Quakers Today

By Friends Publishing CorporationSociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality Philosophy Religion

Quakers Today episodes

September 15Quakers, Reparations, and Reparative Economies
Co-hosts Peterson Toscano and Diana Yañez explore reparations beyond simple transactions. Rooted in abolition, repair is examined as a relational commitment and spiritual discipline aimed at ensuring historical and systemic harms are never repeated.
Guests Anthony "Ant" Smith and Lucy Duncan discuss the historical lessons of Reconstruction and share how Philadelphia's Greene Street Friends Meeting dedicated $500,000 to reparations, centering Black leadership and unlocking over $11 million in local housing wealth.
Anthony "Ant" Smith
Organizer and educator with Reparation Works and Abolition Schools, bringing an abolitionist framework to racial repair and systemic change.
Lucy Duncan
Quaker activist, writer, member of Greene Street Friends Meeting, and Reparation Works focused on transgenerational healing.
Key Topics Covered
Abolition and Non-Repetition: Why reparations require systemic transformation so racialized violence cannot be repeated.
Reconstruction Precedents: How General Sherman’s Field Order No. 15 proved the tools for Black autonomy were already understood.
A Meeting’s Commitment: How Greene Street Friends Meeting allocated $500,000 over 10 years, housing the work in Worship and Ministry.
Centering Black Leadership: Entrusting full financial discernment directly to the meeting’s Black members.
Tangible Community Impact: Investing $25,000 in a legal clinic that preserved $11 million in Black generational housing wealth.
Reparations as Spiritual Practice: Approaching long-term systemic repair with curiosity, patience, and love.
Episode Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction: Beyond Financial Payouts
2:45 – Anthony Smith on Abolition & Repair
6:15 – Reconstruction & Sherman’s Field Order 15
8:50 – Greene Street Friends & Spiritual Resources
12:10 – Centering Black Discernment
15:30 – Free Legal Clinics & Housing Wealth
18:40 – Reparations as a Spiritual Discipline
20:55 – Listener Query & Archive Highlights
22:30 – Sponsor Messages & Disclaimers
Resources & Links
Reparation Works: https://www.reparation.works/
Article: Reparations and Transgenerational Healing by Lucy Duncan https://www.friendsjournal.org/reparations-and-transgenerational-healing/https://friendsjournal.org
Archive Episode: Quakers and Reparations (January 2023) https://www.friendsjournal.org/podcast/episode-3-quakers-and-reparations/
Racial Wealth Gap Simulation https://bread.org
Bonus Video Feature
Ant & Lucy Community & Activism Feature: https://youtu.be/IwN8-z7usYI?si=qEzVIeeMzlxZQH1H
Connect With Us
What does repair look like in your community? Leave a voicemail at 317-QUAKERS ( 317-782-5377) or email [email protected].
Quakers Today Website
https://quakerstoday.org
Friends Journal
https://friendsjournal.org
Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation, hosted by Peterson Toscano and Diana Yañez. Season 6 is supported by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

Financial Disclaimer
All investments involve risk, and financial decisions should be made based on your individual circumstances, ideally in consultation with a qualified professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host, Natural Investments, or its affiliates.
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Quakers Today and Friends Journal are not registered entities and are not affiliates or subsidiaries of Natural Investments.
25 min
August 11Quakers and Wealth
In this episode of Quakers Today, Peterson Toscano and Diana Yañez speak with Quaker Fran Brokaw about inherited wealth, family stories, grief, reparations, and the spiritual practice of releasing money.
Fran describes inherited wealth as feeling like the dragon’s hoard in The Hobbit: treasure guarded so it can get bigger and bigger. Over time, she began asking deeper questions:
What is this money?
Where did it come from?
What has it meant in my life?
What does faithfulness ask of me now?
Fran shares how reparations work helped her move beyond guilt and toward responsibility. She talks about giving without control, seeing money as a community asset, and allowing wealth to move through her as energy, love, repair, and relationship.
