{"id":2,"date":"2026-06-03T21:37:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T21:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-07-07T15:20:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:20:32","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Nontheist Quakers at the FGC Gathering 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">FGC july 2026 <strong>Gathering<\/strong> in Vermont<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Greetings, friends!   Here&#8217;s our schedule &amp; some recommended reading to get your brain spinning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Nontheism among Friends<\/em> (<mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">NaF<\/mark>) workshop<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">tuesday 7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>wensday<\/strong> 8<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>thursday<\/strong> 9<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>friday<\/strong> 10<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>saturday<\/strong> 11<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">8.15-8.45<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\" colspan=\"4\">sit happens ~ <em>morning meetings for quiet \/ silence \/ insites<\/em> \u2022 Rosa Parks Room, 1st floor, Davis Center<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">9:00-11:45<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">NaF 1<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">NaF 2<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">NaF 3<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">NaF 4<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>l u n c h <\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">3-4<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Nontheism among Friends &#8211; <strong>Q&amp;A<\/strong> <\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Clarifying beliefs<\/strong> <br>&#8211; Andrea<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Dark &amp; light<\/strong> <br>&#8211; Robin &amp; tom<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">NTFs <strong>look <br>to the future<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4.14-5.15<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Living the Quaker Nontheist Life<\/strong> <br>&#8211; Jim Cain<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Deconstructing qism<\/strong> <br>&#8211; tom<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Contemplative sharing: <strong><em>what does nontheism mean to you? <\/em><\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Contemplative sharing: <br><strong><em>whatever rises<\/em><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em><strong>good reads &#8230; a friendly nontheist primer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.friendsjournal.org\/book\/the-atheists-guide-to-quaker-process-spirit-led-decisions-for-the-secular\/\">the Atheist\u2019s guide to Quaker process<\/a>, Selden Smith 2021<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/quakerbooks.org\/products\/quaker-and-naturalist-too-4431?variant=10593757319\">Quaker &amp; naturalist too<\/a>, Os Cresson 2014<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterstones.com\/book\/bread-and-roses\/muriel-seltman\/9781780884912\">Bread &amp; roses: nontheism and the human spirit<\/a>, Muriel Seltman 2013<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pendlehill.org\/product\/godless-for-gods-sake-nontheism-in-contemporary-quakerism\/\">Godless for god\u2019s sake<\/a>, David Boulton, ed. 2006<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/holyman00trot\/mode\/2up\">the Holy Man<\/a>, Susan Trott 1995<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/files.libcom.org\/files\/ernst-bloch-atheism-in-christianity.compressed.pdf\">Atheism in christianity<\/a>.pdf, Ernst Bloch 1968<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/report-from-nontheistic-friends-workshop-at-fgc-1976-2\/\">1976 report<\/a> from FGC Nontheist Friends workshop by Robert Morgan <em>(they hit on the same term)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/reflections-on-a-decade-of-nontheism-workshops\/\">Reflections on a Decade of Nontheism Workshops<\/a> by Robin Alpern 2007<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.georgefox.edu\/quakerstudies\/vol12\/iss1\/10\/\">Two Kinds of Quakers: a Latent Class Analysis<\/a>,&#8221; Cary &amp; Weber 2008, in Quaker Studies 12:1<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/universalistfriends.org\/pdf\/rush.pdf\">They Too Are Quakers: a Survey of 199 Nontheist Friends<\/a>,&#8221;.pdf &#8211; David Rush 2002, Woodbrooke Journal, Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, Britain, reprinted by Quaker Universalist