Is finance truly "gross," or is it a vital spiritual practice? In the Season 6 premiere of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano is joined by new co-host Diana Yañez—a certified financial planner and convinced Quaker. Together, they move "into the wallet" to explore how our faith intersects with our finances.

We’re calling this "The Priesthood of All Believers, Economics." We argue that we cannot leave the world of money to the "high priests" of Wall Street; every Friend has a role in discerning where our resources go.

In this episode, we explore:

Money Biographies: Diana shares her journey from the 2007 foreclosure crisis to ethical financial planning, while Peterson reflects on his time serving the world's wealthiest executives.

Voices of the Season: Preview insights from upcoming guests on reparations, value-based pricing, and the business case for Quaker values.

Quaker History & Integrity: We revisit a 2012 Friends Journal article to ask how we stay honest in a capitalist system.

Ethical Investing Tools: A look at how to use InvestYourValues.org to screen your mutual funds and ETFs for fossil fuels, weapons, and private prisons.

Question of the Month:

What insights or practices guide your relationship with finance today?

Leave a voicemail: 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)

Email us: [email protected]

Social Media: Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Links & Resources:

Read the full show notes and transcript: QuakersToday.org

Screen your investments: InvestYourValues.org

Learn about our sponsors: FriendsFiduciary.org and AFSC.org

Featured in this series:

Amy Carr, Douglas Tsoi, Lucy Duncan (Reparations Works), Susan Waltz, Fran Brokaw, Aangoo, Ethan Birchard, Traci Hjelt Sullivan (Right Sharing of World Resources), Richard Kent, and Lisa Graustein.

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This episode is for educational purposes and does not constitute specific financial or investment advice.

In this special end-of-season episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano explores the intersections of faith, sex, and gender. As an "Interval" between Seasons 5 and 6, we hear from LGBTQ+ individuals about living their truth with integrity within their spiritual communities. We feature insights from a pioneering transgender priest, a Quaker healer and musician, a best-selling queer author, and voices from the Southeastern Yearly Meeting.

For a full transcript visit www.quakerstoday.org This episode is also available as a YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsJournal

This Season of Quakers Today is sponsored by:

Rev. Dr. Tina Beardsley, one of the first transgender priests in the Church of England, discusses the evolving challenges trans and non-binary people face within both society and the broader LGBTQ community.

"The trans experience is often about a journey toward wholeness that the church is only beginning to understand."

John Calvi, a Quaker healer and writer, shares the story behind the music he composed during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis to provide comfort and spiritual grounding. Many thanks to Pendle Hill and Dwight Dunston for giving us permission to use this excerpt from their podcast, The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope. 

Queer author Ryan La Sala discusses his new eco-horror book, The Dead of Summer, and explains why "scary stories" are a necessary outlet for processing real-world anxieties.

Peterson shares audio recorded at the Southeastern Yearly Meeting, capturing a celebration of community that transcends traditional gender binaries.

"It was a celebration of community that transcended traditional gender binaries." — Peterson Toscano

Last month, we asked: If you received a thank-you note from 100 years in the future, what are they thanking you for?

What insights or practices guide your relationship with finance today?

Share your thoughts:

Social Media: Respond on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

In this episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano explores how we can remain steady when the world feels like it is spinning out of control. We revisit a vital conversation with Australian activist and Quaker Adrian Glamorgan about activism, despair, and finding our specific leadings. We also hear from Kat Griffith on the spiritual work required to bridge deep political divides in rural communities. Peterson also shares a personal reflection on the "chemistry of fear" and how the choice to love is a practical move against alienation.

This Season of Quakers Today is sponsored by:

Peterson reflects on a message received during Quaker worship regarding the physiological impact of fear. Drawing on research and the wisdom of bell hooks, he discusses how fear narrows the mind and fuels "structures of domination."

“The choice to love is a choice to connect—to find ourselves in the ‘Other.’” — Peterson Toscano

We revisit words from Adrian Glamorgan, the Asia and West Pacific Section Executive Secretary of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). Adrian shares his journey from "angry activist" to a grounded Quaker, emphasizing that quiet time is not inaction—it is a neurological reset.

