Quaker and Naturalist Too, by Os Cresson, foreword by David Boulton, published in 2014 by Morning Walk Press, Iowa City IA. This book is available now at QuakerBooks in Philadelphia (online at www.quakerbooks.org ) for $15.95, and it will soon be carried by the Quaker Centre Bookshop in London (online at https://www.quaker.org.uk/shop ). The author’s income from book sales goes to … Read more
Minute and Epistle of the gathering of nontheist Friends at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, Britain, Feb 18-20 2011 “There are nontheist Friends… Friends who might be called agnostics, atheists, sceptics, but would nevertheless describe themselves as reverent seekers.” So began the report of the first formal workshop for nontheist Friends, held in New York State … Read more
“If you think Richard Dawkins is too easy on religion, go down to that end of the room,” I said, indicating the steps up to the bookstore. “And if you…”
“Careful…” someone said.
And I was. There were several believers-in-God present – the exact number depending on your definition – and I didn’t want to make a joke that might be taken the wrong way.
“If you’re, uh… very theistic, go down to the other end,” I finished, indicating the fireplace. “And if you’re somewhere in between, go somewhere in between.”
There was a moment at one point where the “interested theist” Friend expressed some misgivings about his certainty of God’s existence, but then said that he was in his nineties, and without much time to engage in speculation — and he won’t have to wait long to find out firsthand anyway. He ended by saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised either way.”
“One way it’s hard to be surprised,” joked another, and we had a little laugh. …
Order from Quakerbooks.org (US) (listed under “Universalism”) Order from Amazon.co.uk (in the UK) Order from Amazon.com (in the US) In this book edited by British Friend and author David Boulton, 27 Quakers from 4 countries and 13 yearly meetings tell how they combine active and committed membership in the Religious Society of Friends with rejection … Read more
Quakers live in and are part of the environment. Since the early days they followed the conventional practice of separating their faith from the world around them. Later, with the growth of the environmental movement, a second option emerged, that of spiritualizing nature. Then, with the development of nontheism among Friends, naturalizing religion became an … Read more