Officially known as the Religious Society of Friends or Friends Church, the Protestant religious movement is also known as the Friends or the Quakers.
The movement began in England in the mid-17th century as one of the more radical expressions of the Puritan movement. The founder of the Quaker movement, George Fox, was a mystic and social activist who began preaching in 1647 after he had experienced what he described as an inner illumination, or inner light, which remains a part of the beliefs of members of the various Quaker groups today.
Fox was also a Dissenter, one of the English Separatists who parted ways with the Church of England during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. He rebelled against the religious authorities by teaching an uncompromising and unusual approach to Christianity, which included pacifism.
In 1650, Fox was arrested and charged with blasphemy. In his autobiography, Fox wrote that it was the magistrate who first referred to his followers as Quakers. Although it was first used in ridicule, the term became accepted and used among Quakers. Other terms that were used to describe the movement and its followers included True Christianity, Saints, Children of the Light, and Friends of the Truth.
It wasn't until after the fall of the Puritan Commonwealth and the restoration of the English Monarchy that the Quaker movement was able to grow.
The Society of Friends hold that the Bible was not the end of revelation, but that every believer possesses an inner light through which the living Spirit could be contacted. At meetings, Quakers would wait quietly for the Spirit to speak through one of its members. Often, the coming of the Spirit upon a member would be characterized by involuntary body movements, which is what led to their being referred to as Quakers. As messages were received and related, the congregation would examine them in light of the teachings of Jesus.
Friends were taught to lead simple lives. Thus, they refrained from jewelry and colorful clothing. When most people discarded the use of the English familiar tense in daily speech, the Friends continued to use it for a long period of time.
They also became known for their activism against slavery, for their pacifism, and for prison reform.
The Quakers found a home in North America when one of their members, William Penn, turned his land grant into the Pennsylvania Colony, inviting fellow Quakers and other persecuted religious minorities to settle there. The Quakers settled in and around Philadelphia and in southern New Jersey.
Their growth was inhibited by the Revolutionary War, as their pacifist stance was resented by many, and their strong anti-slavery positions restricted expansion of the movement into the Southern states.
Today, the theological beliefs of the various Quaker groups vary considerably. As most Quakers believe in continuing revelation, diversity has always been part of Quaker theology.
Conservative Friends share some of the beliefs of the Quaker founder, George Fox, and the early Friends. Sometimes known as Wilburites for their founder, John Wilbur, some of the Conservative groups continue to wear plain dress, speak the plain language, and are usually active in rural areas or small villages.
Evangelical Friends regard Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and adhere to religious beliefs similar to that of other evangelical Christians. Evangelical Friends International is one of the Evangelical Quaker groups.
Gurneyite Friends, such as the Friends United Meeting, are a modernized form of Evangelical Quaker, first taught by Joseph John Gurney. Nearly half of the worldwide membership of Quakers belong to this group, who place a stronger emphasis on the authority of the Bible than on direct experiences.
Holiness Friends are influenced by the Holiness movement, particularly John Wesley's doctrine of Christian perfection or sanctification. This view is found in the Central Yearly Meeting of Friends and the Holiness Mission of the Bolivian Evangelical Friends Church.
Liberal Quakerism is a reference to those who have been influenced by liberal Christian theology, believing that the Bible represents its human author's beliefs and feelings about God, and multiple interpretations of Scripture are acceptable. This group is represented in the Friends General Conference, Britain Yearly Meeting, and Beanite Quakerism.
Universalist Friends, such as the Quaker Universalist Fellowship, believe in religious pluralism, believing that there are many paths to God. Universalists do not necessarily consider themselves to be Christian or even religious.
The Society of Friends, Quakers, and any of the various groups within the Quaker movement, are the focus of topics in this category, regardless of perspective.
Categories
Conservative FriendsEvangelical FriendsGurneyite Friends | Holiness FriendsLiberal FriendsUniversalist Friends |
 
 
Recommended Resources
Margery Post Abbott, who writes and conducts workshops on Quaker spirituality, presents a schedule of upcoming events, reports on recent events, and offers information on the Society of Friends, Quaker mysticism, modern mystics and hidden Christians, the Hicksites, peace and justice issues, and early Quaker writings, as well as synopses of her books, videos, and women’s suffrage issues. Links to other relevant sites are included.
http://21stcenturyquaker.com/
American Friends Service Committee
Formed in 1917, the American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that works to bring about peace and justice as an expression of faith in action. Its mission, vision, and values are set forth, along with its key issues and projects, North American and international locations, and contacts. Information on becoming involved with its work, contributing, or staying informed are included.
https://www.afsc.org/
Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Formed by the merger of three branches of Quakerism, those associated with the Friends General Conference, the Five Years Meeting, and the Conservative Friends, the Canada Yearly Meeting is headquartered in Ottawa. Quaker beliefs, testimonies, and history are featured, and Canadian Friends meetings are listed. Other resources include audio, video, photographs, writings, and other information.
http://quaker.ca/
Sponsored by the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), Friends Center is a hub for Quaker activity in Philadelphia, housing campus houses, an active Quaker Meeting, and local, regional, and international Quaker organizations, which are working for peace, justice, and other issues. Its event spaces are highlighted, including rental costs and other details. Office space may also be available.
http://www.friendscentercorp.org/
Published by Friends Publishing Corporation, the journal publishes articles, poetry, letters, art, and news related to the Religious Society of Friends. Its mission and history, staff and volunteers, its board of trustees, internship program, job opportunities, and contacts are posted along with its guidelines for contributing authors. Readers may subscribe or renew subscriptions to its print edition, view advertising opportunities, or its archives.
