QuakerQuaker

Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

Thoughts on a Quaker Monasticism

In the series I have been posting on 'Intepreting Our Past' I was leading up to the idea of Quaker Monasticism. But Martin beat me to it by featuring the blog that discusses the 'New Monasticism' and its possible application to the Quaker community. I'm glad the subject has come up. Here are a few comments:

1. I think the biggest obstacle to a Quaker Monasticism is that modern Quakers, both liberal and evangelical, have rejected their Quietist heritage. The period of Quietism represented a commitment to an ascetic practice where renunciation was the primary virtue that was cultivated. Modern Quakers, with individual exceptions, do not regard this approach as a resource; rather they regard it as something that has been overcome. Most view the practices of the period of Quietism as quaint, or embarassing, but not something to emulate. And without a stronger, more positive, relationship to the practices of traditional Quakers during the period of Quietism, the idea of a Quaker Monastic presence would have nothing to draw on. I mean nothing to draw on in terms of a specifically Quaker Monasticism as opposed to an adaptation of the Rule of Benedict, or something similar.

2. There is a Quaker Monastery. You can find it at quakermonastery.com -- but I don't know how active they are. I have attempted to contact them but have not received a reply. If anyone here knows about them first hand, please feel free to post your experience.

3. Another major hindrance to the idea of a Quaker Monastery is the relentlessly political and activist focus of modern Quakers. As I have said on other posts, I view this as simply Quakers surrendering to the dominant culture; that is to say that Quaker activism does not differ in any significant way from evangelical activism. Modern churches in America have been swamped by this political focus and it doesn't matter if you are Catholic, Methodist, Evangelical, or Quaker. Current events and the cause of the moment is what dominates religious discourse, including Quaker discourse, at this time.

Although this is a serious hindrance to a monastic presence, it can also act as a kind of goad for those of us who would like a more contemplative focus. Unable to find any support for a contemplative approach to the Quaker tradition among modern liberals or evangelicals, this may push contemplatives to want to set up their own spaces where activism is not the dominant focus (or the only focus) and this could serve as a basis for a Monastic community of shared contemplative interest.

4. There are no examples of Quaker Monasteries in the past to draw on. There is the general example of the ascetic focus, but no actual monastery. I believe this is because the Quaker tradition emerged in a cultural context, the English Reformation, which was deeply hostile to monasticism. Because of this, the idea of a Quaker Monastery would be a break with the Quaker past. While this is true, it is also true that both the liberal and evangelical branches of modern Quakers also represent a break with the Quaker past in ways that are very significant. And I think it could be argued that in some respects a Quaker Monastery would be less of a break with the Quaker past than either the liberal or evangelical Quakers and their particular transformations of the tradition.

5. Speculating about how a Quaker Monastery would fit in with the broader Quaker community, my vision is that a Quaker Monastery would be a Quaker community, or Meeting, under a regular Yearly Meeting. I see a Quaker Monastery as a type of Monthly Meeting; but in order to become a member of the Monastery Monthly Meeting you would have to take on specifically monastic commitments. In this way I would see a Quaker Monastery as being an integral part of the Yearly Meeting structure.

The above are highly speculative. I don't really know if there is any interest among Quakers at this time for a Monastic calling. With the heavy dominance of the activists it is difficult to assess if there are those who feel drawn to a more contemplative life.

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Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 25, 2014 at 3:21pm: Hello again, Jim!

Your questions are very good ones. There is a very good reason why most Friends have not experienced a specifically Quaker "community of disciples" of the traditional kind. Such fellowships are hard to find!

I joined the Chestnut Ridge Meeting of Ohio Yearly Meeting when I was in my late 20s. It was a community of this kind, but it began to lose its momentum about the time I joined--I trust that its decline was in no adverse way affected by my membership!

The Ridge Meeting is very small now, composed of members of one extended family. It is unique in that the average age of the membership is younger than that of any other "ethnic" meeting in the yearly meeting. I learned a lot about traditional Quaker practice from the Ridge Friends.

To experience a robust and growing nonconformed "community of disciples", I had to seek out the Old German Baptist Brethren and conservative Mennonite groups. I have learned much from both traditions, and wish that there were similar Quaker congregations. I should also say that the MSU Mennonite Fellowship (MSU = Michigan State U) was. in my experience, a genuine "community of disciples", although not traditional in its practice.

I guess I can say that I have had rather extensive experience in traditional nonconformed communities of discipleship, but more in Anabaptist churches than among Friends.

