Quaker FAQs

What are Quakers?

The term "Quaker" refers to a member ofthe Religious Society of Friends, which is the proper name of the sect. There are two reputed origins of the term, the first refers to people "quaking" or trembling when feeling moved by the Holy Spirit to speak in Meetings for Worship. The other according to Elfrida Vipont Brown, is:

George Fox was arrested in Derby in October 1650 and charged with blasphemy. The magistrates who tried him were Gervase Bennett and Colonel Nathaniel Barton. George Fox was questioned intermittently over an eight hour period, during which at one point George Fox told the magistrates "Tremble at the word of the Lord". It was Justice Bennett who coined the name "Quakers" for the followers of George Fox.

What are Shakers?

The "Quakers" are occasionally confused with the "Shakers"; the Shakers were to some extent a "spin-off" of the Quakers, a group started by a Manchester, England woman, Ann Lee, who was born Quaker. She formed a "celibate order" which started communities throughout the United States. The Shakers are quite interesting in their own right, adding speaking in tongues and free-form dancing to the end of a Quaker-style silent meeting.

They are famous for their elegantly simple style of furniture, their industry and color systems. Also Simple Gifts is a hymn that started out as Shaker song, was appropriated by Quakers and later by Aaron Copeland. All of this comes from a meditative focus on simplicity, intergrity, honesty, nonviolence, community which are also the Quaker testimonies.

There are fewer than 10 Shakers left today in the last remaining Shaker community in Maine, but several of their communities are preserved as museums.

Who are the Plymouth Brethren?

The Plymouth Brethren are not an offshoot of Quakerism and not a branch of the (German) Brethren church, to the best I have been informed.

What about Oatmeal, Motor Oil, etc.?

Since the city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania in the United States were started by Quakers, many businesses and towns originating in that area mention Quakers in their names. In fact these names are particularly common in places like Quakertown, PA., where the names are actually derived from the name of the town.

This leads many to the incorrect conclusion that members of the Religious Society of Friends still are in the habit of wearing the late 1600's period clothing of the person pictured on the Quaker Oats(tm) box; this perhaps contributes to the common American confusion between Quakers and the Amish (who really *do* wear clothing styles standardized in the 1600's).

Quakers were thought of as unusually honest businesspeople. So coopting the name Quaker, even though many had no connection to the Religeous Society of Friends, afforded businesses a sense of integrity, deserved or not. Quaker Oats was not has never been Quaker. It is currently a brand of Pepsi & Co.

What are the Origins of the Quakers?

The Religious Society of Friends was started in England around 1650, by many people, the most famous being George Fox. They in fact intended to start a movement to unify the splintered Christian churches, rather than to start a separate sect. Many radical groups were formed in England about this time as a result of the turmoil, economic injustice, and starvation caused by the English Revolution and Civil War, and the repeated changes between Catholicism and Anglicism in England; however most of these groups disappeared soon after the restoration of the monarchy.

Who are the American Friends?

Friends were active in New England almost from the beginning of the Quaker movement, as early as 1654. The Puritans of Massachusetts, found Quaker ideas unacceptable and exiled Friends on pain of death. Between 1659 and 1661 one woman and three men were hanged for returning after such banishment. George Fox spent over a year in America in 1672. The Quaker population increased greatly after 1682 when William Penn (who was a Friend) set about the foundation of Pennsylvania and started the city of Philadelphia. Friends in general showed an enlightened attitude to Native Americans, and were also active in the movement against the slave trade. Later, they helped escaped slaves and worked for the abolition of slavery, due in part to the work and ministry of John Woolman (See "Bibliography").

What does "Programmed", "Unprogrammed", "Evangelical", etc. mean?

During the Revival movement in the later 1800's many Friends Meetings were influenced by Revival preachers. Many of these later hired preachers and now hold more "conventional" services, with a preacher, choir, etc. These meetings often call themselves "Quaker Churches" or "Friend's Churches" rather than "Quaker Meetings" or "Friends Meetings." Some such branches of Quakerism refer to themselves as "Evangelical Friends", and some have gone so far as to hold baptisms and communion, which many consider an extreme departure from early Quakerism.

There are considered to have been quite a few "schisms" in Quakerism over the years; the overall history is far too complicated to describe here.

What are the Traditional/Unprogrammed/Silent Meetings?

Silent Meetings for Worship are quite a bit different from most organized religious services. Basically those attending the meeting sit silently, trying to listen to the (Holy) Spirit, until someone is moved by the Spirit to speak. The person so moved generally stands, says what they have to say, and sits down. Meetings like this generally run for about an hour, and it is not out of the ordinary for a meeting to be silent the whole hour.

It is customary to wait a few minutes between speakers to allow time for consideration of what they have said.

It is considered bad form to "debate" a topic or otherwise argue a point at Meeting for Worship. More subtle forms of disagreement, such as telling a related story and how it made you feel bad, etc. are occasionally employed.

