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There are three main organizations of Quakers that comprise the bulk of its membership: Friends General Conference, Friends United Meeting, and Evangelical Friends International.
Friends United Meeting
has a membership of about 45,000 in North America, 150,000 in East Africa,
and a total worldwide membership of close to 200,000.
Evangelical Friends International
has about 30,000 members in North America, and approximately 100,000 members
worldwide in more than 20 countries.
The Civil Wars of 1642 to 1649 were a time of immense social upheaval in England.
This unstable atmosphere led many to reevaluate their religious beliefs, including
their views on religious authority, the Scriptures, the role of the clergy, and the
power and nature of the Spirit. With this time of revolution serving as a catalyst,
the Quaker movement grew, strongly rooted in the ideas of radical Puritanism.
While preaching in northern England in 1652, George Fox (regarded as the father of
Quakerism) began a religious awakening among the people of the area, who were
dissatisfied with the Church of England. This group of people, known to many as the
Seekers, was fairly large in number, and had been around for a while. However, there
was no real organization among the Seekers, and they lacked a strong leader. By
filling the role of leader, George Fox was able to unify them and combine their
individual strengths into a cohesive movement.
Through practices of simple worship, honesty, and equality, the Quakers grew to be
a strong and loyal group. They assumed the responsibility of bringing truth to the
world, and so began to travel in small groups throughout Europe and New England.
Calling themselves "the Camp of the Lord," they set out to confront evil and show
the "light" to those who were spiritually lost. Despite the fierce opposition they
faced on a regular basis, these missionaries succeeded in gathering many newly
convinced worshippers -- whom they referred to as "the Children of Light" -- into
meetings (a term still used to describe Quaker religious gatherings).
However, this rapid growth of the Quakers was greatly slowed by the restoration of
the English monarchy in 1660, which brought with it 20 years of religious
persecution for the Friends. During this period, at least 5,000 of the 50,000
Quakers were thrown into prison.
In 1689, the persecution of the Quakers was greatly diminished, due to the
Toleration Act passed by William and Mary. However, in addition to a greater degree
of religious freedom, this act also brought with it a fairly loose social climate,
which to some extent threatened the spiritual integrity of Quakerism. Along with the
death of George Fox in 1691, this produced some worries that the spiritual identity
of the Quakers was being eroded. Some say these worries led the Friends to become
more rigid and ritualistic in their practices, while others say the shift to a
tighter structure was merely the inevitable next step in the evolution of the
religion of Quakerism. Regardless of the reason for the switch, it marked a
significant change from the earlier days of the Society. By 1725, every aspect of
Quakerism had been standardized and recorded. These new standards regulated Friends'
behavior and actions essentially from the cradle to the grave.
Commenting on this period, Comfort says:
While this rigid structure stopped much of the growth of Quakerism, it should not
be said that eighteenth century Quakers allowed their new lifestyle to prevent them
from accomplishing some very important goals. They still maintained a vast network
of traveling missionaries throughout many countries. The number of Friends in
America actually increased during this time. Perhaps most importantly, the Quakers'
strong belief in universal brotherhood propelled them to work continuously to
ameliorate the race problems they encountered. Quakers were among the first groups
to take action against the inhumane treatment of African Americans and Native
Americans. And it was during these times of racial troubles that the Society
initiated much of the humanitarian concern that is such an integral part of its
existence today. In addition, the structural changes in the Society during the
eighteenth century established the organization and discipline that are still
present in Quakerism today.
Starting in 1750, and continuing well into the nineteenth century, many American
Quakers began to move west from eastern settlements in Carolina, Virginia, Maryland,
West New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England. Many of these Friends eventually
settled in the Midwest, where they could escape much of the slave culture that they
considered immoral. In addition, the farmland in the Midwest was richer and less
expensive than New England's or Pennsylvania's. Settling as cohesive groups, these
Quakers established Meetings and schools in their new territories, allowing the
influence of the Society to spread west.
By 1820, the Quakers had found that unified beliefs in worship and theology no
longer existed among their ranks. Disagreements over evangelical doctrines,
religious authority, and antislavery tactics led to what was known as the "Hicksite"
- "Orthodox" separation in 1827-28. This split, in addition to another separation
within the theologically "Orthodox," left the Quakers divided into three main
groups: the liberal "Hicksites," the activist "Gurneyites," and the conservative
"Wilburites." While these groups were able to continue their meetings and schooling,
the conflicts between them prevented much potential movement and growth within
the Society.
