Universalist Friends
The Journal of the
Quaker Universalist Fellowship
Number 49
February 2009
In This Issue
The Quaker Universalist Fellowship is an informal gathering of persons who cherish the spirit of universality that has always been intrinsic to the Quaker faith. We acknowledge and respect the diverse spiritual experience of those within our own meetings as well as of the human family worldwide; we are enriched by our conversation with all who search sincerely. Our mission includes publishing and providing speakers and opportunities for fellowship at regional and national Quaker gatherings.
Universalist Friends and a QUF pamphlet are published twice a year and are available free to on-line subscribers. These publications are available as web pages (HTML) for browsing, ebooks (PDF) for on-line reading, and pamphlets (booked PDF) for printing. Visit our website at http://www.universalistfriends.org to enter a free on-line subscription.
If you wish to receive printed copies of these publications by regular mail, send an annual subscription fee of $25.00 to QUF at our mailing address below. Selected past QUF publications are available free to our on-line subscribers. We will send available printed copies of past publications upon request and on payment of a fee.
We trust that all of our subscribers will support our work by sending a tax-deductible contribution to QUF. You can also contribute by sharing your reflections on our publications and on your own experiences.
News from QUF
George Amoss, Jr., and Lyn Cope have recently agreed to serve on the Steering Committee of the QUF.
George is a member of Homewood Friends Meeting in Baltimore and currently attends Little Falls Meeting in Fallston, Maryland. He has served in the past on the Steering Committee, and long-time readers will remember him as having been for several years editor of Universalist Friends.
Lyn lives in Melbourne Beach, Florida and works full-time for South East Yearly Meeting, where she is responsible for design and layout, website, finance and conference support. She writes: "Philosophically, I believe that all active adult Friends have chosen to be Friends of whatever persuasion and that there seemingly is a vibrancy in meetings blessed with convinced Friends. Born into Paullina Monthly Meeting, I have chosen to remain passionately involved in the wider world of Friends. . . . My life might best be summed up with a Horace quote, `Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.'. . . [I have] a self-directed, independent, liberal value system that now I am seeing reflected in my grandchildren, which brings me full circle to QUF — I want the next generation to have the option of knowing that Quaker roots are universalist."
The year 2008 saw the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Quaker Universalist Fellowship. It was marked by an article in the August, 2008, issue of Friends Journal, in which Rhoda Gilman outlined the history of the organization. Readers of Friends Journal will have noticed several letters in later issues commenting on the nature of Quaker universalism.
Sally Rickerman's pamphlet, Trust: My Experience of Quakerism's Greatest Gift, which was published by QUF in spring, 2008, has been issued in paper format by Troll Press and is featured on the website of QuakerBooks.
Sally Rickerman writes: "I was fortunate to receive a notice from the Hawkinson Foundation in Minneapolis that our editor, Rhoda Gilman, and her daughter, Betsy Raasch-Gilman, received two of their 2008 three annual awards for Peace and Justice. Three cheers for Rhoda and may we, too, bask in her glory!"
From the Clerk
A Summary of a Conversation
The Chair of Quaker Universalist Group (QUG) in Britain (Andrew Cowan) and
the Clerk of Quaker Universalist Fellowship (QUF) in the United States (Larry Spears)
met for four hours of conversation at Friends House, London on November 22, 2008.
It was stimulating. The conversation was wide-ranging and enthusiastic for the role of QUG and QUF in the future of the Quaker tradition and, through Quaker witness, to the world. We recognized mutual strengths and weaknesses in current efforts and identified potential joint and parallel initiatives for consideration.
At lunch, we were joined by Alec Davison, former QUG Chair, who updated us on the outreach activities of Quaker Quest and Kindlers programs in Britain.
As a result of these conversations, based partly on points for clarification raised by QUG and QUF colleagues, we made some of these observations and suggestions for consideration by QUF and QUG for discussion and discernment:
Demographics: Both organizations currently reflect aging constituencies. Neither has a significant youth constituency. This is not promising for the future or for the current communication mechanisms of the organizations. We discussed whether universalism, by its nature, is only meaningful to those in the last chapters of life, who have accumulated sufficient experience to recognize the importance of universalism.
Web Activity: Both organizations benefit from the growth of their websites, from the immediacy and personal opportunity of e-groups and from newsletters. QUF provides fuller content of its publications. Neither has entered fully into the blogsphere. Both are shifting toward greater expansion into the Internet. QUF and QUG are moving to an online publishing presence at different speeds. Use of these web tools is helped by having like-minded partners and by skilled, dedicated administrators. Visual expression and music at QUG are developing to supplement the verbal messages.
Strategic Planning: QUG will consider framing issues for strategic planning for sharing with QUF.
Language: QUG and QUF recognize the problem of inadequate language and vocabulary in carrying on the discussion of universalism within the Quaker tradition. Language is a challenge and opportunity for QUG and QUF to make a joint contribution in clarification and augmentation of the larger discussion of universalist themes within the Quaker tradition.
