• BELIEF
Quakers believe everyone has what they call 'that of God' within them and that each of us has direct access to God. There is, therefore, no need of
clergy.
Quakers meet together in silence with no set prayers. In the silence, they say, God's voice can be heard.
• A NOBEL PRIZE? OR AN OSCAR?
Most recently, Quakers have been working in the former Yugoslavia to help find peaceful ways of solving the crises of that troubled region.
People drawn to this mixture of faith and action include actors Sheila Hancock, Ben Kingsley and Victoria Wood, as well as recent Oscar winner Judi Dench.
FURTHER READING ON THE INTERNET may be found in Hans Weening's 'Meeting the Spirit'.
OTHER READING:-
The central statement of Quaker orthodoxy is contained in 'Quaker Faith and Practice' (1994)
A very interesting, and challenging, examination of some of the orthodoxies is contained in Ben Pink Dandelion's 'The Silent Revolution - a Sociological Analysis of the Theology of Quakers' (1996)
Both may be obtained from The Quaker Bookshop at Friends House in London.
Quakerism is one of the simplest of religions.
Quakers turn their faith into action. Their 'testimonies' encourage a pursuit of social justice and peace.
Most people know about the Quaker involvement in prison reform and the
abolition of slavery. In 1947 the Quakers won the Nobel Peace Prize for relief work in post-war shattered Germany. Quaker intiatives also contributed towards the founding of Amnesty International and Oxfam.
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