In this episode
inherited wealth and Quaker values
guilt, responsibility, and repair
giving without strings attached
ethical investing and its limits
wealth as grief, memory, safety, and power
reparations and Land Back
money as mutual blessing
Featured guest
Fran Brokaw, a Quaker reflecting on inherited wealth, reparations, and faithful money practice.
Resources
Money as a Mutual Blessing by Lola Georg
Friends Journal
https://www.friendsjournal.org/money-as-blessing/
Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust
https://nefoclandtrust.org/
Lizzie Magie and The Landlord’s Game
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
https://www.pym.org/quaker-history-clive-sansom-ursula-franklin-gordon-hirabayashi-and-lizzie-magie/
Quakers Playing Monopoly
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
https://www.pym.org/quakers-playing-monopoly/
The secret history of Monopoly
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/11/secret-history-monopoly-capitalist-game-leftwing-origins
Reflection questions
What money stories did you inherit?
Where does money create anxiety in you or in your meeting?
What are you holding more tightly than you need to?
What would it mean to give without control?
Leave us a message
What financial practices align with your values?
Call 317-QUAKERS.
That’s 317-782-5377.
Outside the U.S., dial +1 317-782-5377.
Email: [email protected]
Sponsors
Season 6 is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee.
Friends Fiduciary: https://friendsfiduciary.org/
AFSC: https://afsc.org/
This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice.
31 min
June 16Quakers and Capitalism
In this third episode of our season-long exploration of Quakers and Money, Peterson Toscano and Diana Yañez turn toward one of the largest and most difficult questions of the series: How do Friends live with integrity inside capitalism?
Last month, we explored relational finance and asked whether taking responsibility for our money and institutional assets can lead to deeper integrity and more equitable power-sharing. This month, Peterson names the friction many Friends feel: the sense of being trapped in a massive economic system built on extraction, inequity, colonialism, and environmental harm.
Through conversations with Lisa Graustein, Nathan Kleban, David Watt, and Traci Hjelt Sullivan, this episode examines the spiritual dissonance between Quaker values and capitalist structures. We hear about stolen land, inherited wealth, paternalism in charitable giving, the legacy of slavery in Quaker history, and the denial made possible by class and racial privilege.
Rather than offering easy answers, Peterson and Diana ask what it means to stay on a journey with truth. If capitalism harms people and the planet, how might Friends move beyond individual purity or denial and toward mutual aid, community wealth-building, repair, and solidarity?
In This Episode
The Dissonance: Peterson reflects on the gap between Quaker faith and a global economy built on extraction and inequity.
Capitalism and White Supremacy: Lisa Graustein names capitalism and white supremacy as forces that keep the here and now from becoming the realm of God.
Stolen Land and Reparative Responsibility: Lisa shares the story of New England Yearly Meeting selling property after repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery and raises questions about what should happen to profits from land acquired through colonization.
From Charity to Right Relationship: Nathan Kleban of Right Sharing of World Resources challenges paternalistic models of giving and asks who the economy is actually for.
Quaker Wealth and Enslavement: David Watt, professor of Quaker studies at Haverford College, reminds us that some early Quaker wealth in Philadelphia was tied to Barbados, sugar plantations, and the labor of enslaved people.
The Wealth of Not Having Debt: Traci Hjelt Sullivan expands the definition of ancestral wealth, naming the opportunities that come from beginning adult life without student debt.
The Inner Capitalist: Diana reminds us that the Quaker belief in “that of God in everyone” also extends to capitalists, and to the parts of ourselves that continue to benefit from extractive systems.
Our Guests
Lisa Graustein
Lisa Graustein is a Quaker educator, activist, and writer whose work often explores money, power, race, and reparative justice. In this episode, she reflects on inherited wealth, stewardship, and the responsibility to repair harm caused through the accumulation of resources.
Nathan Kleban
Nathan Kleban works with Right Sharing of World Resources, a Quaker organization that supports women-led economic projects in the Global South. Nathan brings a relational and community-centered lens to economics, asking how people get their needs met and how communities express their gifts outside extractive systems.