Globalization Relationship: QUF and QUG see a relationship between Quaker universalism and the globalization of culture and commerce, but neither currently addresses this globalization as a spiritual or reasoning challenge or as an opportunity of major importance.
Diversity and Relativism: We discussed the need for clarification of the role and limits of theological diversity as an element of universalism within the Quaker community but did not arrive at a conclusion.
Inter-religious Dialogue: We discussed the role and limits of universalism in inter-religious consultation but did not arrive at a conclusion. How do we provide respect and appreciation for other religions without endorsing all asserted religions as of equal completeness or religious cultural practices as of equal soundness?
Environment: There is affinity within QUG and QUF for the spiritual links between universalism and planetary environmentalism, but we recognized that the conceptual basis of the relationship of universalism to environmentalism is insufficiently clarified.
Future of Universalism Within Quaker Tradition: There is an impression that universalism is part of the common denominator of unprogrammed Quakers and some programmed Quakers in Britain and the U.S. among the older cohort of Quakers. Universalism of salvation and respect for other religions is highly contested among most programmed Quakers. The views of the younger generation of Quakers are currently opaque.
Cooperation: Both QUG and QUF want to emphasize that we enjoy being collegial and hope to continue this mutually helpful relationship. Areas of potential future cooperation between the two organizations include:
1. Joint publication of selected articles and historic documents;
2. Mutual reviews of the publications of the other organization; and
3. Cross-over participation in meetings of steering committees of the two organizations.
Organizational Relations: Neither QUG nor QUF have formal correspondence relations with environmental, political or religious organizations or institutions outside of the Quaker community.
Testimonies: From the discussion of the implications of universalism for implementation of Quaker testimonies in the areas of social policy advocacy, we concluded that they need further development. We discussed the potential scope and elements of a human universalism underlying all religions and secular ideologies as a basis for global human rights policy development.
Expanded Visibility: We discussed the possibilities of expansion of the visible presence for QUF and QUG.
Quaker Quest: During the conversation, Alec Davison joined us and summarized his view of the distinctiveness of Quakers as present-day seekers, as identified from listening in nearly 100 Quaker Quest events in Britain. These distinctives included:
1. Truth: Quakers accept the truth from several sources, including science, the arts and other religious traditions.
2. Christianity: Quakers recognize their roots in the Christian tradition and the disclosing and transmission of the way of Jesus for today as developed and augmented by others, including Elizabeth Fry and John Woolman.
3. Experience: Quakers identify truth in both their individual and their community experience, subject to threshing processes.
4. Testimonies: Quakers witness to testimonies for implementation in individual and community life, which testimonies are derived from their understanding of truth. These include equality and social justice.
5. Peace: Quakers focus particular attention on the testimony of peace.
6. Sacramental Life: Quakers witness to the reality that all of life is sacramental, beyond the affirmation of that of God in everyone.
In Britain, Quaker Quest, which is for persons who are interested in Quakers, is accompanied by a program called Kindlers, which is for deepening the spiritual roots and worship within the Quaker community.
Financial Condition: Both organizations have modest budgets. QUG currently functions with a balanced budget. QUF is working toward that goal. Neither budget reflects the much greater order of magnitude of the importance of the spiritual witness these organizations have to share.
Business Model: QUF and QUG have similar business models. Both rely on contributions, subscriptions and the purchase of published materials for their income. Both are shifting toward greater expansion into the Internet. QUF and QUG are moving to an online publishing presence at different speeds. QUG runs an annual conference, designed to break even rather than to make money.
Fundraising: We discussed whether QUF and QUG should be more active fundraisers, as are so many other nonprofit organizations in order to carry out larger services.
Quaker Contributions: We discussed how the resources of the Quaker tradition could inform, clarify and assist us today in these discussions of universalism for the implementation of traditional Quaker testimonies.
We look forward to close communication as opportunities open in the future.
This was a warm and searching conversation. We both recognized the benefit of encouraging more discussion between QUG and QUF in the future to our mutual benefit.
From the Editor
After three years of editing Universalist Friends and in addition taking on the task of preparing two Quaker Universalist Readers for publication, Patricia Williams laid down her editorial pen last summer. We are all grateful for her dedicated and competent service. Two new books — Universalism and Religions and Universalism and Spirituality — stand as monuments to it. Both can be purchased from the QUF bookstore on our web site.
As editor of our pamphlets and a former editor of Universalist Friends, I have volunteered to assemble the journal on its semiannual schedule until a more permanent editor can be found. Therefore any contributions, comments, and correspondence can be sent to me by e-mail at <editors @universalistfriends.org> or by regular mail to: 513 Superior Street, St. Paul, MN 55102.
We welcome essays or personal journeys related to Quaker universalism (approximate length: 1,000—3,000 words), and we especially welcome reviews of books and pamphlets, or suggestions of publications that perhaps we ought to review. In keeping with past custom, we will also include letters from readers and news and notes about the ongoing activities of the Quaker Universalist Fellowship.
Rhoda Gilman
