‘Putting the protest back in Protestant’ at Greenbelt Festival
There was a Quaker presence at the Greenbelt Festival
Conversations about the call of protest as a form of witness and how God-words can get in the way when sharing experiences of the divine were key themes in the Quaker presence at the Greenbelt Festival last weekend.
Quakers offered a lively mix that included a stand-up comedian and mediator, an actor, activist and biblical scholar, a team of peace activists, and a handful of turbulent priests – each one exploring the connection between spirituality and activism – and added to the mix worship in ‘stillness that settles, calms and opens hearts’.
Several dozen Friends were at the Greenbelt Festival, held in Boughton House, Northamptonshire, from 24-27 August, to talk about their faith journey and topics of concern. Workshops and worship were put on to stimulate witness and sharpen skills for activities like peace education.
The invitation in the festival programme said ‘from civil wars to civil unions, Quakerism has always meddled in British history’ and ‘whether it’s sabotaging the arms industry or unpacking end-of-life issues, join us to explore what your faith calls you to do in these turbulent times.’
Among those who talked about their experience of putting their faith into action was peace activist Sam Walton, of South London Area Meeting, who discussed ‘Putting the protest back in Protestant’.
He and Methodist minister Dan Woodhouse were arrested, tried and acquitted for their action in trying to disarm war planes at Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire in 2017.
