Quakers: a Cul-de-sac?

Now after I had received that opening from the Lord that to be bred at Oxford or Cambridge was not sufficient to fit a man to be a minister of Christ, I regarded the priests less and looked more after the dissenting people... As I had forsaken all the priests, so I left the separate preachers also, and those called the most experienced people; for I saw there was none among them all that could speak to my condition. And when all my hopes in them and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing outwardly to help me, nor could tell what to do, then, oh then, I heard a voice which said, 'There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition', and when I heard it my heart did leap for joy. Then the Lord did let me see why there was none upon the earth that could speak to my condition, namely, that I might give him all the glory; for all are concluded under sin, and shut up in unbelief as I had been, that Jesus Christ might have the pre-eminence who enlightens, and gives grace, and faith, and power. Thus, when God doth work who shall let [i.e. hinder] it? And this I knew experimentally. Journal, 1647 (from Quaker faith and practice).

This is the pivotal moment for Fox when Christ spoke to him and addressed his long religious struggle. Up to this point it would seem that Fox was suffering from a chronic depression which wasnt helped by any of the religious and non-religious people he sought out. In fact, because they couldnt help, he dismissed them as ineffective and without true faith. Following his Damascus road experience, Fox enters his manic phase and races round the country preaching his newly discovered ideas, and later travelling abroad as well. Two principles seemed to have been welded together by Fox. Firstly, from his own experience, that Christ could speak directly to the individual, and secondly, that meetings for worship should be silent unless Christ encouraged a vocal ministry. The latter he borrowed from the practices of a small sect called the Seekers. Given that England was in a state of religious and political turmoil, Foxs ideas found a receptive audience and many became what were later known as Quakers. Many individuals in the country had sought democratization by supporting Oliver Cromwell rather than the king. Similarly many wanted religious freedom from the hierarchical churches. Val Webb in Stepping out with the Sacred (2010) p38, makes the comment: The Reformation also challenged the Churchs control of GOD and moved the place of engagement to scripturepeople could read for themselves, guided by GODs Spirit...While such translations (of the bible)were revolutionary, in practice the authority to interpret GOD simply shifted from Catholic Church to Protestant preacher since so many could not read. More radical reform groups, however, preached that the Divine engaged the individual soul directly ...Quakers believed that everyone had direct, unmediated access to the Divine by turning to their inward light. It is difficult to assess the general religious or biblical knowledge of the population at this time. Clearly some owned and read bibles, e.g. The clergy. The upper classes could read and many of them also had bibles. However I suspect that few, apart from intellectuals, engaged in systematic bible study, and there were few bible commentaries to consult. Although the Reformers would slowly increase biblical knowledge, they would also decry the biblical knowledge enshrined in stained glass windows, church furnishings and the liturgy. All told, literacy rates in England grew from 30 percent of about 4 million people in 1641 to 47 percent of roughly 4.7 million in 1696. (Timothy McSweeneys Internet Tendency). Although we can estimate the proportion of people who could read and write, we cannot make any assumptions about their faith or spirituality. Many did respond to Foxs preaching but many did not. Although Fox derided those who opposed him, he really wasnt in a position to gauge their faith even though he did so vociferously. In many ways his enthusiasm led him to excesses. 1

George Fox was well read in the bible, and found many insights within it. In Nigel Smiths George Fox the Journal (1998) p11, 12, 14: But I brought them Scriptures, and told them, there was an anointing within man, to teach him; and that the Lord would teach his people himself. And I had great openings concerning the things written in the Revelations... And when I had openings, they answered one another, and answered the scriptures: for I had great openings of the Scriptures. For though I read the Scriptures, that spake of Christ, and of God; yet I knew him not but by revelation, as he, who hath the key, did open, and as the Father of life drew me to his Son by his Spirit. Throughout his Journals Fox talks of his openings, which seem to be religious insights or revelations. Often they connect with Scripture in one way or another. However he insisted on the primacy of direct revelation to an individual over Scripture, a tenet still held in some measure by Quakers today. The primacy of direct communication with God as understood by Fox, as the sole method of revelation can no longer be considered valid given the history of revelation to individuals and our understanding of revelation/creativity/insight. In his work Art of Thought, Wallas presented one of the first models of the creative process. In the Wallas stage model, creative insights and illuminations may be explained by a process consisting of 5 stages: (i) preparation (preparatory work on a problem that focuses the individual's mind on the problem and explores the problem's dimensions), in some cases this stage is involuntary. (ii) incubation (where the problem is internalized into the unconscious mind and nothing appears externally to be happening), but some individuals may display extreme stress, (iii) intimation (the creative person gets a "feeling" that a solution is on its way), (iv) illumination or insight (where the creative idea bursts forth from its preconscious processing into conscious awareness); and (v) verification (where the idea is consciously verified, elaborated, and then applied). (Wallas' model is often treated as four stages, with "intimation" seen as a sub-stage.) Both George Fox and Paul/Saul exemplify this process. Prior to their metanoia, both individuals were immersed in a frame of mind in direct opposition to the final outcome. Their unconscious minds wrestling with what they didnt understand and trying to resolve the conflicting elements. Once confirmed in their new state of mind, with tensions resolved, they become tireless workers for the new cause. It is no surprise that a high proportion of individuals who experience these major life changes are considered manic-depressive or bi-polar. Fox promotes direct revelation because it spoke to his condition. Yet, from a psychological point of view, all revelation comes to us via the conscious or unconscious mind. Foxs profound Eureka experience blinded him to the fact that other Christians have their own Eurekas by other routes. A modern list of Gods channels of communication, off the Internet, is printed below:

