Listening to each other with appreciation
Stephen Petter considers how Britain Yearly Meeting's corporate position is communicated
It might help us consider in a friendly and supportive manner matters such as non-theistic Quakerism, belief, and language, if we appreciate that each Friend’s own position can and normally will differ, perhaps slightly, perhaps greatly, from our corporate position. Our form of Quakerism is inclusive and diverse. A discussion between two Friends or groups of Friends about their respective understandings is simply a matter of information exchange. It should be mutually enriching. An individual can answer immediately and may be persuaded to change his or her mind.
But our corporate position is relatively fixed. It is altered every decade or two only after in-depth consultation, widespread participation, and careful deliberation, then recorded in a revised Quaker faith & practice. Qf&p truthfully describes and defines Britain Yearly Meeting’s (BYM) theological and philosophical position. It is not credal, because no Friend is required to accept it as their faith, and because we, the membership, may amend it. It is, in effect, a factual description of current British Quakerism, and remains so until we agree to alter it. Enquirers, whether newcomers to Quakerism or independent researchers, rely on Quaker faith & practice’s authority. Otherwise, what of our testimony to truth?
When discussing questions such as our understandings of the nature of God, we should not confuse each others’ opinions with the facts about Britain Yearly Meeting’s corporate position. BYM is a religious (that is God-centred) society and an active member of the Christian ‘Churches Together’ movement. It is wrong of us to give the impression that we are a non-theistic organisation.
