Friends General Conference

Together we nurture the spiritual vitality of Friends

Quakerism 101 - 2020-2021

Public ContentAnyone can view this post

Want to learn more about Quakerism?

Check out Quakerism 101 this fall and winter!

In answer to interest that some members and attenders have expressed in an introductory "course," Adult Religious Education committee is sponsoring Quakerism 101 this fall and winter. It starts September 27 with Quaker History.

Videos

The following are links to video recordings of the Zoom meetings for the Quakerism 101 course on the meeting's YoutTube video channel.

Quaker History (Session 1)

Quaker Spirituality, Theology, and the Bible (Session 2)

About Quakerism 101

A primer

This version of Quakerism 101 is a 7-session primer on the history, faith, and practice of the Religious Society of Friends that we hope will be especially useful to our newer members and attenders, and a useful refresher for members who have been around awhile.

All are welcome!

Quakerism 101 is a more in-depth immersion in the Quaker way than our usual RE programs. Our goal is to share the basics of the Quaker tradition in its historical arc from our founding to today through readings, presentations, and discussion. 

In October and November, we are offering two sessions back to back on Saturdays, in order to build momentum and community in the course. The opening session in September and two more in January and February will take place in our usual ARE place in the meeting calendar, the fourth Sunday of the month after rise of meeting for worship.

Study, or just come

We will provide a reading list for each of the sessions, which we invite pariticpants to use to prepare for the sessions. But such PREPARATION IS NOT NECESSARY. We hope all will come, regardless, and we will be passing on the basics in the sessions themselves. The reading lists will include substantive material that would require some commitment to read in time, as well as shorter resources on each session's subject. Much of this material wil be digital, but some would have to be bought or taken out from the library.

The sessions will include a little more presentation than is usual in our programs, but still lots of time for discussion to bring the tradition into our own time, community, and experience.

NEXT:     Quaker Discernment, Decision Making, and Meeting for Business, Sep 26, 1-3 pm; Barry Scott & Jennifer Walker, facilitators.

George Schaefer and Zachary Dutton will facilitate a program on the history, faith, and practice of Quaker Worship. George is Care and Aging Coordinator on Philadelphia Yearly Meeting staff. Zachary Dutton is a member of our meeting and Associate Secretary for Program and Religious Life on the Yearly Meeting staff.

Course Outline

TOPIC

DAY

DATE

TIME

FACILITATORS

Quaker History

Sunday

Sep 27

1–3 pm

Greg Barnes, Steve Davison

Disruption Preparations for 2020 Election

Sunday

Oct 25

1-3 pm

George Lakey (not Qm 101)

Quaker Spirituality, Theology, and the Bible

Sunday

Nov 22

1-2 pm

George Schaefer, Helene Pollock

Quaker Ministry

Sunday

Feb 21

1–3 pm

Laurent Hahn, Steven Davison

Quaker Worship

Sunday

Feb 28

1–3 pm

George Schaefer, Zachary Dutton

Quaker History 2: Black-White Relations

in the Religious Society of Friends

Sunday

Apr 25

1-3 pm

Vanessa Julye

Quaker Witness and the Testimonies

Sunday

May 23

1-3 pm

George and Ingrid Lakey

The Wider Quaker Community & Q&A

Sunday

Jun 27

1-3 pm

Bruce Birchard, Chuck Lesser

Quaker Discernment and Meeting for Business

Sunday

Sep 26

1-3 pm

Barry Scott, Jennifer Walker

Reading Lists

Click the following links to see the web pages and reading lists for:

  1. Session 1 : Quaker History
  2. Session 2 : Quaker Spirituality, Theology, and the Bible.
  3. Session 3 : Quaker Ministry
  4. Session 4 : Quaker Worship
  5. Session 5 : Quaker History 2: Black White Relations in the Religious Society of Friends
  6. Session 6 : Quaker Witness and the Testimonies
  7. Session 7 : The Wider Quaker Community
  8. Session 8 : Quaker Discernment, Decision Making, and the Meeting for Business

Share