chuck Fager was born in Kansas in 1942. The oldest of eleven children, he was raised in a Catholic, military family on Air Force bases, principally in California, Puerto Rico and Wyoming. After nearly enrolling in the U.S. Air Force Academy, he attended Colorado State University, where he won medals in Air Force ROTC. He…
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Faith, Power, and Trump
The article explores the responses of three major 20th-century religious thinkers—Reinhold Niebuhr, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X—to racism and social justice in America, especially during the Civil Rights Movement and the Age of Trump. It contrasts their theological perspectives on faith, power, sacrifice, and activism, critiquing white evangelical support for Trumpism and urging…
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Lucretia Mott — A Sermon
Delivered at Yardleyville, Bucks Co., PA, September 26, 1858 by Lucretia Mott Reported Phonographically; published in The Liberator, October 29, 1858 ‘The kingdom of God is within us’, and ‘Christianity will not have performed its office in the earth until its professors have learned to respect the rights and privileges of conscience, by a toleration…
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01: “Truly Radical, Non-violent, Friendly Approaches”
This article examines longstanding internal challenges faced by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), focusing on criticisms from within liberal Quaker circles regarding its governance, professionalization, diminished explicit religious commitment, and political stances. The piece chronicles tensions from the AFSC’s founding in 1917 through the late 20th century, highlighting key moments of internal dissent and…
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Joseph Southall & The Ghosts of the Slain:
The post highlights Joseph Southall, a British Quaker artist and pacifist who used his art to protest World War One and militarism. It focuses on his 1917 allegorical pamphlet “The Ghosts of the Slain,” which condemned politicians, munitions makers, and churches supporting war, emphasizing the Quaker commitment to peace and draft resistance.
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Milton Mayer, Quaker Hedgehog
A Review and Profile, by H. Larry Ingle Reprinted from Quaker Theology #8, 2003 Oxford-educated political scientist Isaiah Berlin, in his minor classic “The Hedgehog and the Fox” (1953), divided people into two groups, those who understood one big thing like the hedgehog and those, like the fox, who knew many things. The subject of…
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Remembering Tom Fox Introduction to: Tom Fox Was My Friend. Yours, Too.
The post recounts the life and tragic death of Tom Fox, a Quaker and Christian Peacemaker Team member kidnapped and killed in Iraq in 2006. It highlights Tom’s dedication to peace activism, his faith-driven decision to pursue nonviolent witness in conflict zones, and the efforts to raise awareness and advocate for his release. The article…
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Passages by Tom Fox & James Loney
This post shares reflections from James Loney and Tom Fox on captivity, pacifism, and peacebuilding in violent contexts like Iraq. It explores the paradox of relying on military forces for protection while maintaining Christian pacifist convictions and emphasizes standing firm in peace despite fear and aggression. The post also highlights the spiritual practice of seeking…
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Nixon’s First Cover-Up, The Religious Life of A Quaker President
Nixon’s First Cover-Up, The Religious Life of A Quaker President. By H. Larry Ingle. University of Missouri, 271 pages. Reflections on a “Quaker” President Who Wasn’t Actually a Quaker By Lon Fendall [Note: This essay was originally presented to a panel at the 2015 American Academy of Religion meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.] I want to…
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The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist
This article reviews Marcus Rediker’s biography of Benjamin Lay, an early Quaker abolitionist known for his radical and confrontational anti-slavery activism. It explores Lay’s challenges to slaveholding Quakers, his prophetic actions, and the complexities of his theological and intellectual influences within the Quaker tradition. The review highlights Lay’s significance in Quaker history and the ongoing…
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“Ham Sok Hon: Voice of the People and Pioneer of Religious Pluralism in Twentieth Century Korea; Biography of a Korean Quaker”* A Review
This article reviews a biography of Ham Sok Hon, a Korean Quaker known for his spiritual quest and opposition to multiple oppressive regimes in twentieth-century Korea. Despite personal hardships and political imprisonments, Ham’s work emphasized religious pluralism, spiritual freedom, and a universalist approach to faith, combining elements from Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. His life…
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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…
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Tom Fox: In Memoriam: Introduction
This article is an in-depth memorial tribute to Tom Fox, a Quaker and Christian Peacemaker Teams member who was kidnapped and murdered in Iraq in 2005. It recounts his path from military musician to peace activist, the efforts to secure his release, and the broader significance of his commitment to peace in violent contexts.