How do we talk to neighbors when political tension feels insurmountable? Kat Griffith shares her experiences in rural Wisconsin. This segment features audio from the QuakerSpeak video series.

Book Review: Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature By Phap Xa and Phap Luu. Reviewed by Trevor Brandt. A practical guide to mindfulness through movement, helping us transform suffering into a new way of being.

Recommendation: Scavengers Reign Peterson recommends the 12-episode animated series Scavengers Reign (available on HBO/MAX and Netflix). Set on a distant planet, it explores how life flourishes through ecological balance rather than "Good versus Evil." If you do not have access to Max or Netflix, you can watch the original short film version for free on YouTube: Scavengers. Both were written and directed by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner. 

Explore the Creators' Work: josephbennett.tv

If you, or a group you are part of, received a thank-you note sent to you from 100 years in the future, what would the people of the future be thanking you for doing today?

Share your response:

Special thanks to our social media contributors and listeners for sharing the practices that anchor them:

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation.

Thank you to our Sponsors

The American Friends Service Committee works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Since 1948, AFSC has worked for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel. Today, its Gaza team delivers lifesaving aid, while U.S. advocates push to end the occupation and apartheid system. In July 2025, AFSC and seven other Quaker groups declared, “Quakers discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action.” Read the statement and take action at afsc.org/crisis-gaza. Learn about other initiatives and actions at AFSC.org

Season Five is also sponsored by Friends Fiduciary. Friends Fiduciary unites Quaker values with expert investing. They serve more than 460 organizations with ethical portfolios, shareholder advocacy, and a deep commitment to justice and sustainability.

They walk the talk on environmental stewardship. The Quaker Growth & Income Fund has a 70% smaller carbon footprint than the benchmark. Friends Fiduciary supports science-based targets and urges companies to adopt clear, immediate climate transition plans. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode, special co-host Diana Yáñez and Sweet Miche explore the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. From the linguistic wisdom of the Aymara people to the radical call of liberation theology and the hard work of healing Quaker involvement in Indian Boarding Schools, we're asking what might happen to our faith if we start living from the "We" instead of the "I"?

Jiwasa: The Communal We with Rubén Hilari Quispe 

Rubén, an Aymara Quaker and linguist, introduces us to jiwasa – a concept of "we-ness" that includes humans, the environment, and even the objects around us. He invites us to sit with the unsettled feeling of language that doesn't center the individual. Read Rubén’s article, "Jiwasa, the Communal We" in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. You can hear an extended interview in Spanish with English subtitles at the Friends Journal YouTube page. 

Liberation Theology and the Inner Light with Renzo Carranza 

Guatemalan Friend Renzo Carranza explores how the Quaker Inner Light intersects with the radical tradition of liberation theology. Together, they form a call to action: to reinterpret the gospels from the perspective of the marginalized and transform society. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming the SPIRIT: Liberation Theology and the Inner Light” at QuakerSpeak.com.

Collective Relationship and Boarding Schools with Rachel Overstreet 

Rachel Overstreet (Choctaw Nation) discusses the history of Quaker Indian boarding schools. She suggests that the way forward isn't through individual guilt, but through collective relationship. Read Rachel’s article, “Speaking with Friends About Indian Boarding Schools” in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. Rachel writes the Native American Legislative Update, a monthly newsletter on the most important developments on Capitol Hill related to Indian Country. You can also write your Congressperson to cosponsor and pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. Find out more at fcnl.org/issues/native-americans.

Book Review: Chooch Helped 

Katie Green reviews a charming children’s book by Andrea L. Rogers and Rebecca Lee Koons (Cherokee Nation) that celebrates present-day Cherokee family life and love. Read Katie’s review of Chooch Helped in the January 2026 issue or at FriendsJournal.org.

