Introduction 

For a full exploration of Quaker spirituality, we refer you to the sections on Experience and Faith and the Extracts on Experience and Faith in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s book of Faith and Practice, for which we provide links below. The Extracts are quotes from Friends on Quaker spirituality.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is Central Philadelphia Meeting’s denominational organization. It’s called a yearly meeting because it meets annually for several days in the summer to conduct most of its business. Faith and Practice is revised every generation or so and presents our latest agreements on the Quaker way, outlining our history, experience and beliefs, and organization and procedures.

In a nutshell. The core of Quaker spirituality lies in turning toward the Light within each of us, the Light of Christ, that of God within us, the Spirit—we name it in different ways, but we share the same experience: that each of us can commune with God directly, without mediating persons, books, or rituals. And that this “sinking down in the Seed,” as an ancient Friend once put it, can guide us, heal us, forgive us, awaken us, inspire us, make us more whole and fulfilled, and call us into some service or ministry on behalf of Love and Truth. And community is essential to our spiritual lives—we are here to support each other in the life of the Spirit.

Links to further resources

• Experience and Faith
  • The Light Within
  • Meeting for Worship
  • Prayer
  • Friends, Scripture and Our Living Faith
  • Discernment of the Guidance of the Spirit
• Extracts on Experience and Faith