Thee Quaker Podcast

Quakers believe in loving your neighbor, but what is a peace-loving Friend to do when their city is invaded by armed forces intent on violence? For this week’s episode, we bring you a special conversation with four Quakers from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul who have been wrestling with just that.    Notes: Three of our guests are active in ISAIAH, a "statewide multiracial group of fai...

This week, we take a field trip to Marlborough Meeting in Kennet Square, PA. Step inside a Conservative Quaker meeting with us to witness a commitment to simplicity and integrity that has endured for centuries. Discover why the ancient instruction to 'stand still' might be the exact antidote to our modern exhaustion.   Want to discuss today’s episode? We created a space for connection, not just co...

In a world often governed by force, Quakers have stood apart for centuries with a radical commitment to peace. But this isn't just a political stance; it is a spiritual practice that challenges us to see the Divine in everyone—even our enemies. This week, we dive into the history of the Peace Testimony and explore how its living wisdom can guide us through modern conflict.   Become a monthly suppo...

Season 3 continues next week! In the meantime, we are inviting you to join our new digital community on Discord, a private space where we can engage in deeper dialogue and help build a vibrant digital Quaker community. Think of it as a series of organized chat rooms that prioritize safety and quiet over the algorithmic outrage found on platforms like Facebook or X. You can find easy-to-follow inst...

‘Tis the season to answer one of the Internet’s most burning questions…Do Quakers celebrate Christmas? We called up Friends from around the globe to find the answer(s), and you might be surprised at what they say.  Become a monthly supporter!  Sign up for the Daily Quaker Message .

Zachary Moon was raised in a Quaker Meeting full of anti-war protesters. Then he felt God calling him to join the military as a chaplain. In the following months and years he had to wrestle with that leading and the response of his family and community. On this week’s episode, we ask, what happens when your calling seems to be in opposition to the thing that unites your faith community? And can yo...

It’s been a little over two years since we embarked on this journey to give Quakers a platform in the digital age.  We believe Quakers have something to offer in the 21st century , and by telling our stories and exploring our practices, we can both deepen and broaden the modern Quaker movement. This project— Thee Quaker Podcast —is part of our ecosystem of online Quaker media, along with The Daily...

Unlike many Christian traditions, Quakers have no creed. So one of the most commonly asked questions about us—What do Quakers believe?—is sometimes a difficult one to answer. We posed the question to long-time Quakers, new Quakers, Quaker scholars, and more. Join us as we explore this nuanced and rich discussion of Quaker beliefs. This episode was originally released on July 10, 2024. Check out ou...

Quaker author and activist Eileen Flanagan joins us to explore the wisdom that she has learned from her decades of experience in organizing around the climate crisis, and how that very crisis is exposing the “illusion of separation” in our times. Eileen helps us move beyond individual conviction to creating effective and diverse coalitions for positive social change. "Common Ground: How the Crisis...

It’s one of the most asked questions about the faith: “Do Quakers read the Bible?”. The answer is complicated, as this single book has been used as both a brutal weapon and a profound source of liberation. This episode dives into that paradox, examining a faith that places a living Spirit above the written word. This distinction gives people permission to wrestle with the text, to question its aut...

What does it mean to “conspire for goodness” in a fractured world? We visit the historic Valley Mills Friends Meeting to talk with pastor Rachel Doll O’Mahoney about the power of a community built on deep, authentic care. Then, we hear her surprising sermon that reclaims the word “conspiracy” as a radical invitation to breathe together for a more hopeful purpose. Become a monthly supporter! ...

The Quaker experiment at Eastern State Penitentiary was meant to be a sanctuary for the soul, a place to reform criminals through silence and reflection. Instead, it accidentally engineered a form of psychological torture: solitary confinement. This episode uncovers the complicated history of this "Great Experiment" and then journeys to the offices of AFSC Prison Watch, where a new generation of Q...

Using both the pulpit and the page, Quaker pastor Philip Gulley has been a bold voice that challenges the church’s stance on heaven and hell, LGBTQ issues, and more. As he’s seen greater censorship in the publishing world, Phil has moved to an online newsletter where he examines the rise of Donald Trump and calls on Christians to be more active in the pursuit of truth and justice. In this intervie...

