DOCSLIB.ORG

Faith & Practice 2001: Download

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Faith & Practice 2001: Download faith and practice faith pacific yearly meeting pym of the 2001 religious society of friends faith and practice a guide to quaker discipline in the experience of pacific yearly meeting of the religious society of friends published by pacific yearly meeting – 2001 Additional copies may be purchased from AFSC Bookstore, 980 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA 91103 web site: http://www.afsc.org/psro/bkstore.htm email: [email protected] We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of Friends who have permitted us to use material for this Faith and Practice. In the same spirit, we gladly offer other Friends the use of anything in this book. None of it is copyrighted by Pacific Yearly Meeting. contents prefacemix i: pacific yearly meeting in context introductionm1 A Brief History of the Religious Society of Friendsm2 quakerism in the new world m3 schisms among american quakersm6 steps toward wholenessm9 quakers in southern californiam10 quakers in northern californiam12 emergence of pacific yearly meetingm13 pacific yearly meeting within the religious society of friendsm16 quaker service in americam17 Friends Relationship to Christianitym18 religious languagem20 the biblem21 sacramentsm22 creedm23 ii: quaker faith and spiritual practice worship and the meeting Meeting for Worshipm25 preparation for and participation in worshipm28 prayer and other reflective practicesm28 vocal ministry and faithful listeningm29 Meeting for Worship for Businessm31 The Meeting Communitym33 i living our faith Testimoniesm37 integritym38 unitym39 equality m40 simplicitym41 peacem43 communitym44 Advices and Queriesm46 meeting for worshipm47 spiritual lifem48 meeting for worship for businessm48 stewardship and vocationm49 harmony with creation m51 social and civic responsibilitym52 reaching outm53 simplicitym54 integrity and personal conductm55 personal relationshipsm56 peacem57 the meeting communitym58 Concerns and Leadingsm59 Laboring with Concernsm62 toward a testimony of harmony with naturem62 iii: testimony and experience of friends Faith and Experiencem68 faithm68 experiencem71 discernment and guidancem76 scripture and the inward teacher m81 Living Our Faithm84 integritym84 equalitym87 ii contents simplicitym88 peacem90 communitym92 harmony with naturem93 Corporate Search and Practicem95 meeting for worshipm95 meeting for businessm99 unitym102 membershipm103 marriagem104 death and memorialsm105 iv: organization of the society The Monthly Meetingm108 organizationm108 officersm109 committees of the meetingm110 nominating committeem112 worship and ministry committeem114 oversight committee (overseers)m116 combined worship and ministry and oversight committeem118 finance committeem118 other committeesm119 Growth and Changem119 new gatherings of friendsm119 worship groupsm120 preparative meetingsm121 establishment of new monthly meetingsm122 laying down a meetingm124 Quarterly Meetings m126 Yearly Meetingm128 contents iii v: procedures Friends Process for Making Decisionsm129 principles m129 decision-making practice m131 deferring decisionsm132 in times of difficultym133 threshing sessionsm136 clerks and clerking m136 minute-taking in the monthly meetingm138 clearness and clearness committees m139 Membershipm141 a brief historym142 the meaning of membershipm142 preparation for membershipm143 becoming a memberm144 children and membership m146 special circumstancesm147 non-member attendersm149 transfer of membershipm149 ending membershipm150 Marriagem153 legal recognition of quaker marriagem154 marriage and genderm155 marriage under the care of the meetingm155 marriage clearness committeem156 arrangements committeem157 meeting for worship on the occasion of marriagem157 marriage after the manner of friendsm158 nurturing marriagem158 remarriage m160 separation and divorce m160 Death in the Meeting m162 preparing for deathm162 support of the dying and their loved onesm163 memorial meetings for worshipm164 grievingm166 iv contents vi: activities and organization of the yearly meeting The Annual Gathering of Pacific Yearly Meetingm167 the business of the yearly meeting m168 Junior Yearly Meetingm170 Young Friends at Yearly Meetingm171 The Yearly Meeting as an Organizationm171 yearly meeting officersm171 yearly meeting committeesm174 standing subcommittees of ministry and oversightm177 liaisons and their work m179 other yearly meeting committeesm180 management of fundsm187 yearly meeting publicationsm189 faith and practicem189 friends bulletinm189 other publicationsm190 links to other friends organizations m191 other quaker organizationsm196 glossarym199 bibliographym207 appendices Appendix 1:Recordsmi217 1a recommendations for monthly meeting records mi217 1b advices for preparing the state of the meeting reportmi218 1c preparation of meeting minutes: some useful practices mi219 1d recommendation for quarterly (or half-yearly) meeting records mi221 1e recommendations for yearly meeting recordsmi222 Appendix 2: Quaker Archives 223 2a archive deposit formmi223 2b archive gift formmi224 contents v Appendix 3: Pastoral Care/Clearness Committeesm225 3a advices and queries for overseersmi225 3b advices and queries for those asked to serve on a clearness committee mi227 Appendix 4: Membershipm229 4a suggested topics for use by a clearness committee on membershipmi229 4b example of letter of welcome to new member mi231 4c procedure for transfer of membershipmi232 4d example of letter of transfermi236 4e certificate of transfermi237 4f acceptance of transfermi238 4g letter