Quaker Theology

Issue #13, Winter 2007

Examines the authority of Scripture, inward revelation, and inherited tradition within a religious community marked by theological diversity. Its central account of Tom Fox traces how the Sermon on the Mount shaped his growth from military musician to Quaker peaceworker and ultimately to martyrdom in Iraq. Other articles explore Quaker understandings of spiritual rather than water baptism, the role of the Inner Light in Hicksite and Progressive reform, and the place of nontheism among contemporary Friends. Responses and reviews debate environmental theology, Conservative Quaker tradition, biblical interpretation, and the meaning of failed prophecy. Together, the issue asks how Friends can test spiritual claims while remaining open to continuing revelation, faithful witness, and honest theological disagreement.

  • Editor’s Introduction #13

    This issue includes both new pieces and some followups. On the new side, Mennonite pastor Pearl Hoover offers a preliminary examination of Friend Tom Fox’s evolving spirituality, a process of growth and reflection that led him to the Christian peacemaker teams, Baghdad, kidnapping, and martyrdom. We hope that Tom’s life and witness will be studied…

  • 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…

  • The Baptisms of John and Jesus: An Exegesis of John 1:19-34

    The article examines the unique Quaker rejection of water baptism through an exegesis of John 1:19-34, highlighting early Friends’ emphasis on spiritual baptism over ritualistic water baptism. It also explores the Fourth Gospel’s theological perspective, its differences from the Synoptic Gospels, and the role of Scripture and the Holy Spirit in Quaker faith and biblical…

  • “Godless For God’s Sake: Nontheism In Contemporary Quakerism”* — A Review

    This review praises “Godless For God’s Sake,” a book by Quaker non-theists, for its thoughtful and challenging theological reflections within Quakerism. It highlights the deep history of non-theist and humanist thought among Quakers and calls for acceptance and dialogue rather than rejection of such perspectives within the Society of Friends.

  • Melting Icebergs Don’t Scream: A Response to Keith Helmuth’s: “The Angel of History, the Storm of Progress, And the Order of the Soul”

    The article critically responds to Keith Helmuth’s theological interpretation of environmental crises, which centers on a Western “master narrative” rooted in the biblical conquest of Canaan and the supremacy of personal moral will. While praising Helmuth’s reflections, the author challenges the scope of this master narrative, highlighting omissions such as the role of militarism and…

  • “Putting the Bible into Perspective: Hicksites and the Theological Treatment of the Bible in Progressive Reform”

    This article explores the Hicksite schism’s impact on Progressive Quaker women’s theological freedom, particularly regarding the interpretation of the Bible. It highlights how figures like Hannah Barnard, Elias Hicks, and Lucretia Mott challenged traditional views of biblical authority, emphasizing the primacy of the “inner light” over scripture, especially in social reform movements like abolition and…

  • 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…

  • “Wrestling With Our Faith Tradition”* A Review

    The post reviews Lloyd Lee Wilson’s book on Conservative Quakerism, critiquing his portrayal of a “classic Quaker tradition” that blends traditional Quaker beliefs with various modern spiritual ideas. The review highlights Wilson’s overly individualistic peace testimony, problematic biblical interpretations, and an unacknowledged history of communal oversight’s oppressive potential, while cautioning against his dismissive stance toward…

  • About The Contributors

    Jody Cross-Hansen is a doctoral candidate in U.S. History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, specializing in American religious history. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Religion department at Hofstra University where she has been teaching for twenty years. She is also an ordained minister in the New…