Despair doesn't serve the world, but neither does cheap hope. So what's the alternative? Join Quaker musician and author David LaMotte on a journey from smoky bar gigs to the silence of a Quaker meeting to discover a powerful vision of "grounded hope" that confronts the myth of powerlessness. Stick around for profound insights and two live song performances that will leave you feeling a little les...

Quakers have a long tradition of worshipping in silence, but what really happens when the room gets quiet? In this episode of Thee Quaker Podcast we visit a silent Quaker Meeting for worship and find out for ourselves about this challenging, powerful, and ultimately freeing experience of trying to listen for the divine in a noisy world. Become a monthly supporter!  Sign up for the Daily Quake...

This week, we take you to New Garden Friends Meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina where pastor Brenda Esch delivers a deeply personal message about the fear and promise of new beginnings.  Become a monthly supporter!  Sign up for the Daily Quaker Message .

A group of Quakers embark on a grueling 300-mile walk from New York to Washington D.C. to deliver a powerful message to a government that doesn’t want to hear it. Their journey, inspired by a nearly 400-year-old act of solidarity, is unexpectedly thrust into the national spotlight when their quiet walk goes viral. This is a story about exhaustion, reluctant celebrity, and what happens when the end...

Sarah and Angelina Grimke were unapologetically anti-slavery and pro-women’s rights. Their convictions were driven by their faith in God, yet it got them booted from Quakerism, made their name a curse among their Southern peers, and even caused controversy among fellow abolitionists.  The Grimke sisters made history, yet their names have largely been forgotten. Today, we introduce you to these unl...

Todd Drake is a Quaker graffiti artist and printmaker who uses the street name "Quaker pirate". In this episode, Todd teaches the finer points of graffiti etiquette, explains the provocative inspiration for his new portrait of Benjamin Lay, and shares his philosophy of doing good without asking permission.   See his work here: https://quakerpirate.format.com/   Become a monthly supporter!  Si...

Benjamin Lay was a fierce abolitionist whose dramatic protests against slavery embarrassed the powerful Quakers of his day. They kicked him out and tried to erase him. This is the story of his return. Marcus Rediker's Books: https://www.marcusrediker.com/books/ Abington Monthly Meeting's Efforts Towards Reconciliation: https://www.abingtonquakers.org/Groups/380563/Benjamin_Lay_Reconciliation.aspx...

Quakers are widely known for being early and outspoken abolitionists, and while that is true, it is not the whole story. Join us as we explore the Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery, its delayed impact, and the people who continued to fight the good fight even after many believed that it was already won.    High Definition scan of the 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery The Gri...

Quakers have a long history of getting into trouble for the sake of justice, but what drives them to act? Why do some Quakers feel compelled to break the law, make public demonstrations, or disrupt business as usual? In this episode, we explore those questions through the story of Jane McCarthy, a 74-year-old grandmother with incurable cancer who is risking her home to protest her council's invest...

Season 3 of Thee Quaker Podcast is two short weeks away. Co-hosts Jon Watts and Zack Jackson take you on a tour of where the podcast has been and where it is going. This season we’ll focus on “Quaker prophetic witness”: We’re talking about guerilla theater, loving your enemy as you’re confronting them, impossible odds, and stories of spiritual courage that you’ve never heard before. Season 3 launc...

When the federal government rescinded a decades-old policy protecting houses of worship from immigration raids, a group of Quakers filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security. Their argument is uniquely Quaker: the threat of armed agents in their meeting houses creates a "chilling effect" that doesn't just lower attendance, it fundamentally obstructs their ability to worship, a pra...

In times of political upheaval, when institutions feel unreliable and the future uncertain, how do we resist authoritarianism without becoming what we oppose? Daniel Hunter, co-founder of "Choose Democracy" and seasoned organizer, shares how Trump's second election unexpectedly led him to claim his Quaker identity and discover how ancient Quaker principles provide a roadmap for modern resistance. ...