Animated 'gif of logo:

1
Animated .gif of logo Religious Society of
Friends fades in
2
Splash page
Quakers is the shorthand term for the Religious
Society of Friends, which was founded as a
radical Christian movement in 17th century
England. Today, Quakers come from all walks of
life and continue to uphold a progressive
religious approach. Click Objective to begin
the course

• Objective
• Learning objectives of course
• Navigation instructions for course
• Learning exercise

History Timeline depicting the early history and
persecution of followers of the Quaker faith Play
true/false Quakers today
Faith The Quakers relationship to Self, God and
Community Description of Quaker Meeting Play
Pick The Quaker
Practice The Quaker tenet of testimony History of
political contributions Video of Quaker
actions Quaker Mad Libs
Summary Synopsis of course Learning exercise Play
Multiple Choice
3
Objective
There are two main objectives for this course

• To provide you with an introduction to the
  Religious Society of Friends, in both a
  historical and a contemporary context
• To provide you with a platform in which to
  contemplate and share your own belief system,
  stemming from either an individual ethical belief
  system or a religious belief system

• In each chapter there is an opportunity for you
  to participate
• In this chapter you will be posed questions which
  you will post to the class blog
• The History chapter contains an interactive
  timeline and a true/false quiz
• In the Faith chapter you will play the game Pick
  the Quaker
• The Practice chapter has a video of Quakers
  turning faith into action and a knowledge check
  in the form of Quaker Mad Libs
• The course concludes with Summary, a final blog
  entry and a multiple choice quiz

Navigation The circular logo on the upper left
will always return you to the Welcome
page. Images on Welcome page link to the
corresponding chapter. Please go to the learning
exercise in this chapter before going to other
chapters.
4
Objective learning exercise
Learning Exercise

• Prior to going through this course think about
  your own religious or ethical belief system and
  post the following questions to the class blog.
• If you find it difficult to answer these
  questions at this time continue through the
  course and come back to them. As you are
  introduced to The Religious Society of Friends
  your personal belief system will become clearer.

• What guides your ethical decisions and actions?
• What are the tenets of your belief system?
• How is your belief system practiced?
• What aspects of your belief system are you most
  connected to?
• How does your belief system influence your
  actions?

5
timeline
To learn the early history of the Quaker faith,
from its origins in England to its propagation in
the New World, click the dates in chronological
order.
6
1650

• George Fox (1624-1691), a
  non-conformist religious reformer, began the
  Religious Society of Friends in 1654 with the
  following principles
• That every man and woman has direct access to
  God no priestly class or "steeple houses"
  (churches) are needed
• That every person - male or female, slave or
  free, is of equal worth
• That there is no need in one's religious life for
  elaborate ceremonies, rituals, gowns, creeds,
  dogma, or other "empty forms
• Following the inward light would lead to
  spiritual development and towards individual
  perfection
• Fox taught his followers to worship in silence.
  At their meetings, people would speak only when
  they felt moved by the Holy Spirit. He promoted
  simple living, and the prohibition of alcohol.
  They thought of themselves as friends of Jesus
  and referred to themselves as "Friends of Truth

George Fox
7
1660

• They found a sanctuary in the Rhode Island
  colony, which had been founded on the principle
  of religious tolerance.
• Quakers played a major role in the creation of
  the colonies of West Jersey. These colonies were
  noted for their toleration of minority religious
  groups, like the Jews, Mennonites, and Muslims.

• The Quakers arrived in America.
• They were viewed as dangerous heretics in many
  of the colonies.
• They were deported as Witches, imprisoned or
  hung.

8
1670
By the late 1670's the Quakers emerged as the
dominant political and religious faction in the
colony. Quakers for a while controlled West
Jersey, where they created landed estates.
They established prosperous farming
settlements in Virginia and North Carolina.

• On June 28, 1672, George Fox came to America.
• There were some Quakers who had come to America
  before this time but they were unorganized.
• George Fox came with the intent of putting the
  various groups in order.
• The Quakers had the name "Friends" by this time.

George Fox
9
1680

• 1689
• Quakers distanced themselves from society
  through their simple clothing and plain language.
  As a group, they became well respected for their
  industriousness and high moral character.

• 1688
• A group of Friends in Germantown PA took a
  public stand against slavery this is believed to
  be the first stirrings within a religious
  organization of the abolitionist movement in
  America.
• Initial opposition towards Quakers eventually
  waned, particularly after the Toleration Act of
  1689. Quakers became accepted as a denomination
  and many colonies' constitutions exempted them
  from giving oaths in court.

