Johan Maurer examines a classic Quaker dilemma from a new angle. Are we something unique and radical or are we just another brand of Christianity? Describing Britain Yearly Meeting, in particular, though it could describe many Liberal Quaker spaces:
In particular, Christian language and God language are often held at arm’s length. Quakers’ ethical discipleship (a.k.a. the “testimonies”) are held in high regard but are often described without reference to their Christian origins. The customs and folkways of meeting for worship and meeting for business are likewise faithfully maintained but their connections with what early Friends called “Gospel order” are often not emphasized.
This is one of those definitional conundrums that have no easy answers. For me personally, yes, I’m part of the larger church. I think pride is often at the root of some of our denials. Early Friends also experienced corrupted and hypocritical established churches but didn’t abandon the project so much as call for a renewal back to basic principles. The history of Friends is our institutions likewise getting frequently mired in insular thinking and moral corruption but being drawn back by prophetic figures calling us to do better. That said, the spark of the Quaker message is the call to listen to the inward Christ and that can easily be done (and is frequently done) by people outside the Quaker movement.
There’s a lively discussion of Maurer’s post happening on Reddit if you’d like to share your two cents.
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