of release mi239 Appendix 5: Lettersm240 5a letter of introduction mi240 5b minute of sojournmi241 5c acknowledgment of minute of sojournmi242 5d sample travel minutemi243 Appendix 6: Marriage 244 6a suggested topics for the marriage clearness committeemi244 6b marriage certificatemi246 6c pym minute with regard to equality of marriage rightsmi248 6d legal requirements with regard to marriage mi249 Appendix 7: Information and Instructions on Health Care Decisions and Final Affairs 250 Appendix 8: Yearly Meetings in the U.S. (2000) 254 sources of quotationsm257 index of sourcesm263 subject indexm266 vi contents vii viii preface We, like every generation, must find the Light and Life again for ourselves. Only what we have valued and truly made our own, not by assertion but by lives of faithful commitment, can we hand on to the future. Even then, we must humbly acknowledge that our vision of the truth will, again and again, be amended. britain yearly meeting quaker faith & practice, p. 17, 1995 The Quaker way emphasizes experience over religious belief or doctrine. It is inherently difficult to capture the essence of that experience in words. Yet every Faith and Practice attempts to do that very thing. As time passes, the body of experience grows and shifts and a Yearly Meeting may be moved to take up the task of revising its book of Faith and Practice. The book offered here is a revision of the 1985 edition, which in turn was based on revisions of 1973, 1963, 1957, and 1952, and the original plan of organization adopted at Palo Alto in 1942. This Faith and Practice describes the beliefs of Friends and the structures and processes of Pacific Yearly Meeting, and its Quarterly and Monthly Meetings. It also explains the spiritual foundation of these processes and of our way of worship. It should be of interest and value to newcomers and old-timers alike. Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all, with the measure of light which is pure and holy, may be guided: and so in the light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. advices from the elders at balby, 1656 britain yearly meeting quaker faith & practice, 1995, §1.01 ix x part i pacific yearly meeting in context introduction The religious practices of Friends are founded in direct communion with God and the conviction that the Divine Light is accessible to each person; yet it is one Light, one Truth. We wait with hearts and minds open to the Divine so that Truth will be made known among us. Our corporate search for God’s word is the heart of the Quaker Meeting for Worship. We believe that God, the Light, the Truth, is part of our being. We say, “there is that of God in everyone.” Truth is continually revealed to us, often through a gathered mystical experience. We learn to recognize the truth by experience. We work to develop a relationship between the individual and the corporate body that allows inspiration and leadings to be tested within the Meeting. In this unity, Friends find order and peace in reconciling individual inspiration and corporate wisdom, enabling us to choose right courses of action. As God is revealed to us individually and corporately, we are guided in the right ordering of our lives. All Friends practices flow from this faith in the revealed truth: our care for each other, our governing structures and processes, our testimonies and witness to the whole world. Through the personal experience of each seeker comes the Light necessary for their guidance. Vocal ministry in a Friends Meeting emerges from the direct relationship between the individual and the 1 Divine. Truth is tested, not by the degree to which it conforms to dogma, but by its power to transform our lives and the lives of others. Not by strength of arguments or by a particular disquisition of each doctrine and convincement of my understanding thereby, came I to receive and bear witness of the Truth, but by being secretly reached
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 4 Fruits of the Spirit: Friends Testimonies
    NOTE TO FRIENDS: This draft is a revision of parts of chapters 4, 5, and 6 of the 1993 NPYM Faith and Practice, according to the new outline which gathers all material about a topic (description, quotations, advices, queries) into the same place in the book. This chapter “Fruits of the Spirit” deals with Quaker testimonies. Some parts of this chapter are new to Faith and Practice, as requested by NPYM Friends: Integrity, Harmony with Creation, “Be Not Afraid,” plus new material in Community and Stewardship. Comments or questions about specific additions, deletions, or changes appear in [[italics in double square brackets]]. These comments will not appear in the final version of Faith and Practice. 4 Fruits of the Spirit: Friends Testimonies [[Note to Friends: these introductory paragraphs are new to Faith and Practice.]] Testimonies are fruits of the Spirit marking directions for our lives. On one level, testimonies can be seen as values or principles of morality. On a deeper level, what Friends call “testimonies” are the result of being changed by direct interaction with Transcendent Reality. Transformation from worldly to spiritual—our journey into Light—is the result of an encounter with the Spirit and of our response to that encounter. Learning a moral code will not in itself make us good. Stories, histories, and journals can help us understand how to act rightly in the world. But it is only when we are drawn to the good and have internalized it—as opposed to merely understanding it—are we able to be good. Friends traditionally describe personal transformation as a gradual development over a lifetime.
