Quaker Theology

State Authority over Individuals

Examines the tensions between state authority, individual conscience, and religious freedom. Explores Quaker understandings of tyranny, persecution, nationalism, and resistance, considering the moral limits of obedience and the defense of civil liberties through dissent and collective action.

  • Nimrod and the Tower of Babel: Genesis 10-11 in Seventeenth-Century Quaker Writings

    This article explores how Seventeenth-century Quakers interpreted the biblical narrative of Nimrod and the Tower of Babel, emphasizing the theme of confusion and tyranny associated with Babel and Nimrod. It discusses how early Friends saw Babel as symbolic of spiritual and social confusion caused by human pride and disobedience, contrasting the original spiritual language of…

  • Resisting Oppression: Friends and the Stuart Restoration, 1660-1689

    The article explores the response of Quakers to the Stuart Restoration (1660-1689), detailing their persecution, internal organization, and evolving political engagement. It highlights key figures like George Fox, Margaret Fell, and William Penn, and traces Quakers’ efforts toward religious toleration culminating in the 1689 Act of Toleration.

  • Excerpt from: “Holy Nation: The Transatlantic Quaker Ministry in an Age of Revolution”*

    This article explores how the Society of Friends (Quakers) positioned themselves as a “holy nation,” emphasizing a theological identity that transcended geopolitical boundaries and nation-states in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It highlights their refusal to participate in nationalist demands such as military service and loyalty oaths, their active peace witness, and their establishment of…

  • Milton Mayer, Quaker Hedgehog

    This article profiles Milton Mayer, a twentieth-century Quaker and writer known for his critique of state authority and individual corruption. Mayer’s major work, *They Thought They Were Free*, examines the gradual acquiescence of ordinary Germans to Nazism, highlighting the importance of early resistance to institutional power. His lifelong commitment to moral individualism and opposition to…

  • “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…

  • Blessed Unrest: The Radical Act of Gathering

    This article draws historical and legal parallels between early Quaker persecution for unlawful assemblies in 17th-century England and the modern Moral Monday protests in North Carolina. It details William Penn’s landmark trial defending the right to assemble and connects it to the experiences of contemporary Quaker activists, highlighting the ongoing struggle for civil liberties, community…