Quakers Today

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 equ...

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 in...

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 l...

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, a...

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 comm...

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 t...

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...

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. Th...

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 Organizati...

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? Prophetic Voices for Troubled Times 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...

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...

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 spirit...

In this special interim episode of Quakers Today, Sweet Miche shares how Quakers strive to embody religious freedom and the sacred right to provide sanctuary. We feature excerpts from the Quaker Walk to Washington, a remarkable 300-mile trek from Flushing, Queens—a place steeped in the origins of religious freedom in America—to Washington, D.C. This journey of deep spiritual conviction and witness...

the word “home” mean to you? From a laundry ministry on the streets of San Francisco to a Quaker refuge during World War II, Friends are reimagining what it means to offer shelter, connection, and belonging. Our episode gets its inspiration from the May 2025 issue of Friends Journal. Peterson: Gabe Ehri writes in the opening editorial , “In a world as profoundly abundant as ours, it is a societal...

Philip Gulley, Peterson, and Sweet Miche share their personal journeys of unlearning traditional theological concepts and reflect on what makes Quakerism a meaningful path to a more authentic faith. Gulley highlights fear as a significant motivator for religious beliefs and a tool for control and how the current political moment is a masterfully evil manipulation of human fears. Gulley also offers...

In this unedited conversation Philip Gulley, Peterson Toscano, and Sweet Miche share their personal journeys of unlearning traditional theological concepts and reflect on what makes Quakerism a meaningful path to a more authentic faith. Quakers Today: A Project of Friends Publishing Corporation Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and Friends Publishing Corporation content. It...

In this episode, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche (they/them) explore best practices for welcoming and supporting neurodivergent individuals in Quaker worship and educational settings. Poet and writer Kate Fox shares insights from her article " A Place of Unmasking ," drawing connections between early Quakers' spiritual practices and contemporary understandings of neurodiversity....

In this episode, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore the deep connections between Quaker spirituality, nature, and Indigenous wisdom. This episode features Gail Melix, an Indigenous Quaker who shares how walking in the woods transformed her experience of burnout into a practice of prayerful meditation. Paula Palmer examines the legacy of Quaker-run Indigenous bo...

 Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) look at how Quaker meetings align their financial practices with their values. The episode features Joann Neuroth sharing how Red Cedar Meeting in Lansing, Michigan, has shifted its financial priorities to work towards racial justice. Alicia Mendonca-Richards discusses how Quakers can embrace mystical knowledge to rethink our economy. You wil...

Co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore concepts of spiritual optimism and pessimism while navigating turbulent times. The episode features Adrian Glamorgan, who suggests Quakers can stay grounded and act faithfully during difficult times by embracing devotion. Additionally, we highlight the life of Minerva Hoyt, a pioneering conservationist who played a pivotal rol...

In this special episode of Quakers Today, we share a conversation from The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope . Host Dwight Dunston speaks with Dr. Riyam Kafri Abu Laban, an educator, writer, and former principal at Ramallah Friends School . From her home in Ramallah, Dr. Kafri Abu Laban reveals how Palestinian cuisine is deeply tied to identity, history, and resilience. Despite the challenges o...

In this special interim episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano (he/him) talks with Wendy Sanford (she/her,) one of the original creators of the groundbreaking book Our Bodies, Ourselves . Wendy shares her role in writing the first edition and reveals how each subsequent edition reflected the input from diverse voices. She discusses the importance of addressing issues of race, class, sexua...

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore how queer Quakers respond to climate change with joy, creativity, and radical inclusion. The episode features Damon Motz-Storey and Lina Blount, who delve into the intersection of queerness, spirituality, and climate activism. Miche and Peterson also review two books that provide fresh perspec...

In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “What does Quakerism have to offer society?” Co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore the concept of prefigurative practice within a Quaker classroom and beyond. What happens when students don't just learn about the future but begin to live it? They also feature queer Jewish poet Jessica Jacobs, who in her new book of poetry,...

In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “Who is a historical figure you admire but whose words or actions trouble you?” Co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) discuss the complex legacies of two notable Quakers: George Fox and Richard Nixon.  George Fox Johanna Jackson and Naveed Moeed are a part of this year's cohort of the Quaker Coalition for Uprooting Racism. They co...