Recommended Resources by Indigenous Creators

Drama & Performance

Music & Audio

Literature & Thought

Digital Culture & Media

Next Month’s Question

A central part of Quakerism is our commitment to peace. But that doesn't mean we should avoid conflict. In fact, it means we have a specific responsibility to it. What is a small practice that brings you a measure of peace or stability in the midst of conflict and turmoil?

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) tackle a question that seems simple but is actually quite complex: What do Quakers believe?

We explore the wide theological spectrum of the Religious Society of Friends from those who view the Bible as the inerrant word of God to those who may not believe in God at all.

A Smorgasbord of Beliefs

We hear from Adam Segal-Isaacson, a Friend from Brooklyn Meeting who was raised both Jewish and Quaker. Adam shares how he navigates his dual identity and offers a powerful metaphor about harmony versus monotony in worship. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video: Do All Quakers Hold the Same Beliefs?

An Evangelical Friend Among Liberals

Peterson sits down with Jasson Arevalo, an Evangelical Quaker from El Salvador and a student at the Earlham School of Religion. Jasson describes the "Programmed" tradition of his upbringing—complete with pastors and music—and his view of Biblical inerrancy. He shares his experience of studying alongside Liberal, Unprogrammed Friends and how curiosity and respect bridge the theological divide. Read Jasson’s article, "You Will Be Told What You Must Do," in the December 2025 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org.

Convincement and Belonging

What makes someone a Quaker? Is it a membership card or an internal shift? We review the new Pendle Hill pamphlet, Awakening the Witness: Convincement and Belonging in Quaker Community by Matt Rosen. The pamphlet explores the distinction between "convincement", the spiritual experience of becoming a Friend, and formal membership. Learn more at PendleHill.org.

Recommendation

Peterson recommends the Iranian film It Was Just an Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi. It is a darkly comic and morally complicated story about the long-term effects of trauma and the refusal to become like one's oppressors.

Listener Responses

We asked you: What do you believe now that you didn't believe before becoming a Friend?

Next Month's Question

We want to hear from you! What is something you learned in school about Native Americans or Indigenous peoples that you've since learned is not true? Leave us a voice memo with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content.

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) invite you to learn more about the sometimes baffling practice of silent worship. Whether you're a long-time Friend or someone who has never stepped into a mostly silent meeting, we are pulling back the curtain to explore what happens in our hearts, minds, and bodies when we sit together in worship.

The Purpose of Ministry

We speak with author Rhiannon Grant about her book, Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship: What, When, How, and Why. Rhiannon helps us understand the purpose of spoken ministry in the silent meeting, explaining how speech that deepens silence is a vital part of our shared spiritual practice. 

Quote: "The purpose of ministry then might be understood as deepening the silence of meeting for worship."

Our First Meetings for Worship

Peterson and Sweet Miche share their first experiences in Quaker worship: Peterson's search for community after 9/11 and Sweet Miche's feeling of guidance at Pendle Hill. We also hear from Paula Christophersen, a Quaker in Germany, who shared her first experience of ministry.

Meeting for Worship with Attention to Worship

Peterson introduces a new format for meeting for worship he’s been experimenting with: Meeting for Worship with Attention to Worship. This model of worship uses the meeting's existing structure to guide newcomers by making the internal work of worship visible and conversational.

Quaker Fiction

We explore how writers use fiction and poetry to make the internal, mystical experience of worship visible.

Read Quaker-themed fiction and poetry in the November 2025 issue of Friends Journal.

Listener Responses

Who is someone you’ve encountered in fiction that embodies Quakerness? The character could be from a book or movie. They could be a hero or even a minor character, and they do not need to be Quaker. 

Next Month's Question

We want to hear from you! What do you believe now that you didn't believe before becoming a friend or before encountering Quakerism? 

Leave us a voice memo with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) explore the impact of affinity groups and how they provide a space for community and spiritual nourishment.

Affinity Spaces: A Sacred Necessity

African American Friends Vanessa Julye and Curtis Spence speak from the heart about why affinity spaces are sacred. Vanessa, Associate Secretary for Organizational Cultural Transformation at Friends General Conference, and Curtis, a writer and minister, share how these groups offer "soul rest," a place to breathe, and an opportunity to be fully seen without constantly centering polite white supremacy (PWS). Vanessa credits Yawo Brown as the originator of the phrase, “polite white supremacy.”