• Passage of the Religious Toleration Act.
• Quakers able to worship openly and legally in
  England.
• Basic structures and beliefs of the Society of
  Friends, shaped by the persecutions of the
  preceding decades, were well established.

William Penn

• 1682
• William Penn, a follower of George Fox, obtained
  a land grant to establish a new Quaker County in
  America called Pennsylvania -- Penns Woods.

Click HERE to test your knowledge.
10
Quakers Today

• Since its beginnings in England, Quakerism has
  spread to other countries, chiefly Bolivia, Costa
  Rica, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru, and the United
  States.
• The total number of Quakers is relatively
  small, approximately 300,000 worldwide.
• Quaker influence is concentrated in
  Pennsylvania (particularly Philadelphia)
  Newberg, Oregon Greenleaf, Idaho Richmond,
  Indiana Birmingham, England and Greensboro,
  North Carolina.

Centennial Quaker Meeting Tokyo, Japan 1977
Calls for Quakerism to include non-Christians
go back at least as far as 1870,but this
phenomenon has become increasingly evident during
the latter half of the 20th century and the
opening years of the 21st century, and is still
controversial among Friends. An especially
notable example of this is that of Friends who go
beyond simply being non-Christian, but actively
identify as a member of another faith, such as
Islam or Buddhism.
The years of isolation, of persecution, and
of the championing of lost causes have developed
among Quakers a family feeling rather unusual in
the modern world. One Quaker is welcome in the
home of another at almost any time and place.
This fellowship is not reserved for the old"
Quakers, but extended to the convinced as well.

• This concludes the chapter

11
Quiz
True/False

• 1. George Fox began the Religious Society of
  Friends. He was materialistic and wore elaborate
  clothing during services.

2. When the Quakers arrived in America in the
1660s they were treated harshly.
3. Because the Quakers were treated with such
disdain upon their arrival in America they had to
protect their land and property. As a result they
became very insular and intolerant of other
religious minority groups.
4. The Quakers were at the forefront of the
abolitionist movement.
5. Quakers were easy to distinguish in the new
colonies as they were lazy drunks.
Click Here to check your answers.
12
Quiz answers
Answers

• 1. False One of George Foxs founding
  principles was that there is no need in one's
  religious life for elaborate ceremonies,
  rituals, gowns, creeds, dogma, or other
  "empty forms.

• 2. True When the Quakers emigrated to the
  New World they were viewed as dangerous
  heretics in many of the colonies. They were
  deported as Witches, imprisoned or
  hung.

• 3. False The newly founded Quaker colonies
  were noted for their toleration of
  minority religious groups, like the Jews,
  Mennonites, and Muslims.

• 4. True A group of Friends in Germantown PA
  took a public stand against slavery this
  is believed to be the first stirrings within a
  religious organization of the abolitionist
  movement in America.

• 5. False Quakers distanced themselves from
  society through their simple clothing and
  plain language. As a group, they became well
  respected for their industriousness and high
  moral character.

Click HERE to learn about Quakers today.
13
Faith

• Quakers are people with diverse beliefs and
  views. They find unity in their form of worship,
  in their experience of the Spirit, and the way of
  life it leads to.
• Quakers believe that each person is a unique and
  precious child of God. That relationship is
  personal and guides how they should live. It
  leads them to respect life and all that is
  living.

• Although their roots are in Christianity they
  recognize, and value, that each person will sense
  God differently. They welcome people, wherever
  they are on their spiritual journey, to their
  simple form of worship and community.
• Quakers worship together in stillness, giving
  attention to their relationship with the divine,
  themselves and each other. From the depths of
  this stillness anyone may be led to speak. Their
  hope is that what Friends sense in these Meetings
  will influence all aspects of their lives,
  leading them in particular to strive for peace
  and respect for everyone, whatever their
  position.

Click image to play Guess the Quaker
Quakers have no paid clergy to lead or interpret
their spiritual life and Quaker Meeting is open
to anyone who feels moved by the spirit to make a
spoken contribution. These meetings provide a way
for people to explore the sacred together and to
build an open spiritual community that is led by
the Spirit, recognizing the gifts of all. Their
spirituality propels them to work to reduce
violence, injustice, discrimination and poverty.
14
Guess the quaker
Can You Pick the Quaker?

