Meeting for Sufferings: Book of Discipline
Meeting for Sufferings considered whether it is time to revise Quaker faith & practice
Every generation there is a revision of the Book of Discipline, Quaker faith & practice. The subject, when raised at Meeting for Sufferings, prompted a lot of questions. Was it time, Friends were asked, for a new revision? It was explained that the purpose of the Book of Discipline was ‘to reflect our “orthopraxy” – the things we do together so we have a shared understanding of our church government’. Is our current Book of Discipline doing this?
It was stressed that a revision was not done to move the Religious Society of Friends in a particular direction, nor of ‘tying us down’, but to capture where Friends are now. The key question was: ‘Does it serve its purpose?
A Friend suggested that while ‘a lot of people love the book, it is the government bits that are difficult.’ He felt strongly that the book divides between faith and governance and urged Friends to consider this. Another Friend highlighted the need to include in future, more strongly, subjects such as sustainability both ‘in governance and in the inspirational side.’
Several Friends spoke of the benefits of doing a revision. Others of the need to embrace new technology, the time it takes, and the importance of giving context on information – why we do things the way we do?
A Friend said that one of the ideas informing a previous revision was the belief that the faith section should illuminate the practice.
The idea of ‘orthopraxy’ was raised and it was stressed that words were not ‘tablets of stone’ but saying ‘this is our present practice.’ We do not know, a Friend said, where we will be led.