I think the resources for learning about traditional Quaker communities of discipleship are mixed. The corpus of Quaker journals and memoirs could teach us much, but it is a largely unused resource. The bulk of Quaker historical research seems to reflect modern liberal Friends' preoccupation with social activism and feminism. The spiritual and communal core of Quaker history doesn't get nearly enough attention.

When I think of "models" of traditional Quaker communities of disciples, the work of Sandra Cronk and Martha Grundy come to mind. Cronk's dissertation is a ground-breaking study of gelassenheit among Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites, but it is very relevant to Friends. See her article "Gelassenheit: The Rites of the Redemptive Process in Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite Communities", Mennonite Quarterly Review (January , 1981): 5-44. Unfortunately, Grundy's doctoral thesis was published by Edwin Mellon Press, whose books are outrageously expensive. The title is The Evolution of a Quaker Community. Both Cronk and Grundy have published other works relevant to how traditional Quaker communities functioned.

In my own very small way, I am attempting to publish some of my own research on how traditional Quaker communities functioned, particularly in reference to ministry. I can refer you to "Cyrus Cooper's Memorial and the Free Gospel Ministry", published in the Spring, 2000, issue of Quaker History. I am currently putting finishing touches on "Ann Branson and the Eclipse of Oracular Ministry in 19th Century Quakerism". I hope to submit it for publication soon. And then I will work on refurbishing "A Ritual Analysis of Traditional Quaker Worship". I hope to have it ready to submit to an editor within the next year. I apologize for seeming to blow my own horn. Such is really not my intention!

I am sure other historical studies have been done; I think particularly of the work of Richard Bauman. See, for example, For the Reputation of Truth:Politics, Religion and Conflict Among the Pennsylvania Quakers, 1750-1800. And Jack Marrieta comes to mind. See The Reformation of American Quakerism, 1748-83. Neither wrote much about specific persons, local meetings or yearly meetings. Edsel Burdge, a consummate historian, is working on Conservative Quaker materials.

As I see it, there is a lack of good historical work on specific communities of discipleship in the tradition of historical Quakerism. My awareness is mostly of Conservative meetings. The meeting at Fairhope AL is an example. Holly Spring in North Carolina is another case. And the Middleton and Ridge meetings in Ohio deserve more study. Some work has been done on Fritchley in the UK and on Halcyonia in Saskatechewan, but not be professional historians. The Monteverde community in Costa Rica is a case of a conservative meeting that lost its Conservative "savor". It is celebrated but not for its religious life.

I think I have written enough for now!

William Taber has published an interesting history of Ohio Yearly Meeting. Unfortunately, it reflects his rather strong non-conservative biases. Also, see "The Quietist Heritage" issue of Quaker Religious Thought, Autumn, 1980, Volo.18 #4. It features very good essays on traditional Quaker ministry by William Taber and Ruth Pitman.

Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 25, 2014 at 5:07pm: Jim: I didn't answer your question about why I have reservations about studying monasticism as a key to Quaker renewal. I really don't have anything against the monastic tradition; I admire it! It just happens to be someone else's movement. Why focus on it while we ignore our own tradition?

I guess the same could be said about people like me who get caught up in experiencing and studying conservative Anabaptism. I also have some modest publications on Brethrenism, which I didn't mention. I see it as being relevant to our situation because of the close affinity and historical (and present) connections between traditional Friends and Anabaptists.

Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 25, 2014 at 6:31pm: I wrote: "I am sure other historical studies have been done; I think particularly of the work of Richard Bauman. See, for example, For the Reputation of Truth:Politics, Religion and Conflict Among the Pennsylvania Quakers, 1750-1800. And Jack Marrieta comes to mind. See The Reformation of American Quakerism, 1748-83. Neither wrote much about specific persons, local meetings or yearly meetings."

I don't think I was right in commenting that "Neither wrote much about specific persons, local meetings or yearly meetings." As I recall, these two books focused on Friends in Pennsylvania, probably Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 28, 2014 at 11:11am: I mentioned Martha Grundy's book, The Evolution of a Quaker Community, published by Edwin Mellen Press at a price which would be out of reach for most of us.

The book is based on her dissertation: "In the World, But Not of It: Quaker Faith and the Dominant Culture, Middletown Meeting, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1750-1850". See: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ap:10:0::NO:10:P10_ETD_SUBID:5076

This study is (I think, without reading it) exactly the kind I would recommend to understand the Quaker "community of disciples" and how it actually functioned.