• Click the image you think best depicts the Friend

15
Answer to game
Youre Correct!
In fact, all images are of Quakers
Fun Facts about The Religious Society of Friends
Currently there are about 300,000 Friends
worldwide, including a large group in Kenya. In
fact, the greatest concentration of Quakers live
in Kenya, where they follow an evangelical
interpretation of Quakerism. There are 125,000 in
North America. In the United States, they are
concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest.
Although many had settled in the South during the
19th century, almost all later left in protest
over slavery.
Friends have a national lobbying group in
Washington called the Friends Committee on
National Legislation which lobbies for causes
supported by Friends. They also have a service
organization called The American Friends Service
Committee, which undertakes self-help projects
and social justice projects both in the United
States and abroad. These two organizations employ
Quaker process to seek unity in setting policy
and goals.

• This concludes the chapter

16
Practice
The religious beliefs held by Friends are infused
with political action. This stems from
Testimonies. Testimonies are an attempt to put
faith into practice. Testimonies have a long
history and have carried political weight in the
United States. Testimonies arise out of an inner
conviction and are an expression of spirituality
in action. In living out testimonies, the intent
is to hold up an alternative vision of humanity
and society, centered on meeting real needs
rather than ever changing desires.
The Testimonies Are

• Justice, Equality and Community
• Quakers recognize the equal worth and unique
  nature of every person. This means working to
  change the systems that cause injustice and
  hinder true community. It also means working with
  people who suffer from injustice such as those as
  prisons and asylum seekers.

Click image to go to political action video
Simplicity Quakers are concerned about the
excesses and unfairness of our consumer society.
And the unsustainable use of natural resources.
They try to live simply and to give space for the
things that really matter, the people around
them, the natural world, their experience with
God.
PEACE Perhaps Quakers are best known for their
peace testimony. This derives from their
conviction that love is at the heart of existence
and all human beings are equal in the eyes of
God, and that one must live in a way that
reflects this. It has led Quakers to refuse
military service, and to become involved in a
wide range of peace activities from practical
work in areas affected by violent conflict to the
development of alternatives to violence at all
levels from personal to international.
17
video
Click HERE for Historical examples of living
testimony which has led to Political
Contributions.
18
contributions

• The Religious Society of Friends as a whole has
  sought new, creative ways to carry forward their
  concerns. Public forums, petitions, social and
  political lobbying and reform movements became
  the chosen methods for Quakers to continue their
  political ideals. Throughout the 19th century,
  these had coalesced around four main concerns
  that moved Friends to effect reforms first within
  their religion and then in the wider arena of
  American politics
• Ending Slavery
• Fair Treatment of Native Americans
• Women's Rights
• Relief for All Who Suffer
• Friends expanded their efforts in the 20th
  century to include Civil Rights and Environmental
  Concerns. Work on these issues continues into the
  21st century. Many of these efforts are being
  coordinated by the American Friends Service
  Committee (AFSC), the Quaker United Nations
  Office, and the Friends Committee on National
  Legislation (FCNL), the earliest religious
  lobbying organization in Washington, DC.

Click HERE to play Quaker Mad Libs.
19
Mad libs
Quaker Mad Libs

• 1. Testimonies are _______________________________
  ____________________________________.

2. Three testimonies are ________,
____________and__________________.
3. When the Quakers emigrated to the New World
they treated the ________________ _____________
fairly.
4. The Quakers worked actively to ______________
_______________, which was also a guiding
principle behind the Civil War.
Click Here to check your answers.
20
Mad libs answers
Quaker Mad Libs Answers

• Testimonies are putting faith into practice.

Three testimonies are - Justice, Simplicity and
Peace.
When the Quakers emigrated to the New World they
treated the Native Americans fairly.
The Quakers worked actively to abolish slavery,
which was also a guiding principle behind the
Civil War.

• This concludes the chapter

21
summary
Summary

• The Quakers have 350 years of consistent
  dedication to the concepts of freedom, justice,
  and peace which remain pivotal today. By both
  collective action and individual leadership,
  Friends have altered the character and concerns
  of United States politics.

The testimonies are about the way Quakers try to
lead their lives. This attempt to put faith into
practice, often with great difficulty, arises
from an understanding of certain values and
principles that are central to the Quaker faith.