What are Programmed Meetings?

A Quaker Church service is very similar in format to most Methodist or Baptist services, if a little more mellow. However, while it is uncommon for members of the congregation to rise to speak, this is not unheard of, and there are often periods of silence.

What about Children at Meeting for Worship?

Many visitors to meeting, especially those to unprogrammed or silent meetings, worry a lot about their children and whether the children are being quiet enough. They should relax :-). While it would be appropriate to take your child out of meeting if the child is screaming or being noisy for long periods, the occasional noises of small children are generally welcomed. Some paper and crayons, or a book to read for older children is often helpful, too.

Most children, especially those of visitors, have a tough time sitting silently for a full hour. Fortunately most Meetings have some sort of "First Day School" or "Sunday school" for children. If you see an adult rising after the start of Meeting and all the children filing out, they're probably headed for the First Day School.

Friends are generally quite tolerant of babies and their noises. It should be considered normal at most unprogrammed meetings to breast feed babies during meeting.

What about Meetings for Business?

"Quakers are peculiar, and our organizational arrangements are too. We do not fit easily into any worldly model of governance, not even simple democracy." -- Jim Nichols

Groups of Friends who conduct business as a group are generally named by how often they meet, and the period between meetings is generally proportional to the size of the group. (i.e. a group that meets monthly is a "Monthly Meeting," a group that meets quarterly is a "Quarterly Meeting," etc.)

Meetings for business (or more properly Meetings for Worship with a Concern for Business) are held in the manner of a silent meeting for worship, although there is a Clerk who attempts to find and record the collectively acquired insight of the Meeting. All decisions are made by finding the "Sense of the Meeting," which is a statement that feels right to everyone in the meeting at that time. These are generally recorded in the minutes of the meeting, after being approved.

The Quaker ftp site at clarknet.net has an excellent writeup on this (See ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/quaker/business.txt).

What are the Monthly Meetings?

Local meetings that hold Meetings for Worship generally hold meetings for business once a month, and are called "Monthly Meetings." The Monthly Meeting usually deals with membership, marriages, paying rent, etc for the meeting facilities and/or real estate, etc. Monthly meetings sometimes have one or more "Preparative Meetings", which do business with the monthly meeting, but meet elsewhere.

How are meetings organized?

Since most Unprogrammed Friends' meetings don't have a paid staff of any kind most activities are performed by various Committees of the membership. Most larger meetings have at least 10 committees of varying description to maintain the building, make or organize food, watch the finances, send out a newsletter, etc.

Committees often recommend items to the Monthly meeting for action, and are generally required to meet (at least) annually.

Are there Quarterly/Regional Meetings?

Larger regional groups of Friends are usually groups of Monthly Meetings, which meet quarterly, and are often referred to as Quarterly Meetings or General Meetings. Representatives from the various Monthly Meetings generally attend such meetings. Quarterly meetings are often places to discuss issues in preparation for Yearly Meetings.

Are there Yearly/General Meetings?

Even larger groups of Friends are also usually groups of Monthly Meetings representing several regions, and are referred to as Yearly or General Meetings. Representatives from the various Monthly Meetings generally attend such meetings.

Some meetings are members of more than one Yearly Meeting.

There is no overall central organization which claims all Friends as members, although several organizations (e.g. Friends World Committee on Consultation) do provide services worldwide.

What are the Beliefs of Friends?

Friends' beliefs are a little hard to quantify, since Friends do not believe in having a fixed Creed or Dogma, but rather in seeking for the leadings of God within ourselves. However, some generalizations are possible, which are gone over below.

It is interesting to note that many of these positions have evolved over time, and while they now seem like fairly straightforward extensions of basic Quaker belief, they involved much discussion and soul-searching in the past.

Quaker men, women and children were equally respected members of the community from the start. Quakers encourage each other to think for themselves and to lead and minister within the meeting. To act as a model in the larger community without prostelitizing or preaching. There is no minister or preacher in an unprogrammed Meeting - the Meeting is run by all who are members and many who simply attend.

Some issues are still evolving, and you will find that current issues like same-gender relationships, abortion, etc. are topics on which it is very difficult to achieve unity. At present, I suspect you can find Friends Meetings with nearly any viewpoint in the spectrum of possibilities on these issues, including atheism, and that any official position is very carefully worded.

Are Quakers part of Christianity?

The Religious Society of Friends is a Christian organization, in the sense that it is originally based on the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. However, while the Bible is generally thought of as an important document, it is not accepted at face value by many modern Quakers.

Quakers strive to live the life that Jesus lived, simply and plain spoken. The rotating responsibilities of the leadership of Quakerism is part of what makes it virtually non-heirarchical, noncorruptible and egalitarian. In that sense it is different from most Christian religions.

