Quaker Differences & Homework 07/21/2014 As the discussion/controversy over George Fox Universitys (GFU) unfinished dealings with a trans student continues to unfold, part of its impact is that a swath of mainly liberal Quakers is coming up against something they mostly know very little about: differences among Friends groups. And a lot of confusion surrounds this encounter. Thats hardly surprising. Quakers never had a pope, exactly, Though once upon a time, in the Good Old/Bad Old Days, Quaker ideas and practice were kept within a pretty narrow range by a strong authority structure. Over time, tho, especially in the USA, Quakerism became much more decentralized and polymorphous (perverse?) One cultural outcome of this scattering is very visible on the liberal end: a newcomer finds a meeting they like, burrows in, becomes as involved as works for them, maybe finds a supportive interest group (non-theists, mystics, LGBTs, etc.), and pretty much pays no attention to the rest of the Quaker world. Its very easy to do this. When announcements are made about yearly meeting, FGC, FWCC, etc., one can tune out; and nobody insists we pay attention. Hey, theres plenty to do right here, right? And Im busy and got my own sh*t to deal with. Many Quakers spend their whole (spiritual) lives this way, and Im not here to trash them for it. I like that theres no pope, and little pressure (beyond nagging announcements) to do more than I choose or feel called to do. Besides, theres no doubt that the Spirit has work for thee and me to do right here. (Yes, this happens at the evangelical end too; but here Im speaking from a liberals perspective.) But then, for some of us, unwelcome outside Quaker reality occasionally intrudes. For instance, to take a current case, one learns that the leadership of the largest Quaker group in the world is publicly supportive of the same homophobic attitudes as the Uganda government. Or the GFU trans case drops into the email inbox and the Facebook page. Etc. Then a long-ignored fact also pops into view: not all Quaker groups are like mine. (I say groups here because theyre not all even called the same thing.) Sometimes the fact of difference can be quickly brushed aside: like a mosquito buzzing, a well-aimed smack takes care of it. But other times, the fact of difference cant be banished so easily. Im imagining a family reunion at a big cabin on Carolinas lovely Outer Banks; knowing its a tricky mixed bag, one decides just to put in an appearance. But then a hurricane brushes by and the ferry service shuts down. And that loudmouthed Uncle Harold, who blames everything (including the weather) on the socialist Muslim in the White House and his Gay Agenda, is in full voice; and one is stuck, wondering if the peace testimony really does rule out an occasional homicide as a public service. Well, when that happens among Friends, and the fact (and depth) of difference (or is it différance?) becomes inescapable, my experience is that a couple of things often follow. Thy mileage may vary, but this is what Ive noticed: One, theres Quaker Culture Shock. This is a very real phenomenon. (My own first spell of it, which nearly laid me out, is described in the book, Without Apology.) Quaker Culture Shock can be tough; Ive seen it make formerly-dedicated Friends run screaming for the exits, never to be heard from again. But for others, it eventually passes, or at least becomes manageable. Then, if one decides to stay despite the differences, or even more to try and work on them, the next hurdle, which may be the bigger one, is the need for homework. Yeah, homework. As in study. This also runs against the local liberal grain. After all, unless youre drawn to become a Quaker geek, most of what a local Friend needs to know can be picked up by simply showing up: ask a few questions, stay for the occasional forum, remember some jargon, and you are (I mean thee is) underway. But two of the more recalcitrant aspects of Quaker differences are: 1) they really are different, so my local assumptions (e.g., that Spirit trumps all else) are not necessarily shared, which makes common ground and dialogue difficult or even, for many of those who are different, undesirable. (Wait a minute: is he really saying that some of those different Quakers believe that Friendly dialogue, where we all try to understand and get along, is NOT a good thing??) Yep, you heard right. Which relates to 2) that these differences didnt just happen; they developed over time; they have a (caution: trigger word ahead) history. And for that matter, as awareness of difference takes root, so may the suspicion that the notions and practices in my own local meeting have a specific history too. I mean, beyond the idea that George Fox told us so. (But if George Fox really said all Quakers should be like us, why did those people in Oregon name their school after him?) Which brings us back to homework. To understand the Quaker differences, and begin to engage them constructively, will involve facing up to both history and (caution: even more triggering trigger words ahead) theology, and the Bible. There are a few who have picked their way through these minefields of Quaker history, theology, and biblical study; or more accurately, have been picking their way; nobody is finished with it. A sizable related reading list could be inserted at this point; instead, Ill list only a few titles: The Transformation of American Quakerism, by Thomas Hamm. This tells how midwestern Friends went from silent to pastoral and evangelical. It won a prize for church history and deserved it. For the liberal side, there is very little (in large part because we dont really believe in either history or theology, not to mention the bible), but my own new book. Remaking Friends, takes a stab at it, as does its companion volume, Angels of Progress. My own writing on the topics cited here includes an initial effort to grapple with the Kenyan Quaker leaderships homophobic stance, here: tinyurl/lcn7hpv And a report on the stirrings in Northwest YM and at GFU regarding LGBT issues, here: tinyurl/ont2bls Both reflect considerable homework. Im mindful that theres more to be done on both.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 15:45:19 +0000
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