David Watt
David Watt is the Douglas and Dorothy Steere Professor of Quaker Studies at Haverford College. In this episode, he offers historical context about Quaker wealth, including the connections between early Philadelphia Friends, Barbados, sugar plantations, and slavery.
Traci Hjelt Sullivan
Traci Hjelt Sullivan is the executive director of Right Sharing of World Resources. She brings decades of nonprofit leadership and international experience to her work. In this episode, she reflects on truth, denial, race, class, debt, and the spiritual work of recognizing our own responsibility.
Resources and Recommendations
QuakerSpeak: “What If Wall Street Were Honest?”
https://quakerspeak.com/video/what-if-wall-street-were-honest/
North Carolina Quaker Mark Hulbert has tracked investment advisors since the early 1980s. In this QuakerSpeak video, he talks about how his Quaker background and commitment to integrity led him to ask whether Wall Street advisors were telling the truth.
Spent
https://playspent.org/
Diana recommends Spent, a free browser-based survival game that places players inside the poverty trap. You begin with $1,000 and try to survive for 30 days while making impossible choices: pay rent, fix the car, buy medicine, or keep the lights on. It offers one way to better understand how expensive it can be to be poor in the current economic system.
Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici
https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1575
Diana references Federici’s work while discussing the relationship between capitalism, labor control, gendered violence, and colonialism.
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374157357/thedawnofeverything/
Diana also points to this book while reflecting on European colonialism, the construction of human hierarchy, and the ideas that shaped the modern world.
Organizations Mentioned
Right Sharing of World Resources: https://rswr.org/
A Quaker organization that supports women’s self-help groups in the Global South through seed grants and relationship-based partnerships.
Earth Quaker Action Team: https://eqat.org/
A grassroots Quaker organization that uses nonviolent direct action to challenge systems of economic and environmental injustice.
New England Yearly Meeting: https://neym.org/
A regional body of the Religious Society of Friends is mentioned in Lisa Graustein’s story about land, reparative responsibility, and the Doctrine of Discovery.
Haverford College / David Harrington Watt: https://www.haverford.edu/users/dhwatt
David Watt teaches Quaker studies at Haverford College and appears in this episode to discuss Quaker history, wealth, slavery, and capitalism.
Listener Voicemails
Thank you to John Choe for sharing his reflections and concerns about Quakers, financial discernment, and the role of institutions like Friends Fiduciary.
Thank you also to Richard Tindall for his faithful reminder to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. As summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a timely invitation to stay hydrated and care for our bodies.
Question for Listeners
How do you navigate the tension between Quaker values and capitalism?
Where do you feel dissonance between your financial life and your spiritual commitments?
Share your thoughts:
· Voicemail: Call 317-QUAKERS, 317-782-5377
· Email: [email protected]
· Social Media: Respond to us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok
Sponsors
Friends Fiduciary
https://friendsfiduciary.org/
Friends Fiduciary unites Quaker values with expert investing. They serve Friends meetings, churches, schools, and organizations through ethical portfolios, shareholder advocacy, and a commitment to justice and sustainability.
American Friends Service Committee
https://afsc.org/
The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization working with communities worldwide to challenge injustice, meet urgent community needs, and build conditions for lasting peace.
AFSC and the Vanguard S.O.S. / Never Vanguard campaign
AFSC announcement: https://afsc.org/newsroom/afsc-joins-vanguard-sos-campaign-fossil-fuel-divestment
Never Vanguard pledge: https://eqat.org/never-vanguard/
AFSC has joined with Earth Quaker Action Team in the Vanguard S.O.S. campaign, asking Friends to boycott and divest from Vanguard until it stops funding fossil fuel projects and takes climate justice into account.
Disclaimers
Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee.
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice. Listening does not create an advisory relationship. Friends Fiduciary is a sponsor of this podcast. Sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement, and Quakers Today does not receive compensation based on listener investment decisions.
