Quaker Theology

Issue #16, Fall 2009

Issue #16, marking the tenth anniversary of *Quaker Theology*, examines contested understandings of Quaker history, identity, and witness. Several contributions debate whether holiness provides the central interpretive key to Quakerism, with particular attention to mysticism, revivalism, Hannah Whitall Smith, and the divisions produced by the nineteenth-century holiness movement. Other articles challenge idealized accounts of Quaker racial justice, explore Howard Thurman’s relationship with Friends, and trace a personal journey from studying psychological warfare to embracing Quaker nonviolence. Studies of the early Quaker metaphors of Light and Seed illuminate how spiritual language shaped the movement’s theology, while the controversy surrounding Philip Gulley raises continuing questions about universalism, Christian orthodoxy, and Jesus as a model for compassionate living.

  • Editor’s Introduction, #16

    This issue marks the tenth anniversary of Quaker Theology. It was in the autumn of 1999 when Ann Riggs and I set out on this continuing journey. The math of our venture, however, is out of whack. The plan was to publish two issues per year. We kept to it tolerably well for the first…

  • “Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship, Quakers, African Americans, and the Myth of Racial Justice”* A Review

    This detailed review examines the book *Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship*, highlighting the complex and often contradictory history of Quakers in relation to African Americans and racial justice. It acknowledges the Society of Friends’ notable yet imperfect record on abolition and civil rights, critiques common myths about Quaker racial progress, and calls for further…

  • “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.

  • Howard Thurman and Quakers

    Examines the African American theologian Howard Thurman’s enduring relationship with Quakers, including his formative studies with Rufus Jones and friendships with Douglas Steere, Wilmer Cooper, and Louise Wilson. Explores their shared commitments to mystical experience, silent worship, nonviolence, and the connection between inward spirituality and social action. While maintaining a religious vision beyond denominational boundaries,…

  • Narrative Theology: from Psychological Warfare to Peace; My journey to/into Quakerism and nonviolence

    The article chronicles Jeanne-Henriette Louis’s intellectual and spiritual journey from researching American psychological warfare during World War II to embracing nonviolence and joining the Quakers. Through extensive archival research and reflection, she contrasts the ideology of psychological warfare with nonviolent approaches and finds profound alignment with Quaker philosophy and history. The study suggests that historical…

  • The Quaker Enterprise of Metaphor

    This article explores the use of metaphor in early Quaker theology, particularly focusing on the central metaphors of Light and Seed. It examines how these metaphors conveyed complex spiritual experiences, shaped Quaker identity, and distinguished their thinking from other Christian traditions, while also discussing the challenges and evolution of metaphorical usage in Quaker history.

  • 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…

  • Thomas Hamm Response to “Holiness, The Soul of Quakerism”*

    Thomas Hamm offers a detailed critique and response to Carole Spencer’s book “Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism,” agreeing that holiness was central to early Quakerism but challenging some of Spencer’s portrayals of the 19th-century holiness revival among Quakers. He highlights the complexity of the movement, the diversity of participants, and debates over theology, particularly regarding…

  • Update & Preview Philip Gulley, Western Yearly Meeting, And An Excerpt from His Forthcoming Book

    This post discusses the controversy surrounding Philip Gulley, a Quaker pastor whose universalist theology led to attempts to revoke his ministerial credentials within Western Yearly Meeting. Gulley critiques traditional Christian worship’s focus on Jesus’ divinity, arguing instead for seeing Jesus as a model for living whose teachings emphasize compassion and service rather than theological orthodoxy.

  • About the Contributors, #16

    Stephen W. Angell, is Leatherock Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Chuck Fager, Editor of Quaker Theology, is Director of Quaker House in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Philip Gulley is pastor of Fairfield Friends Meeting in Camby, Indiana. Among his books is a series, “Front Porch Tales,” and If Grace Is True. Thomas…