Letters - 09 May 2014
From doctrine to seeking the Light
Do Quakers have doctrine?
Jane Taylor (2 May) has expressed concern about the use of the word ‘doctrine’ in relation to the Quaker way.
In terms of etymology, the word doctrine comes from the Latin doctrina, which means ‘teaching’ or ‘body of teachings’. Is it really the case that Quakers have no ‘teaching’ or ‘body of teachings’? It seems to me that one defining characteristic of the Quaker way is the belief that we all have an inward teacher. In this sense, Quaker doctrines are what, as a community, we have discerned to be true based on the leadings of our inward teacher.
So, Quaker doctrine might include our particular manner of worship, the way we make decisions, the way we understand religious authority and the general shape of Quaker testimony.
Stuart Masters
Politics and Religion
I very much enjoyed reading the cogent and informative letters from John Veit-Wilson and David F Hickok (25 April) exploring the relationship between politics and religion.
Both writers provided insight into the social, historical and political worlds within which Quakers have acted. It is true that Quakers have earned, by their actions, a place in the history of human integrity which reflects a glow upon the institutions of Quakerism today. Did the Quakers of 200 years ago make dangerous choices in order to advance the reputation and validity of their sect or because they wanted to take the best possible of political actions, or because they were driven by an inner spiritual need?
I believe that outwardly worthy actions are, generally, the fruit of the inner cultivation of the soul and that it is this inner work of the soul which is the truly testing and difficult work. A ‘Religious Society of Friends’ surely has the task of perpetuating a community of struggle in this inner work which holds the potential for outward action. Should Quakers drift into institutional life as a ‘club of good-works’ they will have passed, already, to the final page of their own history.
Teddy Sawyer
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