A few of weeks ago I attended a meeting of the Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas. This is a bi-continental gathering for Quakers from Canada, the United States and all the way down to Patagonia. Not that there were any Quakers, or Friends (another name often used to refer to this group of religious people), from Patagonia, but there was good representation from South America, particularly Bolivia. 

Quakers, like Mennonites, are a historic peace church that began in England roughly a hundred years after the Anabaptist movement began in mainland Europe. They too suffered much persecution from the religious majorities of their time, particularly by the state church. Today, most Quakers around the world fervently oppose war, have a nonviolent stance and identify as religious, if not Christian. 

Also like Mennonites, Quakers have core values that they call “testimonies,” yet theirs seem to be more defined and agreed upon, at least in my perception. That is not to say that Quakers agree on everything. There are plenty of disagreements, differences and variations in Quaker beliefs and practices. For example, there are different types of worship styles among Quakers: silent, semi-programmed, and programmed. Some Quakers also would strongly identify as being Christian, while others identify solely as religious and some would even say they are atheists. Yet, what seems to unite Quakers is their testimonies and the commitment to Quaker discernment process.

1. Simplicity

The belief in simple living is rooted in the beautiful teaching of “Spirit-led restraint”: “This has historically meant simple dress, plain speech, and unadorned meeting houses for worship.” There are many nuances to simplicity, but for me it comes down to not letting stuff and status get in the way of authenticity and connection.

2. Peace

Peace for Quakers isn’t simply an opposition to war and violence. Rather, it is a commitment “to eliminate the causes of violent conflict, such as poverty, exploitation and intolerance . . . striving for peace in daily interactions with family, neighbors, fellow community members, and those from every corner of the world.” This “commitment to non-violence in thought, word and deed is based on the idea that all human beings have something of the divine with us.”

3. Integrity

I grew up hearing from my grandmother: “Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay.” It is a way of explaining that it’s redundant for Quakers to swear or promise something because they should never allow the integrity of their word to be questioned. This, of course, should reflect consistency not just in word, but also in action according to one’s own values.

4. Community

Historically, like Mennonites, Quakers believed in the communal interpretation of Scripture rather than a top-down, asserted teaching, as was the custom in established churches. Because of the heavy persecution they endured, Quakers also became committed in pooling resources and supporting each other through hardships. Today, community means “supporting one another in our faith journeys and in times of joy and sorrow; sharing with and caring for each other.”

5. Equality

The belief “that all people are equal in the eyes of God” is a central tenant in Quaker theology. Furthermore, Friends seek “that of God” in everyone.  Based on this belief, early Quakers allowed women the same spiritual authority than men had, did not engage in the use of social distinctions and curtsying, and had allyship roles toward the abolishment of slavery in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Bonus: Stewardship

There used to be only five core testimonies for Quakers, but stewardship for the earth was more recently added. An easy way to remember the testimonies is by their first letters, which spell out SPICES: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. Stewardship stands for “valuing and respecting all of God’s creation; using only our fair share of the earth’s resources; working for policies that protect the planet.”