Quakers/ Religious Society of Friends

"But as I had forsaken the priests, so I left the separate preachers also, and those esteemed the most experienced people; for I saw there was none among them all that could speak to my condition. When all my hopes in them and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing outwardly to help me, nor could I tell what to do, then, oh, then, I heard a voice which said, "There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition"; and when I heard it, my heart did leap for joy. " ~ From the journal of George Fox

History/Founder/important persons/saints: Quakerism emerged in seventeenth-century England when a young Christian seeker named George Fox, whose questioning nature led him on a quest for meaning. After many years of wandering, sampling one preacher after another, Fox had a moment of epiphany atop England's Pendle hill that one could not attain salvation through the words of others, but from direct communion with God.

After his revelation, Fox himself became a wandering preacher, teaching that those who approached Jesus Christ directly would be "convicted of their sins" and experience the Holy Spirit directly (In direct opposition to the Puritan doctrine of the time that all revelation was finished and the scriptures were the only basis for salvation). Because of this, Fox held that the ministry of Christ was the responsibility of the entire community of believers.

In his travels, Fox discovered an unusual group of Christians who eschewed priests and pastors, choosing instead to worship in silence, allowing the Holy Spirit to move members to speech. He finds this group compatible with his beliefs, and he eventually became their spiritual leader. The new group called itself "Children of Light", and under Fox's direction, began to send out preachers (male and female) to evangelize.

Quakers William Robinson, Mary Dyer, and Marmaduke Stephenson being led to execution in Massachusets

As this burgeoning movement began to grow, it was re-christened "Friends of the Truth. " Fox's preachers are regarded in many places as troublemakers, they were derisively referred to as "Quakers," and arrested, harassed, and generally defamed. Many Quakers, including Fox, were imprisoned for their refusal to swear oaths; many were tortured and even killed. Quaker teachings that emphasized the spiritual equality of all caused problems for female preachers and for Quakers who, for example, refused to remove their headgear in the presence of men of higher rank.

After much activism and many arrests, things begin to normalize; Quaker marriages are legally recognized. The Friends underwent another name change and became the Society of Friends, which it retains to this day.

In 1681, Quaker William Penn receives land from Charles II as a debt payment, and founds a Quaker colony. Unlike the Puritan colonies, the Quaker settlement promotes liberty and religious tolerance. American Quakers withdraw almost entirely from political concerns and began to focus on moral issues, mainly social justice causes such as abolition, temperance, prison reform, and women's rights.

Number of Adherents: Unknown. While many original spiritist churches still exist, spiritism owes much of its modern existence to its incorporation into other faiths, such as Afro-Brazilian Candomble, which incorporates African, Catholic, and spiritist beliefs. At peak near the turn of the century, Spiritism had over a mnillion adhertents in the US alone, a gigantic movement that was all but ignored in the history books.

Clergy: None- or all, depending on how you look at it.

Church/temple: Friends gather to commune together in Meeting Houses, where the emphasis is on shared spiritual communion. Meeting houses differ from churches in that there are no altars or pulpits, and seating is often arranged in circles or facing rows. Meetings are generally silent, with occasional contributions from the congregants. Some groups follow a more 'typical' service with music, readings, etc., but all observe the tradition of silence as part of the proceedings. Meetings are also conducted to deal with more mundane issues.

Scripture: The Bible is regarded as written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit; however, it does not supercede individual revelation.

Required observances, dietary restrictions: Quakers typically avoid drinking, drugs, and smoking, eschew oath-taking, and avoid war, violence, and aggression. Quakers do not baptize or practice eucharistic communion.

Code of Conduct: Friends examine their own behavior through queries, questions designed to help one assess one's committment to Quaker principles such as love and forgiveness, fellowship, and social responsibility.

Famous Quakers: Well known Quakers include Pennsylvania founder William Penn, US President Richard Nixon, author Jessamyn West, Atomic theorist John Dalton, Joseph Fry, inventor of the chocolate bar, singer Bonnie Raitt and actor James Dean.

Another, less probable, is that members under the influence of the spirit at meetings may have trembled, leading observers to call them "Quakers." In any case, the term was eventually adopted as a nickname by Friends, who do not consider it perjorative.