Quakers

Quakers are members of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded in 17th-century England. They emphasize direct experience of God, spiritual equality, and worship that may be conducted in silence.

Inner Light: The Quaker belief that divine guidance and truth can be experienced inwardly by every person. It grounds the Quaker claim that spiritual authority is not confined to clergy or scripture.
George Fox: An English religious leader whose preaching helped establish the Religious Society of Friends in the 1650s. His ministry gave the early movement its central message of direct access to God.
Quaker peace testimony: The Quaker commitment to oppose war and refuse participation in violence as a matter of faith. It is the most recognizable application of the Friends' commitment to peace.
Programmed worship: A form of Quaker worship organized around a planned service, usually with a pastor and prepared sermon. It contrasts with unprogrammed meetings centered on silence and spontaneous ministry.
Conscientious objection: Refusal to perform military service or other acts on grounds of conscience or religious conviction. Quaker opposition to war helped establish conscientious objection as a public and legal issue.
Meeting for Worship: A Quaker gathering for worship, often centered on silence and spoken ministry offered as participants feel led. It gives communal form to waiting for inward divine guidance.
Margaret Fell: An English Quaker leader who helped organize and sustain the early Religious Society of Friends. Her home and advocacy helped turn a persecuted movement into a durable community.
American abolitionism: The movement to end slavery in the United States, pursued through activism, political action, and resistance. Quaker networks and convictions contributed to antislavery organizing, though Friends' own record was uneven.
Unprogrammed worship: Quaker worship conducted without a set order of service, with ministry arising from silence and discernment. It is the best-known form of worship in some branches of Friends.
Quaker influence on prison reform: The contribution of Quakers to reforms that emphasized humane treatment and rehabilitation of prisoners. Friends' reform campaigns helped change public debate about punishment and incarceration.

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