    [Show full text]
  • Faith and Practice at a Quaker School
    Faith and Practice at a Quaker School Faith and Practice at a Quaker School Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them: then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one. George Fox, 1656 “Membra Sumus Corporis Magni” We are all members of a great body. © Graham Ralph 2013 © Illustrations, Harvey Herman 2013 ISBN 978 1 904446 50 7 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Graham Ralph 2013 Faith and Practice at a Quaker School Published and printed by Quacks Books 7 Grape Lane Petergate York YO1 7HU iv This document has been written and compiled by Graham Ralph, a teacher at Bootham School, 1980 – 2012. Illustrations by Harvey Herman, Bootham Old Scholar. Thanks to the many people who encouraged me to compile this document; to Jenny Bailey who did her best to tidy up the text; to Jonathan Taylor who supported me in taking the sabbatical term to do it and the whole Bootham community who did all my work whilst I was away enjoying myself. The publication of this book was aided by financial contributions from Bootham School, Quaker Outreach in Yorkshire and the Sessions Book Trust. v vi Contents 1 Introduction 3 Meeting for Worship 9 The Responsibility of the Individual 13 Truth and Integrity 19 Equality 23 Peace and Conflict 29 Simplicity 33 Service 39 Stewardship 45 Decision Making 51 Learning 57 Living in a Caring Community 61 Some dates in Bootham History 63 Quaker Terms 69 Quaker Meetings / Membership 71 References vii viii Introduction A central belief of Quakers is that there is that of God in everyone, and the searching for that within ourselves and others leads us to experience the truth and the light of the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Quaker Affirmations 1
    SSttuuddeenntt NNootteebbooookk ffir r A m e a k t A Course i a of Study for o u n Q Young Friends Suggested for Grades 6 - 9 Developed by: First Friends Meeting 3030 Kessler Boulevard East Drive Indianapolis, IN 46220-2913 317.255.2485 [email protected] wwQw.indyfriends.org QQuuaakkeerr AAffffiirrmmaattiioonn:: AA CCoouurrssee ooff SSttuuddyy ffoorr YYoouunngg FFrriieennddss Course Conception and Development: QRuth Ann Hadley Tippin - Pastor, First Friends Meeting Beth Henricks - Christian Education & Family Ministry Director Writer & Editor: Vicki Wertz Consultants: Deb Hejl, Jon Tippin Pre- and Post-Course Assessment: Barbara Blackford Quaker Affirmation Class Committee: Ellie Arle Heather Arle David Blackford Amanda Cordray SCuagrogl eDsonteahdu efor Jim Kartholl GraJedde Ksa y5 - 9 First Friends Meeting 3030 Kessler Boulevard East Drive Indianapolis, IN 46220-2913 317.255.2485 [email protected] www.indyfriends.org ©2015 December 15, 2015 Dear Friend, We are thrilled with your interest in the Quaker Affirmation program. Indianapolis First Friends Meeting embarked on this journey over three years ago. We moved from a hope and dream of a program such as this to a reality with a completed period of study when eleven of our youth were affirmed by our Meeting in June 2015. This ten-month program of study and experience was created for our young people to help them explore their spirituality, discover their identity as Quakers and to inform them of Quaker history, faith and practice. While Quakers do not confirm creeds or statements made for them at baptism, etc, we felt it important that young people be informed and af - firmed in their understanding of who they are as Friends.