“I didn’t join a BIPOC Quaker affinity group because I had something to teach. I joined because I needed to breathe.” — Curtis Spence

“If there is a BIPOC person within Quakerism looking for a place where they can have more connections with other BIPOC people, there are resources out there... I hope there comes a time when we can stop justifying affinity spaces.” — Vanessa Julye

You'll hear excerpts from their influential articles in the October 2025 issue of Friends Journal:

Extended Conversation: Watch the full video conversation with Vanessa Julye and Curtis Spence on the Friends Journal YouTube channel. [insert hyperlink]

Environmental Justice & the Illusion of Separation

Writer and activist Eileen Flanagan shares wisdom from her new book, Common Ground: How the Crisis of the Earth Is Saving Us from Our Illusion of Separation. She connects the spiritual dilemma of loving one's neighbor with the urgent realities of the climate crisis, highlighting how environmental racism creates a shared, though unequal, stake in the fight for a habitable world.

“I boiled down my dilemma to a challenging theological question: How do I love my neighbor when he is killing my other neighbors?” — Eileen Flanagan

Resources for Community & Spiritual Nourishment

We share a few of the vibrant affinity spaces available online for Friends seeking deeper connection and specific spiritual community:

Question for Next Month

Who is someone you’ve encountered in fiction that embodies Quakerness? The character could be from a book or movie. They could be a hero or even a minor character, and they do not need to be Quaker.

Leave us a voicemail with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

Sponsors

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary

Friends Fiduciary 

This season is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.

AFSC works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.

Did you know AFSC helped thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during World War II resettle in the U.S.? Today, AFSC works toward a future where everyone can thrive, has access to legal status, and is safe from detention and deportation.

 Learn how you can take action for immigrant safety, dignity, and well-being at afsc.org/stronger-immigrants.

Friend Fiduciary blends Quaker principles with smart, mission-driven investing. With 100% of revenue supporting their mission and a 100% Quaker board, they help hundreds of faith-based groups invest ethically and affordably. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Did you know AFSC helped thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during World War II resettle in the U.S.? Today, AFSC works toward a future where everyone can thrive, has access to legal status, and is safe from detention and deportation.

Discover how you can take action for the safety, dignity, and well-being of immigrants at AFSC.org.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this premiere episode of Season Five, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche (they/them) explore the urgent question: How do we balance peace and protest in today’s world?

Australian Friend Greg Rolles shares his experiences with nonviolent direct action, police intimidation, and the risks of faithful disobedience. Arrested more than 25 times for his activism, Greg challenges Quakers to move beyond polite pacifism.

“Peace is not the same as passivity. We think that peace is about being polite and nice and being quiet in public spaces. But peace is proactive, and it calls us to take action and take risk.” —Greg Rolles

Greg’s article We Are Having an Effect: The Necessity of Spiritual Resistance in Climate and Justice Activism appears in the September 2025 issue of Friends Journal (add link to article at FriendsJournal.org). You can also watch the extended interview on the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink).

Jade Rockwell, pastor at West Elkton Friends Meeting in Ohio, lifts up the role of renewal and revival in Quaker practice today.

“Our emphasis has shifted in the 21st century more towards being a people called to action. We’re living in a time when inaction is risky. If we’re not able to respond to our world, bad things can happen—and we may be morally responsible if we aren’t able to be active.” —Jade Rockwell

You can find more of Jade’s ministry in the QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming Quakerism in Troubling Times” at QuakerSpeak.com or on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel.

This month’s Friends Journal book review features Richard Rohr’s The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage (Convergent Books). Rohr highlights how the anger of prophets like Amos and Jeremiah matures into grief, then into transformative action. Read Wendy Cooler’s full review at FriendsJournal.org (insert hyperlink).