If I can find a way to order it from UMI (U of Michigan publisher of dissertations), I would like to get it. It would be less expensive than the Mellen version.

Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 28, 2014 at 11:29am: Wow! I just found Grundy's dissertation in toto online!

https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=case1058985472&disposition=inline

Comment by Jim Wilson on 7th mo. 30, 2014 at 11:43am: Good Morning William: I have been busy with work and other obligations, so I was not able to respond to thy posts. I want to express my appreciation for all the research thee has done. It is amazing! Such a wealth of links and information. Clearly thee has studied and absorbed a huge amount of material. It will take me some time to get into it.

I am wondering, what does thee think of Clarkson's 'Portraiture'. I have been slowly reading it and find it to be a window on traditional Quaker Faith and Practice. Since I was not raised in a Christian context, the 'Portraiture' speaks to me as an outsider. When reading Clarkson's work I have mixed feelings. First there is a sense of joy at finding a resource for traditional Quaker Faith and Practice which also has a positive view of that tradition. This contrasts with the histories I have read, from liberal and evangelical sources, that have a dismissive and/or negative assessment of the period of Quietism. Clarkson has a very positive view of traditional Quakers even though he was not himself a member of the community. Clarkson's work is, in some ways, almost an anthropological study of a cultural group; like when modern anthropologists study Amish or Orthodox Jews.

My second reaction when reading Clarkson is a sense of loss. It appears that the Quaker tradition has lost contact with its own heritage. It has also become increasing clear to me that vis a vis this heritage both liberals and evangelicals have more in common than might at first appear to be the case. I mean that both liberals and evangelicals emerged as a rejection of traditional Quaker Faith and Practice. And both liberals and evangelicals are, in a sense, a modernist response to that tradition. For example, both liberals and evangelicals reject Quaker distinctives regarding dress, speech, and other customs. From this perspective the differences between evangelical and liberal Quakers look minor compared to this common rejection of the Quaker heritage.

Again, I very much appreciate thy research and thy willingness to share thy findings.

Best wishes,

Jim

Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 30, 2014 at 12:45pm: Hello, Jim! I had thought that our dialogue had petered out but, apparently, not so!

I have only barely gotten into Clarkson. For some reason, which I can't put my finger on, his work never attracted my attention very much. My to-do reading list is terrible long, but I need to get him on it somewhere!

Right now I am struggling to acquire some competency in Microsoft Word, so I can get my Branson paper ready to go to an editor. I did finally manage to get the page number part right, by hook or by crook! So I am working on getting rid of those pesky i, ii, iii endnote symbols, so I can have standard 1, 2, 3s!

I have another item for you to look at. Alice Southern, "The Rowntree History Series and the Growth of Liberal Quakerism: 1895-1925". http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/821/ It analyzes the intentions and output of J. Wilhelm Rowntree, W.C. Braithwaite and Rufus M. Jones in their six volume Quaker history project, finished (I believe) in 1921. This series of volumes had a hidden agenda, to sweep aside the quietist and evangelical movements in the Society of Friends, making way for the liberal, modernist position which has since become Quaker "orthodoxy".

Alice Southern puts her finger on the tendency of Quaker historians to treat the quietist period as the Dark Ages of the Society of Friends.

I personally never seem to be completely in step with anyone. I value both the quietist and the evangelical heritage of the Society of Friends, but I don't think that either had all of the answers. Certainly, the liberals don't either! I don't identify with liberal Quakerism at all.

I regret that many of the influentials among Conservative Friends are heavily influenced by liberal Quakerism, going all the way back to Cyrus Harvey (who, I think, was one of my wife's kin). The leading Conservative Friends hardly even recognize how much they drink at the liberal fountain.

I had better stop before I get myself into even more trouble!

My best to you,

Bill

Comment by William F Rushby on 7th mo. 30, 2014 at 3:56pm: I don't want to leave the impression that these three Friends were all bad guys! J. Wilhelm Rowntree began the Rowntree History idea in the hope that it would enrich spoken ministry in Friends meetings. I have no quarrel with this idea; in fact, I think it is laudable, and should still claim our attention. Unfortunately, Wilhelm suffered from very poor health, and died at a young age, around 37. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilhelm_Rowntree

W.C. Braithwaite was the son and grandson of British evangelical Quaker heavyweights. He was a lawyer and, I guess, a self-trained historian. His The Beginnings of Quakerism and The Second Period of Quakerism are less biased than Rufus Jones' works, and they are still quite valuable histories. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Charles_Braithwaite