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Tom Fox Speaks For Himself: Excerpts from His Blog/Journal
Remembering Margaret Hassan Tom – Monday, November 15, 2004 “Giving material goods can help people. If food is needed and we can give it, we do that. If shelter is needed, or books or medicine is needed, and we can give them, we do that. As best we can, we can care for whoever needs…
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A Godly Play Story About Tom Fox
Today I want to tell you about a Quaker man named Tom Fox who believed in walking cheerfully over the earth answering to that of God in everyone. Tom was a dad. He had 2 children, a girl and a boy. Tom loved his children and loved being a dad. He loved to cook and…
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Walt Whitman of the New York “Aurora:” Editor, Transcendentalist, Quaker, Perfectionist
Mitchell Santine Gould Or rather, to be quite exact, a desire…had been flitting through my previous life Walt Whitman,“A Backwards Glance O’er Travel’d Roads” Although an origin story has always naturally been part of the biographer’s bread and butter, the field lacks its own term for this, and so we must borrow the notion of…
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Mary Dyer Musings – A Measure of Light , A Novel by Beth Powning, and Mary’s Joy, a Play by Jeanmarie Simpson
Jeanmarie Simpson Following a 2005 performance of my play, A Single Woman, about the life of first US Congresswoman and lifelong pacifist, Jeannette Rankin, I was approached by a Quaker woman. She was moved by my work and felt compelled to tell me about Mary Dyer, whom she described as a Quaker martyr. She thought I…
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“From Personality & Place”* An Excerpt
The article explores the intertwined themes of personalism and place in Quaker history, particularly at Pendle Hill, emphasizing community, spirituality, and social justice. It highlights significant figures like Teresina Rowell and Wilmer and Mildred Young, who embodied Quaker ideals through intentional community living, racial justice, and nonviolence amid capitalist challenges. The piece also situates Pendle…
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Forgiveness over Khmer Rouge: a journey or an obligation? A Beginning of Dialogue
This article presents an interview with Claire Ly, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, who reflects on the complex and deeply personal nature of forgiveness in the context of mass atrocities. It explores the intersections of Buddhist and Christian perspectives on forgiveness, the spiritual struggle of victims, and the challenges of justice and reconciliation…
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Response: Forgiveness and Letting-Go: An Inter-Religious and Internal Dialogue Sallie B. King
This article explores forgiveness and letting-go through the lens of Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism, especially in the context of mass trauma such as the Cambodian Holocaust. It highlights differing religious responses, including Buddhist “letting go,” Christian forgiveness, and the Jewish principle of “never forget,” while also discussing trauma healing practices informed by modern psychology and…
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Excerpts from “The Dance Between Hope and Fear,” by John Calvi
This article presents excerpts from John Calvi’s book “The Dance Between Hope and Fear,” highlighting his lifelong journey as a Quaker healer and practical theologian. It explores his experiences in healing, spiritual encounters, coping with AIDS and torture survivors, and reflections on hope, fear, and divine love within a Quaker framework.
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“An Excerpt from Howard and Anna Brinton: Re-inventors of Quakerism In the Twentieth Century, An Interpretive Biography”*
By Anthony Manousos Growing Up in “Brinton Country” To tell the story of the Brintons or of the Beans and the Coxes, Anna’s family, is to tell the story of Quakerism as it developed in America. Anna and Howard both took pride in the fact that they could trace their ancestry to the early days…
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Questions for Howard: Being a Kind of Review of the New Biography of Howard & Anna Brinton
By Chuck Fager “The time has come–indeed, it is long overdue–for a critical assessment of Howard’s major works: Friends for Three Hundred Years (1952) and Guide to Quaker Practice (1943), which continue to be best sellers among liberal Friends.” –Anthony Manousos in Howard and Anna Brinton: …
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Howard Brinton and the World Council of Churches: The Theological Impact of Ecumenism on Friends
This article explores Howard Brinton’s involvement in the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches, emphasizing its theological impact on Friends. It highlights Brinton’s challenges in engaging with broader Christian theological trends, his efforts to advocate Quaker perspectives on pacifism and sacraments, and the ongoing relevance of theological dialogue for Quakers.
