Brief History of Quakers:
The Religious Society of Friends began in seventeenth century England in the
midst of great controversies among Christians. From the beginning, Friends have
had no formal creed or dogma. Friends strive to respect the integrity of
personal beliefs. For Quakers, freedom is essential to the search for truth.
The lives of Friends express their faith.
Picture on the right: George Fox played an important part in founding the Religious Society of Friends.
Quaker Beliefs:
Friends believe that it is possible for every person to know God directly and
to find and share truth and love from that source. While united by this basic
understanding, Friends in an unprogrammed meeting often represent a broad
spectrum of beliefs, ranging from Christian to Universalist. Similarly, while
Quakers have always held that religious faith should lead to action, the
balance between activism and contemplation differs in each Friend and in each
local meeting.
Book References:
The Berea Friends Meeting library includes a variety of books on Quakerism.
Among them are the Guide to Our Faith and Our Practice of the
Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting (SAYMA), which concludes with a
series of queries and a reading list on Quakerism.