Fellowship<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Why-Not-Join-the-Unitarians.pdf\">Why Not Join the Unitarians<\/a>.pdf &#8211; Robin Alpern 1997<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/lukas.pdf\">What do I do in Meeting for Worship <\/a>.pdf &#8211; Joan Lukas 2004<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/barnard.pdf\">Hannah Barnard\u2019s Story<\/a>.pdf &#8211; Os Cresson 2006<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Meeting-for-Worship.docx\">Meeting for Worship: an Opportunity for Being<\/a>.docx &#8211; Robin Alpern 2006\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fager.pdf\">review of Godless for God&#8217;s sake<\/a>.pdf &#8211; Chuck Fager 2007<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Hunter-definitions-7-1-14.docx\">Short Working Definitions of Belief Systems<\/a>.docx &#8211; John Hunter 2011<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Moral-Combat-Notes-by-Mary-Pagurelias.docx\">Moral Combat Notes<\/a>.docx &#8211; Mary Pagurelias on <em><a href=\"https:\/\/sikivuhutchinson.com\/product\/moral-combat-black-atheists-gender-politics-and-the-values-wars\/\">Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars<\/a>,<\/em> Sikivu Hutchinson 2011<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Os-Cresson-Roots-and-Flowers-Abridged.docx\">Roots &amp; Flowers of Quaker Nontheism (abridged)<\/a>.docx &#8211; Os Cresson 2016<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/quotations-from-early-Friends.pdf\">some quotations from early [wite] Friends<\/a>.pdf<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Guidelines-for-workshops.doc\">Guidelines for workshops<\/a>.doc\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/press.uchicago.edu\/ucp\/books\/book\/chicago\/E\/bo230169826.html\">Experiments in mystical atheism: godless epiphanies from daoism to Spinoza and beyond<\/a>, Brook Ziporyn 2024<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritualatheistwisdom.com\/book_mysticalexperiences.htm\">the Spiritual atheist\u2019s guide to mystical experiences (and how to have them)<\/a>, Soren Sorensen 2019<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>our 2026 Nontheist Friends Center<\/em><\/strong> &#8230;<br>\u2022 <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">Rosa Parks Room<\/mark><\/strong> on the 1<sup>st<\/sup> floor of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/daviscenter\">Davis Center<\/a><\/strong> (UVM&#8217;s student center)<br>\u2022 <em>every morning <\/em>&#8230; <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">8 &#8211; 8.30<\/mark> <strong>\u2022<\/strong> <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">sit happens<\/mark> \u2022 meditation\/practice, <\/strong>hosted by tom kunesh <br>        <em> starting our mornings, sitting quietly in community, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedy-center.org\/education\/resources-for-educators\/classroom-resources\/media-and-interactives\/media\/theater\/samuel-beckett--waiting-for-godot\/\">waiting for godot<\/a>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>afternoon programs\/presentations\/discussions &#8230;<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">Wednesday, July 8<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">3-4<\/mark><\/strong> \u2022 Nontheism among Friends<\/strong>:<strong> Q &amp; A<\/strong> &#8211; <em>with Robin Alpern<\/em><br>Nontheism is one of many forms of diversity among Friends and is even widely varied under the &#8216;nontheist&#8217; rubric. Where do we fit in as we seek to be open to the \u201ccontinuing revelation\u201d of truth, to support all Friends, and to help strengthen Quakerism?&nbsp; All are welcome for this introductory presentation and discussion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">4:15 &#8211; 5:15<\/mark><strong> \u2022 <\/strong>Living the Quaker Nontheist Life<\/strong>: <strong>Freedom, Responsibility, and Community in a Godless Universe<\/strong>, <em>with Jim Cain<strong> <\/strong><\/em><br>What does it mean to live a deeply spiritual, ethical, and compassionate life if &#8230;<br>&#8230; there is no supernatural being looking after us?<br>&#8230; there is no divine plan?<br>&#8230; there is no revealed moral code?<br>&#8230; there is no guarantee that justice will prevail?<br>&#8230; death is final?<br>Many people assume that these ideas lead inevitably to despair, nihilism, or selfishness. Yet many Quaker Nontheists have found precisely the opposite: that accepting these realities can deepen gratitude, responsibility, compassion, and wonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">Thursday July 9<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">3-4<\/mark> \u2022 <\/strong>Clarifying My Beliefs<\/strong>, <em>with Andrea Henley Heyn <\/em><br>This workshop presents a simple framework for looking closely at one\u2019s belief system, providing queries to inspect language, theories, admonitions, assumptions, awe, physical responses, personal history, etc. It will present examples of transformational experiences without the need for a supernatural explanation. It will always leave room for the concept that \u201cI may be wrong.