Though I am an ex-Christian nontheist Quaker, I am committed to accepting and promoting the Christian norms of liberal Quakerism. Some Quakers see a renewal of the Christian character of Quakerism as a survival necessity. Christians are the majority in our culture and if liberal Quakers are going to grow, they reason, the largest pool of potential new Quakers are Christians.



My own take on this is that in our majority Christian culture, there is an immense need for progressive… Continue

I should give credit to "Quaker Oats Live" blogger Cherice for inspiring me to write on this topic.



For the past two years I have been involved with the Christian and Interfaith Relations Committee (CIRC) of FGC. As I visited various program committees of FGC Central Committee, I found that the sorts of business and discussions being carried out by CIRC excited and nourished me deeply.



(To disclose my personal biases, I will mention that I was born a Pentecostal, converted… Continue

"It has been our cherished purpose to restore the union between religion and life, and to place works of goodness and mercy far above theological speculations and scholastic subtleties of doctrine." Exposition of Sentiments Adopted by the Pennsylvania Yearly Meeting of Progressive Friends, 1853.



In the 1850s, some Quakers began to dramatically shift their religious orientation from a heavenly to an earthly perspective. The Progressive Friends movement was made up of both… Continue