Burford Quakers and Other Faiths

The foundation of the interaction between Quakers and those of other faiths was laid at the outset when George Fox first exhorted Friends to answer ‘that of God in everyone’. Although Quakerism grew out of a Christian tradition there was recognition early in Quaker history that those who had not encountered the Christian faith or embraced it might yet be aware of the Spirit that moves in us all.

‘The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious, and devout souls are everywhere of one religion; and when death has taken off the mask they will know one another, although divers liveries they wear here makes them strangers.’

William Penn 1693

As the following quotation makes clear, early Friends did not adopt a patronising attitude to the faiths of those cultures that might have been considered more primitive than those arising from Western civilisation.

‘Love was the first motion, and then a concern arose to spend some time with the Indians, that I might feel and understand their life, and the Spirit they lived in, if haply I might receive some instruction from them, or they be in any degree helped forward by my following the leadings of the Truth amongst them.’

John Woolman (an American Quaker) 1763

This emphasis on love is to be found in other faiths and exemplifies the common ground shared by all great religions to which William Penn referred. The following is a quotation of a Hindu poet and teacher talking about another great Eastern faith, Buddhism.

‘When we find that the state of Nirvana preached by Buddha is through love, then we know for certain that Nirvana is the highest culmination of love. For love is an end unto itself. Everything else raises the question “Why?” in our minds, and we require a reason for it. But when we say, “I love,” then there is no room for the “why”; it is the final answer in itself.’

Rabindranath Tagore 1913

Burford Preparative Meeting is situated in rural Oxfordshire where the followers of faiths other than Christianity are rather rare. However until he moved to the south-west few years ago, one member of the meeting was active both as a Buddhist and a Quaker. During his years with us he wrote widely-read books on both faiths; we valued his experience and his ministry. On one occasion we helped a local Bahai family by making the Meeting House available for a funeral which some of us attended. Apart from these instances we have had no recent contacts with other faiths. We would be delighted to have non-Quakers, whatever their religious beliefs, attend our Meeting for Worship or to enter into dialogue with us in our study groups. We are actively engaged with other Churches in the area through Churches Together in Burford, Witney and in the Wychwoods. Once a month Prayers for Peace are held in the Meeting House and it is hoped to obtain some speakers from other faiths at those meetings.