\u201d This concept allows for others to have strongly-held beliefs which do not coincide with one\u2019s own but which may give them equal satisfaction and comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">4:15 &#8211; 5:15<\/mark> \u2022 <\/strong>Deconstructing qism<\/strong>, <em>with tom kunesh <\/em><br>Building on the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iconoclasm#Reformation_era\">iconoclasm<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aniconism#During_the_Protestant_Reformation\">aniconism<\/a> of 16th-century <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radical_Reformation\">Radical Reformation<\/a>, qism has a long history of <a href=\"https:\/\/christianminimalism.com\/why-minimalism\/\">minimalism<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Faith_deconstruction\">religious deconstruction<\/a>. <br>Some friends advocate helping others along the path &amp; taking it further. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">Friday July 10<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">3-4<\/mark><\/strong> \u2022 racism in Light: finding new ways to talk about the dark &amp; the light among Friends<\/strong>, <em>with Robin Alpern and tom kunesh <\/em><br>Angloamerican christians developed a colorized vocabulary to talk about race &amp; secure their own privilege. While eurocentric empires demonized, terrorized, enslaved &amp; stole from Indigenous peoples around the world, White supremacy was celebrated with white Jesuses made in the image of Light. White Quakers &#8212; 99% of all quakers at the time &#8212; participated in this racialized color hierarchy of White as Light as Right for over 300 years. Today we ask, <em>where is color balance in Friends&#8217; contemporary vocabulary?<\/em> &#8211; Is there sacred knowledge in darkness? &#8211; good in blackness? How do we balance the moral associations with Light &amp; Dark with quakers of all shades &amp; tone, and refine our words so that Light is not a White Being of Might &amp; Right? We\u2019d like to hear what Friends of Colors &amp; theist &amp; nontheist Friends think about kromatic balance in qism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">4:15 &#8211; 5:15<\/mark> \u2022 <\/strong>Contemplative Sharing: <em>What does nontheism mean to you?<\/em><\/strong><br>A session grounded in silence, with plenty of space for sharing reflections on the topic&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">Saturday July 11<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">3-4<\/mark><strong> \u2022 <\/strong>Nontheist Friends:<\/strong> <strong><em>Where To From Here?&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><br>Open discussion: where might the presence of Nontheist Friends in the Religious Society of Friends lead next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">4:15 &#8211; 5:15<\/mark> \u2022 <\/strong>Contemplative Sharing: <em>Whatever Rises<\/em><\/strong><br>A session grounded in silence, with plenty of space for sharing reflections on the topic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>your hosts &#8230;<\/strong>    <em>from back in 2024<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"312\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/alpern-kunesh2024-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-87\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/alpern-kunesh2024-3.png 312w, https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/alpern-kunesh2024-3-256x300.png 256w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Learn more about nontheist friends on our website here:<\/em><strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/\">nontheistquakers.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FGC july 2026 Gathering in Vermont Greetings, friends! Here&#8217;s our schedule &amp; some recommended reading to get your brain spinning. Nontheism among Friends (NaF) workshop tuesday 7 wensday 8 thursday 9 friday 10 saturday 11 8.15-8.45 sit happens ~ morning meetings for quiet \/ silence \/ insites \u2022 Rosa Parks Room, 1st floor, Davis Center &#8230; <a title=\"Nontheist Quakers at the FGC Gathering 2026\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Nontheist Quakers at the FGC Gathering 2026\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132,"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nontheistquakers.org\/gathering2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}