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Howard Thurman and Quakers
By Stephen W. Angell In 1955, the inaugural year of the Friends Journal, a special issue was published on the theme of the Wider Quaker Fellowship. One of the essays in that issue was excerpted from Deep River, a forthcoming book by Howard Thurman (1899-1981), eminent Christian African American mystical and social gospel theologian, preacher,…
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Response to Thomas Hamm: Holiness 2.5 Cheers
Carole Dale Spencer responds to Thomas Hamm’s critique of the Quaker Holiness Movement, emphasizing the important but under-recognized role of Hannah Whitall Smith in promoting a more classical, inclusive, and mystical conception of holiness within Quakerism. Spencer contrasts Smith’s approach with more radical revivalists who led to division, and highlights the broader spiritual and historical…
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“Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism”*
The post reviews Carole Dale Spencer’s book “Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism,” which argues that holiness is the key to understanding early Quakerism and its theology. The reviewer critiques Spencer’s thesis as overly self-justifying and questions her conflation of mysticism with holiness, while acknowledging the book’s ambitious scope and contributions to Quaker historiography.
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“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…
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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…
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The Sermon on the Mount in the Life and Death of Tom Fox
This article recounts the life and spiritual journey of Tom Fox, a Quaker and Christian Peacemaker Teams member who dedicated himself to nonviolent peacemaking inspired by the Sermon on the Mount. It highlights his transformation from a Marine Band clarinetist to a committed peaceworker in Iraq, his reflections on love, forgiveness, and justice, and the…
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Apocalypse – Later*
The post discusses Licia Kuenning’s failed prophecy that Farmington, Maine would transform into the New Jerusalem on June 6, 2006. Despite the prophecy not occurring as predicted, Kuenning maintains her sense of divine inspiration while acknowledging possible mistakes in the timing of the prophecy. The article explores the nature of revelation, prophecy, and the interpretation…
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“Farmington! Farmington!” A Review*
This review critically examines Licia Kuenning’s prophecy novel “Farmington! Farmington!” which claims Christ dictated the text and foretells a divine transformation of Farmington, Maine in 2006. The reviewer highlights the novel’s universalist theology, its divergence from traditional Quaker beliefs, personal biases of the author, and parallels with historical mediumistic phenomena, concluding skepticism about its prophetic…
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The Spiral Staircase
This article reviews two books: Karen Armstrong’s “The Spiral Staircase,” which details her challenging experience leaving a Catholic convent, and Heidi Hart’s “Grace Notes,” which shares a personal spiritual journey from Mormonism to Quakerism. The review contrasts Armstrong’s narrative of anger and disappointment with Hart’s story of healing, forgiveness, and finding one’s own voice.
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Lucretia Mott, Liberal Quaker Theologian
The article argues that Lucretia Mott, despite her own denials, was a pioneering liberal Quaker theologian whose theological ideas and activism helped reshape American Quakerism in the 19th century. Influenced by Unitarian thinkers and Progressive Friends, she challenged traditional Quaker hierarchy and doctrines, advocating for internal reform and a more rational, humanist faith that emphasized…
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The Catechisms of George Fox
Why they were written in the first place, what was contained in them, what use was made of them, And what we can learn from them today By Stephen W. Angell Catechisms are out of fashion in the twenty-first century, perhaps because of a perceived rigidity or undue conformity that seems to many to be…
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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…
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Lucretia Mott, Liberal Quaker Theologian
This post argues that Lucretia Mott was a pivotal figure in the creation of liberal American Quaker theology, despite her own denials of engaging in theology. It traces her theological influences, her challenges to traditional Quaker hierarchy and beliefs, and her role in the Progressive Friends movement that reshaped Quaker governance and beliefs in the…