    [Show full text]
  • Quaker Thought and Life Today
    Quaker Thought and Life Today JUNE 1, 1964 NUMBER 11 .. Quakerism and Creed by Alfred S. Roberts, Jr. f!l, U A.KERISM cannot The Pursuit of Truth in a Quaker prove that there is that of God in every man; it can only College say that when men behave as by Homer D. Babbidge, Jr. though there were, the weight of evidence amply justifies the belief. It cannot prove that love will solve all problems; it can only note that love has The Civil Rights Revolution a much better record than by John De J. Pemberton, Jr. hate. -CARL F. WISE The Little Ones Shall Lead Them by Stanley C. Marshall THIRTY CENTS $5.00 A YEAR ' ' Letter from Costa Rica-Letter from the Past . • 242 FRIENDS JOURNAL June 1, 1964 FRIENDS JOURNAL UNDER THE RED AND BLACK STAR AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE Lucky Money *HE newest project of the AFSC's Children's Program T is the Happiness Holiday Kit, which gives basic in­ formation about the Committee's Hong Kong day nurs­ ery. The Kit contains, along with other materials, bright red and gold envelopes for "Lucky Money" to assist the Published semimonthly, on the first and fifteenth of each month, at 1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Quakers in their work with Hong Kong children and 19102, by Friends Publlshlng Corporation (LO 3-7669). mothers. This project, launched in the fall of 1963, al­ FRANCES WILLIAMS BROWIN Editor ready has brought in more than $3000 for the AFSC's ETHAN A. NEVIN WILLIAM HUBBEN Assistant Editor Contributing Editor work in Hong Kong.
    [Show full text]
  • Flagstaff Monthly Meeting Welcome Pamphlet
    Introduction Welcome to the Flagstaff Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. We would like to acquaint you with who we are and with some of our history and beliefs. This publication introduces us, but it is only a beginning. Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have. Basic beliefs and practices of Friends When Friends are asked, “What do Quakers believe?” they may hem and haw as they search for an honest answer. Quakers have no written doctrine to which all are expected to adhere. There are, however, generally held beliefs among Quakers; a person who is unable to agree with most of them may not feel completely at home in a group of Friends. Quakerism began in the seventeenth century with George Fox. Then, as now, the Quaker faith was based on the belief that God’s will is continually and directly revealed to every person who seeks it. For this reason, Quakers are also sometimes called seekers. Although it is difficult to describe the will of God in words, Quakers refer to it as the Light, and devote their attention to minding the Light or seeking the Light. God is also said to speak to the condition of those who pay attention. ___________________________________________________ The majority of this booklet was prepared by the Fort Collins Friends Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. They have expressly waived all rights to their material, but asked that they be referenced appropriately. We have changed their section on the monthly meeting history, added a section on the Testimonies and made additions to the suggested readings.
    [Show full text]
  • History-Iowa Yearly Meeting 8/1/17, 114 PM
    History-Iowa Yearly Meeting 8/1/17, 114 PM BRIEF HISTORY OF IOWA YEARLY MEETING OF FRIENDS (CONSERVATIVE) A. QUAKER HISTORY THE ROOTS OF QUAKERISM The Religious Society of Friends had its beginnings in mid-Seventeenth Century England. The movement grew out of the confusion and uncertainty which prevailed during the closing years of the Puritan Revolution and which culminated in the overthrow of the English monarchy. During the long Medieval period, the English Church, like other national churches throughout western Europe, had been subject to the authority of the Pope and the Church of Rome. However, throughout the later Middle Ages dissident groups such as the Lollards in Fourteenth Century England questioned the teaching and authority of the Roman Church. All of northern and western Europe was profoundly affected by the Protestant Reformation. Its particular origin may be traced to about 1519 when Martin Luther began his protest in Germany. While Lutheranism supplanted Roman Catholic control in much of north central Europe, another Protestant movement led by John Calvin became dominant in the Netherlands, in Scotland, and among the Huguenots in France. The Anabaptists constituted still another Protestant element. In England, however, the Protestant movement had a somewhat different history. About 1534 King Henry VIII broke with the Roman church, with the immediate personal purpose of dissolving his first marriage and entering into another. As a result of this break with Rome, the numerous abbeys throughout England were closed and plundered and their extensive land holdings were distributed among the king's favorites. The Catholic church enjoyed a period of reascendancy during the reign of Queen Mary, only to be replaced as the established church by the Church of England during the long reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