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Quakers Today and Friends Journal are not a registered entity and are not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See the Natural Investments Disclosures and Disclaimers and Form CRS: https://naturalinvestments.com/disclosures-disclaimers/
27 min
May 12Quakers and Relational Finance
In this second episode of our season-long exploration into "The Wallet," Peterson Toscano and Diana Yañez dive into Relational Finance. This concept challenges the traditional divide between "financial experts" and "spiritual seekers." Taking the Quaker theology of the "priesthood of all believers" and applying it to economics, we explore how taking personal responsibility for our money—and our institutional assets—leads to deeper integrity and more equitable power-sharing.
From the boardrooms of major corporations to micro-grant partnerships in Kenya and Sierra Leone, we look at what happens when we stop letting others stand between us and the truth of our financial impact.
In This Episode
The Unmediated Truth: Jeff Perkins reflects on the Quaker commitment to taking responsibility for one's beliefs, even when it comes to the "taboo" topic of money.
Decolonizing Power: Traci Hjelt Sullivan discusses how Right Sharing of World Resources is shifting power from Western offices to local coordinators, moving from "saviorism" to genuine partnership.
Ownership as a Tool: We explore how holding onto shares in a company (rather than just divesting) can be a powerful way to "hold the door open" for justice in corporate boardrooms.
Our Guests
Jeff Perkins
Jeff is the former executive director of Friends Fiduciary. He is a member of Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting in Philadelphia and lives in Philadelphia with his husband. His journey to Quakerism began at a nuclear test site protest in the 1980s, where the integrity of Quaker activists inspired his lifelong commitment to faith-led action.
Traci Hjelt Sullivan
Traci is the executive director of Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR). With decades of non-profit management experience, including roles at Pendle Hill and Friends General Conference, Traci brings a global perspective to her work, having lived or worked in Ethiopia, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, and beyond. She is a member of Green Street Meeting in Philadelphia.
Nathan Kleban
Nathan is the program and advancement associate at RSWR. His background includes serving as an environmental volunteer with the Peace Corps in Mali and working with the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP). He currently lives in Iowa City, Iowa.
Amy Carr
Amy is the senior shareholder advocate at Friends Fiduciary. She utilizes her background in information science and data research to engage companies on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) issues, bringing Quaker values to the forefront of corporate dialogue.
Organizations Mentioned
Friends Fiduciary Corporation: A Quaker nonprofit providing professional investment and planned giving services to Friends meetings, schools, and organizations.
Right Sharing of World Resources: An organization providing seed grants to women’s self-help groups in the Global South, rooted in the Quaker testimony of simplicity.
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): A Quaker organization working for social justice, peace, and humanitarian service around the world.
Disclaimers
Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee.
Investment Disclaimer: Friends Fiduciary unites Quaker values with expert investing. However, the information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, financial, or tax advice. Please consult with a professional financial advisor regarding your specific situation.
Question for Listeners
How do you balance "expert advice" with your own spiritual leadings when it comes to your money? Have you ever felt a "dissonance" between your investments and your values?
Share your thoughts!
Leave a voicemail: Call 215-645-0132
Email us: [email protected]
Social Media: Respond to us on Facebook or Instagram.
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Quakers Today and Friends Journal are not a registered entity and are not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.
20 min
April 14Quakers, Money, and the Priesthood of All Believers
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 Tucho' Ethan Birchard, Traci Hjelt Sullivan (Right Sharing of World Resources), Nathan Kleban, and Lisa Graustein.
Disclaimers:
Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This episode is for educational purposes and does not constitute specific financial or investment advice.
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Quakers Today and Friends Journal are not a registered entity and are not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.
18 min
March 17Sexuality, Gender Identities, and Quakers
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:
Friends Fiduciary
American Friends Service Committee
Transgender Identity and the Church
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."
Healing Through Song
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.
Takeaway: Music can serve as a vessel for collective healing during times of profound community trauma.
Link: John Calvi’s Website
Horror as a Tool for 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.
Takeaway: We need stories that acknowledge the "horrible times" we live in to find the courage to move through them.
Link: The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala
Community Beyond the Binary
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
Thank You Notes from the Future
Last month, we asked: If you received a thank-you note from 100 years in the future, what are they thanking you for?
