QuakerInfo.com Forum

BillSamuel · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 7:36 pm Post subject:

Quakers have a varied history regarding participation in political systems. Quakers are said to have invented lobbying, and were very active in politics in the American colonies for some time.

In Pennsylvania, Friends officially withdrew from politics after the Pennsylvania legislature voted for war. A view that participation in the political system and in public policy efforts with non-Friends was "worldly" grew within American Quakerism, and that view was widely held between the late 18th and 19th centuries (after the schism, this was particularly common on the Hicksite side, although not totally absent from the Orthodox side). Some Friends were read out of meeting for participation in such "worldly" activities. There were meetings that split over the question of participating in anti-slavery activities with non-Friends. The "Progressive Friends" movement was a schism of a few decades in the Hicksite part of the spectrum in which those in this branch were active in the public policy arena and joined with others of like mind in such work. [Not the only matter behind the schism, but an important one in it.]

By the late 19th century, the pendulum began to swing and in the 20th century Friends pretty much across the spectrum were very active in public policy matters in the larger society.

In Britain, there were Friends with this Quietist view of political activity, but the predominant view was otherwise. During the time when Quietism was very strong in American Quakerism, British Friends (particularly those of a more evangelical perspective) were very active in the anti-slavery movement and a number of other social reform movements.
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Bill Samuel, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Co-Coordinator, Friends in Christ

Jim Wilson · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Northern California

Good Friend Bill:

Thank you for the historical and learned summary. I wonder if you could refer me to specific works that were used to support the position of withdrawal, the view that was more contemplative and less activist? In some ways I think the pendulum has gone so far in the direction of political activism that the vision of contemplative understanding has become dim, or difficult, at times to access.

Thanks again for your assistance.

Jim
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www.shapingwords.blogspot.com