    [Show full text]
  • Quaker Activism Rocked the Country
    the3 January 2020 Friend| £2.00 ‘Quaker activism rocked the country.’ A news round-up of 2019 6 Dec 20/12/19 14:25 Page 1 the INDEPENDENTFriend QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843 3 January 2020 | Volume 178, No 1 www.thefriend.org News round-up of 2019 4 Activism, Meeting houses and more Rebecca Hardy Letters 8 Everything to play for 10 The power of music David Saunders Thought for the week 11 Our better nature Alison Leonard Threshing it out 12 Friends in Finland Sue Glover Frykman Cake and conversation 14 General Meeting for Scotland Mary Dower Review 15 Embodiment by Dinah Livingstone Frank Regan Q Eye: a look at the Quaker world 16 Friends & Meetings 17 And holy resolutions were kindled in our hearts as a fire which the Life kindled in us to serve the Lord while we had a being, and mightily did the Word of God grow amongst us, and the desires of many were after the Name of the Lord. O happy day! O blessed day! the memorial of which can never pass out of my mind. And thus the Lord, in short, did form us to be a people for his praise in our generation. Francis Howgill (1618–1669), on early Friends Quaker faith & practice 19.08 right), while a ninety- merits’ and there could News round-up of 2019 one-year-old Friend, John be ‘considerable merit’ in Lynes, from Hastings loosening planning laws. [email protected] Meeting, was filmed on The year ended with Channel 4 being arrested unequivocally good news for blocking Dover however for Quakers who Docks in September.
    [Show full text]
  • Quakers Living Adventurously: the Library and Archives of the Society of Friends Transcript
    Quakers Living Adventurously: The Library and Archives of the Society of Friends Transcript Date: Wednesday, 23 January 2013 - 1:00PM Location: Barnard's Inn Hall 23 January 2013 Quakers Living Adventurously: The Library and Archives of the Society of Friends David Blake In this lecture I aim to do two main things: To tell you something about the history of the Library of the Society of Friends over almost 340 years and to talk about some of the things Quakers have done, illustrating them with materials held by the Library. But first I will talk briefly about the Society – say something about its name, tell you about its foundation and add just a little about what Quakerism is. However, I don’t consider myself to be an expert on this and the focus of this lecture will be very much on the library. The Formation of the Society and its Early History First, then, the name of the Society. The official name is the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, but to many people it is known simply as the Society of Friends. The word ‘Quaker’, which comes from the tendency of early Friends to shake as they worshipped, springs more easily off the tongue and indeed, if you look at our website you will see the banner ‘Quakers in Britain’. But Quakers - despite being very modern in many ways, witness their views on same sex marriage – seem to like tradition and you will hear the terms Quaker and Friend used all the time and interchangeably. Many names have been retained: the Chief Executive is still known as the Recording Clerk and one of the main bodies remains the Meeting for Sufferings.
    [Show full text]
  • Documents in Advance, 2018
    Documents in Advance for CANADIAN YEARLY MEETING of the RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS and Minutes of Representative Meeting (June and November 2017) 2018 Documents in Advance for Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends composed of* Canada Yearly Meeting (Five Years Meeting) Genesee Yearly Meeting (General Conference) Canada Yearly Meeting (Conservative) and Minutes of Representative Meeting 2018 2 * Since 1955 many new Meetings and individual members have joined Canadian Yearly Meeting. The designation on the previous page was approved in 1955 for inclusion in all published reports and minutes to indicate the pre-existing legal entities now incorporated in Canadian Yearly Meeting. These Documents in Advance are the first part of the Minutes of Canadian Yearly Meeting, 2018. As this material will not be included with the Minutes and Late Reports (second part), both volumes will be required for a complete record. Minutes and Late Reports will be available in October 2018. These documents are published on-line and are available for download from our website. Canadian Yearly Meeting 91A Fourth Avenue Ottawa, ON K1S 2L1 CANADA Tel: 613.235.8553 / Fax: 613.235.1753 Email: [email protected] Website: www.quaker.ca Thank you, Kerry MacAdam Office Administrator July 2018 3 CONTENTS REPRESENTATIVE MEETING MINUTES Minutes: June 2017, (Toronto) Representative Meeting ................................................... 6 November 2017, (Ottawa) Representative Meeting ......................................... 20 COMMITTEE and ADMINISTRATIVE
    [Show full text]
  • Swarthmoor Hall 2019 Programme Guide Welcome