The liberal transformation within the Society in the early twentienth century,
helped reunite many opposing factions of Friends. While Quakerism today is still
very much divided among itself (it is primarily composed of three main
organizations: the "Hicksite" Friends General Conference, the "Orthodox" Friends
United Meeting, and Evangelical Friends International, plus the very small
Conservative Meeting), there is a concern for unity among the different groups. This
concern has resulted in the formation of the Friends World Committee for
Consultation. Many Friends have realized that they can respect each other's
differences and celebrate their common ground while still believing in their own
unique ideas.
Today, Monthly and Yearly Meetings of the Society of Friends exist throughout North
America, Europe, East Africa, and Asia. This diversity of cultures in which
Quakerism exists shows its ability to adapt to outside changes without altering its
underlying beliefs, which has allowed it to survive so much turmoil and persecution
in its 350 year history.
There is no specific creed for the Society of Friends, but there are underlying principles which culminate in the following widespread beliefs.
Probably the most well-known doctrine of Quaker theology is the idea of the
"Inner Light." This Light exists within every person, and represents the
continuation of the Light that shone in Jesus himself. Is essence, the Inner Light
is Christ. It is through this Light, therefore, that God exists among everyone, and
can know every individual on a personal basis. Quakers believe that this Inner Light
has existed in every person ever created, even those who lived before the coming of
Jesus Christ in the flesh. In this way, even those who did not know of Christ in the
flesh were still given the opportunity to know the ways of Christ and obtain God's
grace through the Inner Light of Christ that has always shone in every person.
Fox and the early Friends identified this principle -- the Light, as they
called it -- with Jesus Christ. It was not for them an impersonal abstraction, a
substitute for God or Christ; for them it was
Christ
, manifesting Himself in the hearts of men; it was He whom the heathen, obedient
to the Light, were obeying, even though they had not heard of His earthly
existence, a more eminent manifestation of Himself than any other.
This principle of Inner Light leads directly to the Quaker belief that everyone
has the ability to attain a personal relationship with Jesus without depending on
priests or ministers. It is through the Inner Light that God can guide and speak to
the personal condition of every person. Therefore, everyone has the ability to
relate to God without having to go through a priest or a minister. This is not to
say that no ministers or preachers exist in Quakerism, but rather that their role
does not directly involve the individual spiritual relations of the congregation.
Another implication of the Inner Light is the importance of religion as an
experiential concept. One cannot simply accept the words and practices decided upon
by others, but must experience God for oneself before truly understanding both the
Spirit and the outside world. Since every person has an individual relationship with
God, there is no universal form of worship that can satisfy every individual.
Quakers believe that the Bible is a very important text and the only true
external basis for judgment of things in this world. However, they do not believe in
a strict literal interpretation. They maintain, rather, that the Bible was written
by men under the influence of the Spirit rather than by God himself as a final
statement. Therefore, they assert that the meaning of the words of the Bible is only
clear when read in the power of the Spirit. The Bible is best used as a way to lead
one into the same spiritual influence as those who originally wrote the text,
allowing for a more personal and more relevant understanding of it.
There is no distinction between religious and secular activities in the Quaker
faith. Ideally, everyone's actions should be derived through their Inner Light.
Therefore, everything that a person does comes through his or her own relationship
with God.
The Friends have a strong opposition to racism, sexism, and religious
intolerance. They believe that the external differences among humans are irrelevant
in terms of the Inner Light, which is what truly defines humans and gives them all
an inherent worth. Therefore, no one human has the right or the ability to judge
another based on that person's race, gender, or religious beliefs. For similar
reasons, the Society opposes war and the death penalty, as these acts contradict
the nature of the Inner Light.
In general, Quakers disdain vain fashions and flattering titles, as these things
have no significance in the spiritual realm. They also do not believe in oaths or
creeds, because they feel it is equally important to be honest at all times, not
just on special occasions.
There are four movements of Friends: Friends General Conference, Friends United Meeting, Evangelical Friends International, and Conservative Friends.