Teacher Margaret (Email): Thanked for providing a "sheltering wing" for a child in turmoil whose descendants are now thriving.
BearCloverCA (TikTok): Thanked for planting native plants and minimizing waste to preserve the Earth.
Daniel Cummings (Social Media): Thanked simply for "not giving up."
ROmAnA (Social Media): Thanked for breaking a cycle of trauma and being a "good mom."
Question for Next Month
What insights or practices guide your relationship with finance today?
Share your thoughts:
Leave a voicemail: Call 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)
Email us: [email protected]
Social Media: Respond on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Sponsors
Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:
Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.
50 min
February 17Quakers and Finding Your Center in Turbulent Times
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:
Friends Fiduciary
American Friends Service Committee
The Chemistry of Fear and the Choice to Love
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
Remaining Steady with Adrian Glamorgan
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.
Read Adrian's article: “The Devoted Path,” December 2024 Friends Journal
Bridging the Divide: Kat Griffith
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.
Watch the Video: How to Bridge the Political Divide Through Faith
Reviews and Recommendations
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.
Read the full review: Friends Journal Book Review
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
Answer our Monthly Question. Imagination Required!
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:
Voicemail: Leave a message at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Add +1 if calling from outside the USA.
Email: Click here to email the show
Social Media: Find us on TikTok, Instagram, and X.
You can follow Peterson on Bluesky and Facebook.
Listener Voices: How do you stay steady?
Special thanks to our social media contributors and listeners for sharing the practices that anchor them:
Pumanti: Transparency in politics.
MemawClaus: Making something from scratch.
Copperkey13: Breathing.
Jenny Okamoto: Dogs and a crackling fire.
TransQuakerism: Assembling and painting miniatures.
Andy: Taking prescribed medications.
Catherine Habegger: Deep breathing.
Sheila Garrett: A Thich Nhat Hanh meditation practice: “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.”
Thanks also to Manda.and.her.menagerie, Youngfriendsmke, sarahmudd60, Gail, Rejena, Tom, Richard, and everyone who left voicemails and answered on social media.
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:
Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.
For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.
30 min
January 20Quakers and Jiwasa: Moving from I to We
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
Jonny Appleseed (Novel)
By Joshua Whitehead (they/them)
A beautifully fragmented story about a Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer person navigating life in Winnipeg. The title ironically reclaims a settler-colonial myth to tell a raw story of modern Indigenous identity.
Coyote & Crow (Tabletop Role-Playing Game)
Created by a team of over 30 Indigenous creators
Set in an "Indigenous Futurism" world where the Americas were never colonized. This RPG focuses on community, advanced technology, and spirits in a world where history took a different path.
Drama & Performance
The Thanksgiving Play (Play)
By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation)
A biting, hilarious satire that made history as the first play by a Native American woman on Broadway. It follows four well-meaning white people trying to create a "politically correct" Thanksgiving play for a school.
The Rez Sisters (Play)
By Tomson Highway (Cree)
A modern classic of Indigenous drama. It tells the story of seven women on a reserve who dream of winning "the biggest bingo game in the world." It’s a powerful blend of humor, tragedy, and the supernatural.
Mary Kathryn Nagle: Land Sovereignty and Indigenous Women’s Rights (Podcast/Interview)
Produced by Peterson Toscano for Citizens Climate Radio
A deep-dive conversation with Cherokee playwright and attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle. She discusses how her plays, like Sovereignty and Manahatta, serve as "living law," using the stage to advocate for tribal jurisdiction and the safety of Indigenous women.
Music & Audio
Come and Get Your Love (Song)
By Redbone
The 1974 hit that made Redbone the first Native American band to reach the top five on the Billboard Hot 100.
Forged (Podcast)
CBC Listen / Host: Adrian Stimson
A gripping series exploring a massive art fraud ring involving the works of Norval Morrisseau, the "Picasso of the North."
Literature & Thought
Sacred Instructions (Book)
By Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset)
A roadmap for "spirit-based change" drawing on Penobscot ancestral wisdom to address modern crises.
Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Scholar & Musician)
A Diné (Navajo) and Cheyenne artist whose work blends hip-hop with traditional acoustics and ecological activism.