• Quakers have been active in providing practical
  assistance to those suffering from poverty,
  discrimination, mental illness, incarceration,
  and the effects of war and natural disaster. They
  have also striven to effect improvement of
  institutions which service these populations.
  Particular care has been taken to offer
  humanitarian aid without regard to the politics
  of the participants.

Click image to go to final exercises
22
Learning exercise
Blogging Exercise 1
In the Objective chapter you were asked to
respond to questions about belief systems and
ethical behavior. If you had difficulty answering
these questions please answer them now. Next
answer the same questions in regard to the Quaker
faith. Post both responses to the class blog.
Blogging Exercise 2

• Read the document on the right
• As you learned in the History chapter the Quakers
  arrived in the New World in the 1660s and
  immediately faced persecution.
• How do you think the Quakers were able to
  sustain their belief system?
• Post your response on the class blog.

Click Here for Exercise 3
23
Learning exercise
Multiple Choice
There are 5 multiple choice questions.
Click the correct answer.
Question 1

• 1. This was not a founding principle of George
  Fox.

a. That every person, male and female, slave of
free, is of good worth.
b. Followers of Fox worshiped in silence. At
meetings people would only speak when they felt
moved by the spirit.
c. Fox was impressed by the ceremonies of the
Catholic Church. He wanted his services to be as
elaborate.
d. Everyone has a personal relationship to God.
24
Learning exercise
Multiple Choice
Question 1

• Incorrect. The correct answer is C.

Fox believed in simplicity A simple life freely
chosen is a source of strength.
Click Here to go to Question 2
25
Learning exercise
Multiple Choice
Question 1
Correct
Fox believed in simplicity A simple life freely
chosen is a source of strength.
Click Here to go to Question 2
26
Learning exercise
Question 2
Which original colony, which is now one of the 50
United States, was founded by a Quaker.

• New York
• Vermont
• c. Pennsylvania
• d. Connecticut

27
Learning exercise
Question 2
Correct

• In 1682 William Penn obtained a land grant to a
  Quaker Colony called Penns Woods, later to be
  named Pennsylvania.

Click Here to go to Question 3
28
Learning exercise
Question 2
Incorrect. The correct answer is C.

• In 1682 William Penn obtained a land grant to a
  Quaker Colony called Penns Woods, later to be
  named Pennsylvania.

Click Here to go to Question 3
29
Learning exercise
Question 3
Which of the following is is not a Quaker
Testimony.

• Peace
• Simplicity
• Equality
• The Mighty Shall Prevail

30
Learning exercise
Question 3
Correct

• Peace, Simplicity, Justice, Equality and
  Community are the Quaker testimonies.

Click Here to go to Question 4
31
Learning exercise
Question 3
Incorrect. The correct answer is D.
Peace, Simplicity, Justice, Equality and
Community are the Quaker testimonies.
Click Here to go to Question 4
32
Learning exercise
Question 4
This is a contemporary concern of Friends

• To end the occupation in Iraq.
• Equal Rights for women.
• To end the death penalty.
• To end poverty.
• All of the above.

33
Learning exercise
Question 4
Incorrect. The correct answer is D.

• These are all concerns of Friends. They are a
  constant witness to these societal concerns.

Click Here to go to Question 5
34
Learning exercise
Question 4
Correct.

• These are all concerns of Friends. They are a
  constant witness to these societal concerns.

Click Here to go to Question 5
35
Learning exercise
Question 5
Final Question
Which religious beliefs do Quakers not accept as
legitimate.

• Buddhism
• Episcopalian
• Muslim
• Jewish
• None of the above

36
Learning exercise
Question 5
Correct.
Historically Quakers are know for their religious
tolerance. When Friends established the colonies
of West Jersey and Pennsylvania they were noted
for their toleration of minority religious
groups, like the Jews, Mennonites, and Muslims.
Click green arrow for Resources page
This concludes the course
37
Learning exercise
Question 5
Incorrect. The correct answer is E.
Historically Quakers are know for their religious
tolerance. When Friends established the colonies
of West Jersey and Pennsylvania they were noted
for their toleration of minority religious
groups, like the Jews, Mennonites, and Muslims.
Click green arrow for Resources page
This concludes the course
38
Resources
Resources

• Music
• Opening Page Gut Feeling by Devo
• Background to Video We Need A War by
  Fischerspooner

• Research
• BBC News
• Citizendium
• Hermitary
• Quakers in the arts
• Roots Web

• Images
• All images are in the public domain via
  Flickr.com

39
(No Transcript)