Friends General Conference is a North American organization with an estimated membership of 32,000. FGC Yearly and Monthly Meetings are geographically distributed all across America, from the East Coast to the Midwest to the West Coast, and even to Alaska and Canada. For a list of these meetings, click here. These Friends worship in the "unprogrammed" style. In an unprogrammed meeting, the worshippers silently wait upon God for divine messages. Sometimes, these messages are solely personal messages for the individual, while other times they seem fit to share with the meeting. In the case of a worshipper receiving a message for the entire group, they are compelled to break the silence of the meeting and share the message, for the benefit of all the congregants.
Friends United Meeting has a membership of about 45,000 in North America, 150,000 in East Africa, and a total worldwide membership of close to 200,000. For a list of FUM meetings, click here. These meetings are more like traditional protestant services, with a structured service and pastoral leadership. The job of the pastor in FUM meetings is to cultivate and develop the ministry of each individual. However, the pastor is merely a worshipper among worshippers, and relies on the response of the group for a successful service. Therefore, an integral part of these meetings is the sharing and participation of the individual worshippers.
Evangelical Friends International has about 30,000 members throughout North America, and approximately 100,000 members worldwide in more than 20 countries. Evangelical Friends Meetings are very much like traditional prostestant services, with a paid pastoral staff. The worship is Christ-centered, and their teaching is Bibically-based. These Friends emphasize the practical reality of the Christian Life.
Conservative Friends emphasize the conservative lifestyle. This is exhibited in their dress and often in their speech (retaining archaic words like "thee" and "thou"). Much like the Friends General Conference, their worship is unprogrammed. However, like the Evangelical Friends, their teachings are very Christ-centered. Unlike the FGC, Conservative Friends are not theologically liberal. Their three yearly meetings are located in Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio.
Friends are very active in the community, through their many service organizations, their lobbying efforts, and their anti-war organizations. For a list of some important Quaker organizations, click here.
The American Friends Service Committee is one of the most well known Quaker groups, although it accepts members of various faiths. Members of this group volunteer their time to help serve struggling communities all over the world. In addition to the services which they provide for those in need, they also offer leadership and training programs to enact social change. For more information, view their website at www.afsc.org.
The Friends Committee on National Legislation is a group whose purpose is to lobby for peace and equality in all matters. They are very involved in many aspects of the legislative process, and provide many opportunites for anyone to get involved. For more information, view their website at www.fcnl.org.
Friends for a Non-Violent World is a Quaker group, located in Minneapolis, whose goal is to encourage peace, community, and justice in the world through example and education. They hold a number of meetings and gatherings, and meet with members of other faiths who have similar goals. For more information, view their website at www.fnvw.org.
These are just a few of the many Quaker organizations who are striving to make the world a better place.
The Friends are also active in providing education. There are a number of Quaker colleges and universities, including Johns Hopkins University and Cornell University. For a complete list, click here.
Quaker worldwide membership is slowly growing at the present time, despite a trend of slightly decreasing membership in North America. This is due to the expansion of Quakerism throughout the world, and the founding of new meetings in East Africa and Asia. Friends' ability to adapt to change in the world through their 350 year existence has enabled them to remain a strong and active part of the world's community.
History
"Quakers in
Brief" or "Quakerism made Easy"
The History of
Quakerism
Beliefs
Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Robert Barclay's
Apology for the True Christian Divinity (abbreviated)
Quaker Views
The Quakers.
New York: Greenwood Press. pp. 3-10.
"The Society of Friends."
Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience.
1: 595-613. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/~ubcg09q/dmr/intro.htm
http://www.harrisroxas.com/qha/toppage6.htm
The People Called Quakers.
New York: Harper & Row. pp. 63-84.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker.htm
http://www.qis.net/~daruma/barclay.html
http://www.quaker.org.uk/qviews0.html
The Religious Society of Friends
This is the main website for the Society of Friends. It is an extremely extensive
collection of links and is a very valuable resource. Unfortunately, it is not
organized very well, and is difficult to navigate. But if you have the patience to
work through this site, you can find information on everything from Quaker beliefs
to Quaker Oats.
http://www.quaker.org
Friends General Conference
This is the official website of the Friends General Conference (FGC). It is fairly
well organized (has an internal search engine) and contains a good deal of
information on the current doings of the FGC, including contact information. However,
it does not provide much information on the specific beliefs and practices of the FGC,
and how they differ from other organizations of Quakers.
http://www.fgcquaker.org
Friends United Meeting
This is the official website of the Friends United Meeting (FUM). Like the FGC
page, it offers a fair amount of information on the current state of the Meeting,
including contact information and many advertisements for their publications, but not
on their underlying goals or beliefs. This site is not organized very well, and is
difficult to navigate.
