Quakerisms - Intro #1

As promised, here’s an excerpt from the “Who are the Quakers” booklet of the Central and Southern Africa Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. It’s only a little booklet, and not nearly conclusive or final, but I found the info helpful. The statement below draws together statements made by the Lesotho Allowed Meeting and the Johannesburg Monthly Meeting (ie congregation).

I love the lack of generalisations, the use of ‘most’ or ‘many’ instead of ‘all Quakers’, and the guiding principles of love and truthfulness. Some of the ‘divine light’ sounds a bit too esoteric and/or Gnostic for me, but I’m sure their pneumatology is in line with that of the New Testament and most mystics. The inter-faith and multi-faith space is also telling.
So, without further commentary, here is intro excerpt #1:

What do Quakers Believe?

There is a Divine Seed in everyone. We each have a direct, unique relationship with God.

We have in each of us, a degree of the same Spirit as was evident in Jesus of Nazareth. We try to be conscious of this Spirit, also called Inner Light, Inner Guide, Christ Within, “that of God”, the Divine Light, the Holy Spirit.

Many Quakers find God fully revealed in the teaching, example and sacrificial life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Love is the basis of our life. Quakers believe that they are required to love that of God in everyone, therefore most Quakers seek to find alternatives to war and violence.

Truthfulness is also at the root of Quaker faith and practice. This is one of the reasons why we have no formal creed, as to do so may encourage people to make statements that they do not truly believe.

We Quakers do not express our faith in set words because we find that the experience and knowledge of God lies beyond words. It must be lived and demonstrated throughout the whole of life.

We have no priests as intermediaries.

We experience the Christian sacraments inwardly, without the use of outward symbols.

All persons must seek individual guidance and must follow the light found within. Each will be helped by the developing interpretations of God in the Bible and the ideas of the great spiritual leaders of all faiths.

The Quaker focus on the Spirit encourages us to be inclusive and gentle, because in relating to one another we are relating to God. This respect for one another allows everyone to grow confidently in relation to God and the Creation.


nice hey? not an approach that one hears much here in churchland unfortunately.