Rufus Jones was the leading Quaker thinker during the first half of the 20th Century. He was born into a Gurneyite Quaker farming family at South China ME. Rufus was a man of profound intellect, and advanced the thesis that Quakerism had its origins in continental (i.e., European) mysticism, rather than in British Puritanism. Rufus wrote two volumes of the series, Studies in Mystical Religion and Spiritual Reformers in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. He also coauthored Quakers in the American Colonies. Unfortunately for Rufus, he bet on the wrong horse! No evidence surfaced that the Quaker movement was in fact inspired by continental mysticism. Moreover, the "Quakerism as mysticism" these has also fared poorly over the years. , Nevertheless, Rufus was enormously influential, and succeeded in turning much of the Society of Friends toward liberalism. (Let it be noted that the Hicksites had their own apostles of liberalism, and were less influenced by Jones.) For more on Rufus Jones, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_Jones_(writer)

While I personally have little use for Jones' religious vision, I think that he was a very good writer. I especially like his biography of Eli and Sybil Jones, and his several volumes of autobiography. The Later Periods of Quakerism, a two-volume work, is also very useful, if one bears in mind Jones' strong biases.

Interestingly, I think there is afoot a plan to prepare a new multi-volume history of the Society of Friends. Rosemary Moore's The Light in Their Consciences: The Early Quakers in Britain, 1646-1666 is the first volume, already published.

Comment by Jim Wilson on 7th mo. 31, 2014 at 10:36am: Good Morning William:

I began reading the Alice Southern work. It sheds light on my own experience. It was reading the book 'The Second Period of Quakersim', and particularly the 'Introduction' by Rufus Jones, that started me thinking along the lines I have posted in my 'Interpreting Our Past' series. It is in this work that I first felt an historical bias against the period of Quaker Quietism which dismisses this period as backward and unworthy of genuine Quakerism. Since I find myself very attracted to the writings and individuals from this period, I felt a kind of friction in the historical works covering this period. When I looked at evangelical Quaker historical writings, I picked up the same systematic bias.

Incidentally, I am inclined to think that mysticism plays a significant role in the Quaker tradition. I may be overreading, but thee seems to think otherwise. I suppose it would depend on how one understands mysticism which is a slippery term. My take on this is that the Quaker tradition relies on direct experience of the light of the Lord, rather than on theological reasoning. And I believe this inclines the Quaker tradition towards a mystical understanding, or experience, as being central. It is noteworthy that Quakers have not developed systematic theologies which is contrast to other reformation era traditions which rely heavily on deductive theology to define their particular view. I'm not saying that every Quaker was (or is) a mystic; rather I am suggesting that the Quaker tradition is compatible with a mystical view.

Best wishes,

Jim

Comment by Tom E on 8th mo. 14, 2014 at 1:12pm: I'm not sure if monasticism per se would really fit into a Quaker context. The Quaker Monastery mentioned above is the first example I have heard of. I could well be wrong, though.

However, there is a lot of spiritual writing from monastic contexts that Friends might find useful. Jim mentions the Carthusians - the Carthusian Statutes are among the most beautiful writings I have come across (the Novice Conferences are also well worth reading). I think there is even a lay group called the Fellowship of St Bruno, who try and live a semi-eremitic life based on Carthusian spirituality. Then there are Benedictine and Camaldolese oblates, and so forth.

The Philokalia also contains remarkable similarities to traditional Quaker themes. For instance, some chapter headings from Anthony Coniaris' good introductory book are - The Philokalia: the Bible of Orthodox Spirituality, The Call to Perfection, Nepsis or Inner Attention (similar to the Quaker idea of Watchfulness), Hesychasm - the Practice of Silence, Descend with the Mind into the Heart, The Inner Closet, and so on. All of these ideas will be familiar to many Friends. An increasing number of people in the West are becoming acquainted with the Philokalia, and it is often presented nowadays as monastic spirituality for laypeople of all traditions. I feel there is a convergence between Quakerism and Orthodox spirituality, a kind of parallel evolution, and that very similar things were discovered by both groups.

The whole work is huge, in five volumes, and there are many beautiful passages, some of the best to be found in Olivier Clement's 'Roots of Christian Mysticism', such as that of Maximus the Confessor - 'Wisdom consists in seeing every object in accordance with its true nature, with perfect interior freedom', or this one of Hesychius of Batos - 'The heart that is freed from imaginings ends up by producing in itself holy and mysterious thoughts, as on a calm sea you see fish leaping and dolphins gambolling.'

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