http://www.fum.org
Evangelical Friends
International
This is the official website of Evangelical Friends International. This site is
very brief, offering basic information, including contact info. The site itself consists
of only three small sections in addition to the home page, but it also allows you to
view one of its publications,
The Friends Voice
.
http://www.evangelical-friends.org
General Information
Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
This is a well-structured overview of the Society of Friends and its history and
beliefs. It does not go into extensive depth, but is an excellent introduction to the
Friends, touching on most of the important aspects of Quaker faith and history.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker.htm
Friends FAQ
This is a nicely organized page covering most general questions one might have
about the Society of Friends. It does not go into much depth in explaining the
answers to the questions, however. This site would be good for someone looking for a
broad but concise overview of the Quaker beliefs. It also has a history section, but
it is very brief.
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/Quaker-faq
Facts about Friends
This introduction to Quaker beliefs was written by a member of the Society in
Australia. While not especially specific, it is a good overview for those interested
in a brief summary of who the Quakers are.
http://www.quaker.org/friends.html
Friends
This site contains numerous links to Friends information. It is not as extensive
as quaker.org, but is much more organized. It is divided into five main sections of
links: Organization, Education, Meetings, Resources, and People, allowing you to
easily search for whatever information you need.
http://digivis.com/ajaja/Quakers/Friends.html
Friends Meetings
This page offers an extensive list of Friends Meetings, complete with addresses and
telephone numbers. It provides links to all of the Meetings which have a website, as
well. This is a gateway to a tremendous amount of information on both the specific
Meetings and the general movements with which they are affiliated.
http://www.quaker.org/meetings.html
History
"Quakers in
Brief" or "Quakerism made Easy"
This site contains a fairly lengthy history of the Society of Friends from its
early days in the 1650s up to the present time. It is divided into six chapters, each
focusing on a different period in the development of Quakerism. This site offers more
depth than most, but is still readable in one sitting. It is an excellent source for
anyone interested in the history of the Friends.
http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/~ubcg09q/dmr/intro.htm
Quaker History Archives
This is a very good site, offering a concise history of the Quakers that is long
enough to give you a feel of who the Quakers are, but not too long to read in one
sitting. In addition to this, it also provides (brief) information on almost every
topic of Quakerism. It has a beliefs section, a collection of Quaker writings (much
thinner than the Quaker Electronic Archive), and much more. It is very well
organized into a tidy home page. It also has an FAQ section and a search engine.
This is a great site for those unfamiliar with the Quakers.
http://www.harrisroxas.com/qha
Autobiography of George Fox
This is a very extensive and well-written autobiography on the founder of the
Religious Society of Friends. It is comprised of 20 chapters, and includes a
testimony by William Penn on behalf of George Fox. It is probably the best source of
information on George Fox that I have seen on the web. I would recommend this site
for those looking for very detailed information on Fox, but not for people who just
want an overview of his life.
http://www.ccel.org/f/fox/autobiography/autobiography.html
Quaker Writings
Quaker Electronic Archive
This site contains quite a few important Quaker writings by such people as George
Fox, John Woolman, and Robert Barclay. This is an excellent collection of works in a
convenient location. In addition, it contains a number of introductory statements by
members of the Society to inform those unfamiliar with the Friends. This is a
terrific site for both scholars of Quakerism and people who are just mildly
interested.
http://www.qis.net/~daruma
Quaker Resources on
the Web
This site contains an excellent variety of links in the categories of general
information and Quaker publications. Its most significant feature is the Quaker
publications section. This contains links to some very important historical documents,
such as the Journal of John Woolman, James Nayler's Spiritual Writings, and the
Richmond Declaration of Faith. This is an excellent resource for scholars and for those
looking for the most significant Quaker writings.
http://cpcug.org/user/wsamuel/quaker.html
Quaker
Historical Texts
This site contains about ten historical documents written by Quakers. While
certainly not as extensive as the Quaker Electronic Archive, this site is definitely
worth a visit for Quaker scholars and for those interested in old writings of the
Quakers.
http://www.voicenet.com/~kuenning/qhp/index.html
Beliefs
Biographies
Journals/Letters/Writings of Friends
Created by
Matt Green
For Soc 257: New Religious Movements
University of Virginia
Spring Term, 2000
Last modified:12/28/01