Ok, really, we don’t tend to call it ordination of ministers. We call it recording ministers. Why? God ordains ministers. We don’t. All we can do is record the fact that God has done so. Usually when people hear “I’m a minister,” they assume the person is the pastor of a congregation, often with that […]

We had a listener request to talk about the devil, so we’re responding to that in this episode. We also talk a little about the distinction between ethics and morality. Early Quakers refer to the devil in their writings as the tempter, the reasoner, the enemy, the deceiver, and various other names. “Reasoner” takes a bit […]

This time around, we’re taking a break from the book to answer a listener request about Quaker branches. There are 4 primary Quaker branches: Evangelical, Pastoral/FUM, Conservative, and Liberal. The first two tend to have pastors and a program for their worship—a sermon, a few songs, perhaps a little bit of silent (or “open”) worship. […]

As part 3 in our series about the Scriptures/the Bible, we’re talking about how to read the Bible. A lot of people (*cough* both of us), when they decide to try reading the Bible try to do it cover to cover, and it’s a real slog. We both think for Jesus-oriented folks, starting with the […]

Section 2B of Traditional Quaker Christianity asks “Are the Scriptures essential to salvation?” and it answers “no, Scripture is not essential to salvation.” Uh oh, them’s fightin’ words? This is a good example of why many describe Conservative Friends as the “middle” in Quakerism. Because really? This is a topic where Quakers vary heavily. Evangelical Quakers would […]

Today we start a series on Quakers and the Bible by talking about continuing revelation, with section 2A in Traditional Quaker Christianity. Overall this section introduces what we will discuss in the next three episodes. In particular, we look at how the Spirit through Jesus goes beyond what was laid out in the original Scriptures and then […]

Section 1D of Traditional Quaker Christianity looks at idealism, obligation, and Quaker holiness. Uh oh, we’re going to use a word some Quakers tend to avoid: sin. Idealism & Obligation Lewis Benson, in his “Catholic Quakerism,” defines an ethic of idealism and an ethic of obligation. He asserts that Quakers, from the early days, adhere […]

Today we discuss Quaker beliefs about atonement and salvation through obedience to the promptings of the Light. This is section 1C in the book Traditional Quaker Christianity. Universalism: “Christ tasted death for every man ” and “the Light enlightens every man that comes into the world.” The Light is available to all, and the Holy Spirit […]

In this episode we discuss the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This is section 1B in Traditional Quaker Christianity. We explore the differences from one to the other, and we look at how Quaker beliefs about the New Covenant result in women’s ministry.

We discuss the difference between being bound in a covenant by birth and by choice. In Judaism, you’re born into the Old Covenant. If your mother’s a Jew, you’re automatically one too. In contrast, we choose the New Covenant when we choose to become part of a faith community which accepts that covenant.

So what about women’s ministry? Some groups, like Quakers and United Methodists, have women preachers. Others, like the Roman Catholic Church, do not. To some people, the Church has a reputation as being against women. On the other hand, Quakers are known for having been the faith of many early leaders in women’s rights, including Lucretia Mott, Alice Paul, and Abby Kelley Foster.

The early Church had women’s ministry. For instance, Mary Magdalene told the Apostles about the Resurrection first, and Junia was foremost among the apostles. So why do so many Christian groups even today not allow women near the pulpit?

From the very beginning, Quakers rejected the usual interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34. This way of reading says women can’t ever speak in church. Other Christians of the time accused Quakers of heretical “she-preaching.” Quakers didn’t merely wave their hands and say “continuing revelation” or say that 1 Corinthians 14 doesn’t count. Instead, they pointed at the New Covenant, at Biblical examples of women’s ministry, and at passages about women giving prophecy. Nowadays, some of us even see a link between women’s ministry and traditional Quaker plain dress!  Some people might see a head covering as something repressive. Meanwhile, others might see it as an acknowledgement of women’s spiritual authority to prophecy.

References

* 1 Corinthians 11:5

* 1 Corinthians 14:34

* Romans 16:7

Transcript

Speaker 1: Welcome to Quaker Faith & Podcast where we will explore traditional Quaker beliefs, and variety of Quaker beliefs found today.

Speaker 2: Hi and welcome to episode two of Quaker Faith & Podcast. We were talking about the Gods, old and new covenants with humanity. This is basically talking about in the Old Testament of the Bible, we’re introduced to a covenant that God makes with the people of Israel, with Jews, and there’s a whole lot of rules and rituals and all sorts of things. You’re probably familiar with Kosher Laws, things like that.

Speaker 2: In the New Testament we have the new covenant, and that’s the deal that Christianity has with God, and there are some distinct differences between how exactly those work, that’s what we’re going to talk about it.

Speaker 3: Yeah. Before we got started, Mackenzie and I were just here discussing the reading a little bit with one another. I was saying that I really had … I wouldn’t say I really strongly disagreed with anything in the reading that we did, but I would have gone a different direction than the authors on this particular article. I feel like the authors talked a lot.

Speaker 3: Well, first of all, I wasn’t sure that they necessarily gave the old covenant enough time. I noticed they definitely spend a lot more space on the new covenant. When it’s hard, something that I’ve had to come to terms with is I’m very much … I’...

We’re kicking off episode 1 of Quaker Faith & Podcast with a heavy topic: Jesus Christ is the Word of God. However,  this belief is foundational to Quakerism’s origins and still resonates for most Quakers today. So, it’s pretty clear why the authors of Traditional Quaker Christianity chose to put it first. Many Christians are […]