Ask 10 Quakers a question about belief and you will get 10 different answers. You will, in general, find some disagreement among Friends about whether there was a Virgin Birth, whether various miracles were supernatural occurances or religious embellishments, whether Jesus was The Son of God, or just one of God's children etc. You will in general find agreement that those differences are not important. The teachings of Jesus are the focus of Quakerism, not the metaphors or hyperbole.

Quakers *can* all agree that certain things "feel Right," that there is a part of us that knows what right and wrong are, and that that part of us is the "Inner Light", or in some sense God. Quakers seek the inner light in all beings.

Many Friends are very broad in their exploration of spirituality. Many liberal Quakers have been involved in the Universalist movement, and people occasionally refer to the _Tao Te Ching_, the _Koran_, etc. at Meetings as well as various translations of the _Bible_. (and sometimes _Winnie The Pooh_...

What is the hierarchy/authority structure?

Friends generally have held that people are people; no one is more "holy" than anyone else, (except *maybe* Christ, (See "Christianity")) and that everyone has equal access to the part of God in all of us. Thus Friends have traditionally refused to use honorifics like "Your Honor," "Your Eminence," etc.

The only authority a Meeting has is that its members all agree that its actions are in keeping with that of God of each of its members. This is of course the Highest Form of authority to a Friend.

These beliefs about authority have a lot to do with Friends' beliefs about Marriage, War, etc. (below) and the reason Friends do not have "priests" that perform blessings, marriages, etc.

Friends have also traditionally refused to use terms of royalty, or of office, like "Your Highness" or "Your Honor". As Barclay writes (from Dean Freiday's edition, on p. 391):

2. It is not lawful for Christians to kneel before or prostrate themselves to any man, or to bow the body or uncover the head.

The previous point also makes the same point as to "word honor" in court, specifically the use of terms including "Your Honor."

On p. 402 there is a more extensive discussion of Kneeling, Bowing, and Removing the Hat, with some Biblical references. A footnote quotes George Fox's Journal, as follows:

"When the Lord sent me forth into the world, he forbade me to put off my hat to any, high or low...neither might I bow or scrape with my leg to any one." G. Fox, Journal, Bi-Centenary Edition, London, Headley, 1902, v. 1, p. 38.

Finally, p. 404 remarks,

"Many of us have been badly beaten and buffeted about, and we have even been imprisoned for several months for no other reason except that we would not uncover our heads or bow our bodies to satisfy the proud and unreasonable whims of egotistical men. Certainly the innocent practice of standing still and erect without taking off our hats any more than our shoes does not show as much rudeness as the beatings and knocking about we have had because of our practice."

What about Marriage?

Officially, two Friends marry each other under the care of the meeting, but no person "marries" them, God does. Most meetings reserve the right to refuse to take a marriage under their care if they feel the couple is not "clear" about their intention to marry. Generally all present at the ceremony sign the wedding certificate.

In the USA there have been a *few* meetings which have performed same-gender marriages; and in one or two states for a while some of them were even legal. This is a topic of much discussion in many meetings, and is not something you can assume any given meeting considers okay. Also to my knowledge the states whose marriage laws had "Quaker loopholes" allowing Meetings to perform same gender marriages have closed them. On the other hand, several states are now considering allowing same-gender marriages...

What about War?

Friends have generally refused to fight in wars, in particular refused the draft, since the mid to late 1600's. As the "George Fox Song" says:

"If we give you a rifle will you fight for the Lord? But you can't kill the Devil with a gun or a sword."

Friends groups like the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) lobby heavily against military involvement and military spending along with their other priorities.

Friends are also concerned about finding causes of war in our daily lives -- do you own something that someone else would kill to have?

Friends organizations (like the Friends Ambulance Unit in both World Wars) have attempted to reduce the suffering of wars, and Quaker House near the United Nations is active in various diplomatic efforts, allowing "off the record" discussions between parties who don't officially recognize one another, etc.

Do Quakers take Oaths?

Friends traditionally refuse to take oaths of any kind, including oaths of fealty, pledges of allegiance, etc. (Read the book of Matthew if you wonder why :-))

What are the Rituals, sacraments, etc.?

Friends generally conduct very simple weddings and memorial services and do not outwardly observe baptism or the Lord's Supper. Friends seek to experience the sacraments in an inward and continuing manner without symbols. The general feeling is that rituals tend to become more important than the meaning they are intended to convey.

How do Quakers Dress?

Many people, are under the impression that Quakers have rules about clothing, hats, bonnets, etc. similar to the standards among the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites, and certain Orthodox Jewish sects. One explanation for this confusion is the image on the Quaker Oats(tm) logo (See (1.4) Oatmeal, Motor Oil...); another is the traditional refusal of Friends to rise or doff their hats to figures considered to be in authority. (See (5.2) Authority)

While most Friends do dress less ostentatiously than the average, this is more a reflection of the overall Quaker emphasis on the inner spirit rather than outward appearances, not any sort of enforced restriction on clothing.