    swarthmoor hall 2019 Programme Guide Welcome Experience a change of pace in the quiet, comfortable and beautiful Swarthmoor Hall. It has been a place of spiritual refreshment and development since the early days of Quakerism. Our residential programme includes courses, retreats and pilgrimages. Our day events offer fresh reasons to visit. This year we are excited about Seeking routes: exploring Quaker experience and action in building a more sustainable Earth, an art exhibition we are hosting from Friday 19 July to Sunday 8 September. Why not extend your weekend or mid-week workshop to include a short break in the scenic Lake District? Accommodation taken before or after a residential course is offered at a special discounted rate. Jane Pearson Manager, Swarthmoor Hall Courses and retreats p 4 1652 Quaker pilgrimages p 8 Day Events 2019 p 9 Regular spiritual activities and facilities p 11 Programme tutors p 12 Other information p 14 2019 programme diary 7 February – 10 March Swarthmoor Hall artists winter exhibition p 9 18 February – 10 March Spring bulbs at Swarthmoor Hall, National Gardens p 9 Scheme Open Days 22 – 24 March Oneness in our separate experiences p 4 7 – 12 April Writing retreat p 4 3 – 5 May A place for the scriptures p 5 10 – 12 May The Inner Light: an exploration of eastern spiritual poetry p 5 7 – 9 June Journaling: a way to the centre p 5 10 June – 11 June Ulverston International Music Festival at Swarthmoor Hall p 9 14 – 16 June Summer colour at Swarthmoor Hall, National Gardens p 10 Scheme Open Days 21 – 24 June Experiment
    [Show full text]
  • Caroline Kneeley: Gender Roles of Chester County, Pennsylvania
    Gender Roles of Chester County, Pennsylvania: Lenape and Quaker Conceptualizations of Gender in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Caroline Kneeley Senior Thesis in History Barnard College April 7th, 2021 Kneeley 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………....3 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………....4 Chapter One: Depiction of Native American Women in Primary Sources, and the Lives of Lenape Women………………………………..10 Chapter Two: Gender Roles of Quakers: How Quaker Women Differed from their Colonial Counterparts ……………....…………………..20 Chapter Three: Comparison of North Eastern Native Women to Their European Counterparts ………………………………………..........29 Conclusion ……………………………………....…………………………...…………….....38 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………….40 Kneeley 3 Acknowledgements To my grandmother, Anita Kneeley. Though you will not get to read this, your encouragement and faith in me, even when I struggled in school, has led me to this thesis. I was heavy-hearted when I realized that you would not be able to help me like we planned, but Nana I know that you would have been proud. I miss you. To my parents, who have supported me through these tumultuous and crazy last four years. I do not know where I would be without you. Thank you, I love you. Finally, to both my thesis and academic advisor at Barnard, Andrew Lipman, thank you for not only your amazing help with this thesis but also supporting me and helping me grow intellectually these last four years. I greatly appreciate you and all the work you have done. Kneeley 4 Introduction: Situated to the Northeast of present-day Philadelphia, Chester County, Pennsylvania during the eighteenth century existed as a crossroads between the societies, cultures, and histories of the Lenape and The Religious Society of Friends — better known as the Quakers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Experience of Early Friends
    The Experience of Early Friends By Andrew Wright 2005 Historical Context The world of the early Friends was in the midst of radical change. The Renaissance in Europe had strengthened the role of science and reason in the Western world. The individual’s power to understand and make sense of reality on their own was challenging the authority of the Catholic Church. Until recently there had been only one church in Western Europe. Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” that critiqued the Catholic Church is generally seen as the beginning of the Reformation when western Christianity splintered into a plethora of various “protestant” churches. In order to fully understand the significance of the Reformation we must realize that political authority and religious authority were very closely aligned at this time in history. Political authority was used to enforce religious orthodoxy as well as to punish those who expressed unconventional views. Meditating on the intensity of feeling that many have today about issues like abortion or gay/ lesbian rights or end of life issues might begin to help us to understand the intensity of feeling that people experienced around religious issues during the Reformation. Many people felt like only the triumph of their religious group could secure their right to religious expression or save them from persecution. The notion of separation of church and state only began to become a possibility much later. The English Reformation and Civil War In England, the reformation developed a little later than in Germany and in a slightly different way. In 1534, King Henry VIII declared the Church of England independent of the Roman Catholic papacy and hierarchy.
    [Show full text]