https://www.friendsjournal.org/
Produced by Dana Kester-McCabe, the FMP supports those who are pursuing or have an interested in a Quaker ministry through mass media, preserving the Quaker heritage and offering outreach through documentaries, web presentations, and essays. The producer’s qualifications and experiences as a Quaker are discussed, and links to websites and media produced by FMP are posted, along with articles and essays.
http://www.friendsmedia.org/
National Society, Descendants of Early Quakers
Founded in 1980, the objectives of the Society is to promote historical research and scholarly efforts towards the preservation of family documents pertaining to the Society of Friends, as well as the recognition of family records kept by the Society of Friends. The history of the Society is stated, along with its officers and chairman, membership policies, and information about qualifying ancestors.
http://www.earlyquakers.org/
New England Yearly Meeting of Friends
Founded in 1661, the New England Yearly Meeting is headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, and affiliated with the Friends General Conference and Friends United Meeting, from the Liberal and Gurneyite branches of Quakerism respectively. Its meetings, workshops, retreats, youth programs, and other events are set forth, along with its organizational structure, faith and practice statements, minutes, recordings, and other resources.
https://neym.org/
Non-theist Quakers are those who hold to Quaker practices, but not to a belief in a God, a soul, or the supernatural. They share with traditional Quakers the attributes of simplicity, peace, community, equality, and social justice. The Nontheist Friends Network is an association of non-theist Quakers in the United Kingdom. Its goals, membership policies, and organizational structure are set forth.
https://nontheist-quakers.org.uk/
The scholarship program is a joint project of Guatemala Friends Meeting and Redwood Forest Friends Meeting. Founded in 1973, the program has expanded from supporting one student to more than a hundred secondary school and university students. Its funding is discussed here, along with its English-as-a-Second-Language programs and cultural tours. Its sponsors are acknowledged, and contact information is included.
http://www.guatemalafriends.org/
The goal of Quaker Heritage Press is to make historical Quaker writings, now out of print, available. A synopsis, table of contents, and excerpts from books that have been printed are featured, along with ordering information. Other early Quaker texts can be viewed online, and a catalog of historic Quaker texts, in print or online, is included, regardless of source. An introduction to the company is included.
http://www.qhpress.org/
A service of the Earlham School of Religion, a graduate theological school in the Quaker tradition, located in Richmond, Indiana, the site offers an introduction to Quakerism, including its beliefs and practices, worship services, the various branches of Quakerism, and its testimonies in social justice and peace, a list of Quaker organizations and libraries, statistics, genealogical research, and volunteer opportunities.
http://www.quakerinfo.org/
Created by Micah Bales, the site seeks to map the geography of the Quaker world, putting a place to the various Yearly Meetings, including the geographical areas covered by each, along with addresses, directions, meeting times, and other available information. For the purpose of categorization, Friends are sorted into six groups, liberal, orthodox, conservative, evangelical, holiness, and international.
http://www.quakermaps.com/
Created by a couple of Liberal Friends in the Eastern United States, the site refutes common misbeliefs or errors about Quakerism, such as Quakers don’t use titles, Quakers landed at Plymouth, Quakers are Puritans, Quakers, and the Amish are the same thing, some of which are true. Articles are divided into categories for those that are true, those that are half true, and those that are false. An introduction to the project is included.
http://quakermythbusters.org/
Online since 1995, the Quaker resource was originally privately maintained, then passed to Friends Publishing Corporation in 2018, the site features links to Quaker meetings and other resources. Included are introductory items, Quaker organizations and meetings, nursing and retirement homes, meetinghouses, writings, genealogical data, historical and biographical information, and a list of prominent Quakers.
http://quaker.org/
The reader supported website has a focus on Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, with readers contributing informational articles, monthly contributions, or one-time donations to its operation. Members are introduced, a blog offers posts on a wide variety of topics related to the Friends, and an interactive forum allows members of the site to discuss Quaker issues, make prayer requests, advise of passings, and offer poetry and art.
http://www.quakerquaker.org/
Presented by Haverford College Libraries, the site offers an account of the Friends’ Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of their Reason, established by Philadelphia Quakers in 1813 for the treatment and housing of mentally ill Quakers, which later began admitting non-Quakers as well. Photos of the facility and information about its structure and governance, medical treatment provided, patient profiles, and other information are included.
http://qmh.haverford.edu/
The Religious Society of Friends in Australia is featured here, including a brief history of the Quakers in general, as well as a history of the movement in Australia. An introduction to what it means to be a Quaker is offered, including their faith and values, their commitment to peace, simplicity, worship, equality, integrity, and community, and their interest in the environment and social justice issues.
https://www.quakersaustralia.org.au/
Online since 2010, the portal summarizes the Quaker witness, past and present, and offers access to informative articles that are organized by theme, each written specifically for the portal, and in a standard format. Links to related information on other websites, books, or articles are also included, along with a section intended for educators, offering ideas on using the information in various educational settings. Topics may be sorted by person, topic, place, or time.
http://www.quakersintheworld.org/
Quakers Uniting in Publications
Established in 1983, QUIP is an international network of more than fifty Quaker organizations and individuals who come together to develop centers for the distribution of Quaker publications, including an online list of all available Quaker publications, and to cooperate in publishing in order to achieve better prices. A forum is also available for the exchange of editorial concerns.
http://www.quakerquip.com/
Religious Society of Friends in Australia
The Australia Yearly Meeting is the body of Quakers in Australia, who generally follow the un-programmed style of worship. Intended for members and attendees of the Australia General Meeting, as well as those who desire to learn more about Quakers in Australia, the site offers meeting locations and schedules, news and information, and an outline of its organizational structure, programs, and projects.
https://www.quakersaustralia.info/