And that's all the presentations done. Sadly I can't stay for the Q&A, but what a wonderfully rich collection of papers. Thanks to Christy Randazzo and @ChericeBock for the excellent hosting. Really looking forward to tomorrow's panel! #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Raimon Pannikar was suspicious of rationalism and advocates a mysticism of silence, seeing silence as essential for human flourishing. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Howard Thurman was familiar with Otto, and with Quakerism through Rufus Jones. He attempts to teach how to be open to numinous experience, in that place between the rational and poetic. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Rudolph Otto was conflicted by the tension between the rational and non-rational. He was fascinated by Quaker worship as the most spiritual form of worship. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
John Locke saw the silence of Quakerism as objectionable, not understanding how religious knowledge could be obtained through such a practice. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Finally, Welling Hall is speaking on “Insights into Quaker Silence from Otto, Thurman, and Panikkar.” #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Kenyan Friends have kept closely to the spirit of George Fox, upholding most of the traditions, although some changes have been made. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
A problem with Kenyan Friends’ rejection of titles is lack of recognition of Quaker pastors in ecumenical and civic relations. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Kenyan Friends also continue the practice of inward, spiritual communion, without bread and wine. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Kenyan Meetings continue the practice of not baptising with water. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
There was a time when singing, clapping hands and stamping feet was prohibited. This led to younger Friends leaving Quakerism to more charismatic churches. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Kenyan Friends emphasise Scriptures as a source of truth more than George Fox did. This is what Kenyan Friends inherited from evangelical Quaker missionaries. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
George is going to look at the rituals that George Fox rejected, and how Kenyan Friends have embraced some of them. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
The third presentation is by George Busolo Lukalo on “Worship Tradition and Transformation Among Kenyan Friends” #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Barbara encourages preparation for Quaker worship by taking up a regular contemplative practice. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Let’s not discount ritual as empty or outer and assume that silence is automatically full and Spirit-led. In many Quaker groups silence has become an end in itself. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Friends rejected liturgy, but the silence was a means to an end. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Early Friends’ worship was noisy and embodied. The Spirit loosened tongues. The silence was full. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
"Silence has big shoes to fill." #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Did Friends throw out something very helpful when they discarded liturgy? #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Ritual and liturgy, far from being empty as Quakers may traditional think them, are embodied practices that are helpful and important. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Barbara asks “Is the silence of Meeting for Worship empty of full?” [This is a fascinating question for me!] #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Next is “Throwing out the Baby ” with Barbara Birch #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
The speakers suggests practices that can help us overcome somatic individualism: Waiting on Firstday (Sunday) as long as it takes for the Spirit to move among us, and a midweek sharing meeting. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Because of these different somatic experiences, Quakers can be in the same room but as somatic individuals, not united as a corporate body. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
These contemporary Quaker groups are not sharing a somatic experience. For example, different groups have different somatic experiences to the word “police.” #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Early Quakers responded corporately to structural oppression, but today Quaker communities in the US inhabit different social locations and are responding to lots of different oppressive hierarchies. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
In the context of structural oppression, different groups of people have different experiences and understand the world differently. They even live in different, separate worlds. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
Quakerism is about accessing a prophetic communal voice. We discern God at work amongst us. It’s a communal, embodied religion, a shared somatic experience. #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
First up is Alice Elliott-Sowaal and Diego Navarro on “Why We Need to Return to Practices that Can Move Us Beyond Inadvertent Somatic Individualism.” #Quaker #Theology #Fox400 #GeorgeFox400