Digital Culture & Media
Trixie Mattel: Root Maintenance (Video/Q&A)
The world-famous drag queen discusses her biracial Ojibwe heritage and navigating identity in the public eye.
Rez Ball (Film)
Produced by LeBron James and Sterlin Harjo
A 2024 film following a Navajo high school basketball team, capturing the unique, fast-paced style of "Rezball."
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?
Leave a voice memo at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)
Email us at [email protected]
Sponsors
Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:
Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.
For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.
23 min
December 16, 2025Quakers: What Do We Believe?
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?
Jeremy shares how Quaker history helped him understand the "Great Apostasy" as the moment the church merged with political power.
Zoe discusses moving from "religion as harm" to religion as a positive force for community.
Creative Decorating reflects on the mind-blowing concept of "that of God in everyone."
Resources Mentioned:
QuakerSpeak Video: Do All Quakers Hold the Same Beliefs? (Featuring Adam Segal-Isaacson): quakerspeak.com/video/do-all-quakers-hold-the-same-beliefs
Read Jasson's Article: "You Will Be Told What You Must Do" in Friends Journal: friendsjournal.org/you-will-be-told-what-you-must-do
Pendle Hill Pamphlet: Awakening the Witness by Matt Rosen: pendlehill.org/product/awakening-the-witness-convincement-and-belonging-in-quaker-community
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).
Friends Fiduciary provides professional investment management for Quaker organizations, uniting financial goals with Quaker values. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.
AFSC works to challenge injustice and build peace. Their "North Star Vision" calls for transformative alternatives to prisons and policing. Learn more at afsc.org/NorthStar.
For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.
29 min
November 18, 2025Quakers and the Mystery of Worship
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."
Read a review of Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship by Paul Buckley at FriendsJournal.org.
Learn more about Rhiannon Grant’s book and other Quaker Quicks at QuakerBooks.org/Collections/Quaker-Quicks.
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.
You can watch the full video of Paula Christophersen on YouTube or at QuakerSpeak.com.
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.
Anne E.G. Nydam's story, “The Conduits”, reveals the flow of connection in meeting through glowing lines of light.
Peterson shares two of his short stories! “Penn’s Spring”, uses a mysterious, unexplained wet patch on a meetinghouse wall to represent a spiritual movement in a "stagnant and dry" meeting. “What Is Actually There” features a high-schooler named Jordan reflecting on the enduring effort of the Quaker path.
“A Fine Showing for the Court of Owls” by Jonathan Doering is a story about the radical Quaker abolitionist Benjamin Lay.
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.
This month’s fictional “Quakers” include: Pooh Bear, Maisie Dobbs, Gumby, Ted Lasso, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, WALL-E, Stevens from The Remains of the Day, and Dorothea from George Eliot's Middlemarch.
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.
For over a decade, the American Friends Service Committee has provided technical and strategic support for divestment campaigns around the world. Today, AFSC’s Action Center for Corporate Accountability aims to expose and reduce corporate complicity in mass incarceration, immigrant detention, border militarization, and the Israeli military occupation. Visit investigate.afsc.org and find resources to help you divest from corporate-sponsored state violence.
Friends Fiduciary is a Quaker non-profit offering cost-effective, professional investment services to Friends meetings, churches, schools, and organizations. We offer five value-aligned portfolios, managed by 12 SEC-registered firms. We screen every holding for Quaker values, engage in shareholder advocacy, and in 2024, distributed $16 million to our constituents. Learn more about us at FriendsFiduciary.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.
33 min

About Quakers Today

From the publisher's feed

Quakers Today explores Quaker thought, faith, and action for everyone seeking to deepen their spiritual life and navigate our changing world. In Season Six, we’re going "into the wallet." Host Peterson Toscano is joined by new co-host Diana Yañez, a certified financial planner and Quaker. Together, they explore money not as personal math, but as a spiritual practice. From reparations to ethical investing, we dive into "The Priesthood of All Believers, Economics" to learn how to align our resources with our deepest values.