In addition to books, this season introduces a new segment: recommendations beyond the bookshelf. Peterson suggests Fate of the Fellowship, a cooperative board game by Matt Leacock, creator of Pandemic. Players work together in Tolkien’s Middle-earth to guide the Fellowship while resisting the growing Shadow. Learn more at BoardGameGeek or through major retailers.

Friends share their favorite Quaker expressions—from “That of God in everyone” to “Hold you in the Light.” Eleanor from Colorado reflected,

“I think of all people as a Friend or a buddy. That framework helps me move through life more peacefully.”

Quaker gatherings often create space for specific affinity groups—such as Friends of Color, Young Adult Friends, or FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns).

We want to hear from you: How has being rooted in a small group changed the way you share your voice in bigger settings?

Leave us a voicemail or text at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, we consider the Bible. Co-host Peterson Toscano (he/him) speaks with Jesuit priest and best-selling author Father James Martin about the story of Lazarus and what it means to live a resurrected life in today’s world. From a powerful visit to Lazarus’s tomb in Palestinian territory to reflections on freedom and healing, Father Martin brings spiritual and historical depth to a story often overlooked.

We also hear from Ollie, a British Quaker and creator of the popular YouTube channel Quake It Up. In conversation with Peterson, Ollie explores the role of the Bible in liberal Quakerism, what happens when scripture is weaponized, and how we can find spiritual grounding beyond the written word.

This episode delves into the complications and possibilities of engaging with sacred texts, especially for those who have felt harmed by them. It also celebrates the boldness of Mary and Martha in the Gospels, and the courage it takes to step outside of cultural norms in pursuit of truth.

Fr. James Martin, SJ

Ollie from Quake It Up

🎙️ What’s your favorite Quaker term or phrase?

Leave a voice memo with your name and location. Call 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). If you're outside the U.S., dial +1 first. You can also send your answer via email or on social media. Email: [email protected]

📖 Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle – by Fr. James Martin

Transfigurations--Transgressing Gender in the Bible by Peterson Toscano. Available for free viewing on YouTube. 

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche McCall.

In this special interim episode, co-host Peterson Toscano revisits two powerful stories that explore revival and reevaluation on both personal and communal levels.

First, we hear from Karla Jay, Global Ministries Coordinator for Friends United Meeting and part of the pastoral team at Iglesia Amigos de Indianapolis. Karla shares her eyewitness account of the 2023 Asbury University revival, a spiritual awakening that drew national attention and over 50,000 visitors.

Next, we meet Hayden Hobby, a youth worker and worship leader in Richmond, Virginia. Hayden reflects on his journey out of a fear-based evangelical theology and into a more authentic, evolving faith. He reads from his essay, Surviving Religious Trauma: How I Left an Abusive God, published in the February 2023 issue of Friends Journal.

Finally, Peterson takes listeners to Millville, Pennsylvania, where Millville Friends Meeting has taken bold steps to affirm LGBTQ+ people and all spiritual seekers. Inspired by a call from Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting, the small rural meetinghouse—situated across from the local high school and next to a hilltop cemetery—crafted explicit welcome statements and is preparing to participate in PrideAPalooza 2025.

The welcome statement for LGBTQ+ people reads: 

At Millville Friends Meeting, we publicly recognize that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, asexual, and queer (LGBTQIA+) people have faced systemic exclusion, judgment, and harm—especially in religious communities.

In light of this history, we affirm LGBTQIA+ people as full and valuable members of our spiritual community. Your presence, leadership, and gifts are cherished. You are welcome here.

The general welcome statement reads:

Millville Friends Meeting welcomes and embraces all peace-loving spiritual seekers.

We are committed to creating a community where people of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual, romantic, or affectional orientations, immigration or refugee statuses, marital or family structures, economic situations, educational backgrounds, and physical, mental, or neurodiverse abilities are affirmed and valued.

Each person’s spiritual journey is sacred. You are welcome here.

The Millville Meeting commissioned graphic designer, Christine Bakke, to create posters for the website, to hang inside the meetinghouse, and to post outside.

What’s a favorite Quaker term or phrase that’s common among Friends but might sound strange to outsiders?

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche McCall.