1. Through the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16, Psalm 119:11, 105): This is the most clear and effective way of Gods communication with his people. If you want to know how things work perfectly, you need to read the manual. The Bible is Gods manual for his people. But as in case with other manuals, we often ignore it. How often do we try everything else, but his words? 2. Through the inner still, small voice of Holy Spirit (Acts 11:12, Acts 13:2, Acts 16:6-7, 1 Kings 19:12, Isaiah 30:19-21) 3. Through the advice and counsel of men and women of God (Prov 12:15) 4. Through the Audible Voice of God (Acts 9:4-5) 5. Through Dreams (Matthew 1:20-21) There are many instances in the bible, when God clearly communicates through dreams.
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6. Through Visions (Acts 10:9-18) 7. Through Angels (Luke 1: 26-38) 8. By circumstances/coincidences: There is a danger though, letting mere circumstances run our lives. You might misinterpret the situation. So be wise with regards to your circumstances and God speaking to you through them. 9. By Inner Conviction and Peace: It is similar to the inner still, small voice of Holy Spirit. God can give you deep conviction and inner peace about something. 10. One could also add the Arts and the Natural World as other avenues of divine communication.
It is inevitable that God uses our minds to communicate. Our minds: vocabulary, ideas, concepts, understanding, experiences. We may have a sense of Gods revelation from listening to music, reading the bible or even a secular book, talking to others etc. etc., but always in terms of what is already latent in our minds. All these and others can result in a Eureka experience. Very common amongst mainstream Christians is the experience of a text from the bible jumping out and providing an answer to a situation they are experiencing. Although they may not use the expression speaking to their condition this is exactly that. Sensing God speaking through a text is no different from hearing him as an inner voice. In both instances God is communicating via our minds! Fox was in error to only highlight direct revelation, as this is probably one of the least frequently used routes by God. He was also in the wrong to proscribe how God communicates with individuals: hubris par excellence and probably related to his mania. It is surprising that Quakers, in their 350 year history, have not addressed, as far as I know, these flaws in Foxs arguments. However, I would suggest that there are some changes in Quaker practice which reflect a growing dissatisfaction with Foxs original position. For Fox, the only valid way to communicate with God was to hear directly, by passively listening. This was his own experience, and being so profound, it encouraged him to dismiss any of the other methods of spiritual communication. However Jews and Christians down the ages have vouched for the efficacy of other methods as well and increasingly Quakers are exploring other spiritualities. In the twenty first century the majority of Quakers have abandoned the silent meeting and have opted for some form of programmed meeting. In the main it is British Quakers who still remain traditional, but even here Quakers are questioning the tradition. Kenneth C Barnes wrote in The Creative Imagination (1960) p61: The Quaker method of worship, receiving no help from symbol or physical activity, requires both freshness and relaxation if it is to be successful. We speak of centering down with such gravity that in the effort to achieve it we sometimes find ourselves groping in a bottomless pit. We should ask ourselves if worship should always be so solemn, if there ought not to be room for spontaneity and even laughter. Alex Wildwood in A faith to call our own (1999) p98: I long for us to promote a cosmological sense of religion, bringing together science, mysticism and the creative arts in experimental worship, in new forms of celebration and lamentation needed in these exciting and threatening times... Both writers seem to feel a need to break out of the constraints of the traditional Foxian Meeting for Worship. In other areas too, Quakers have moved on in their 350 year old history. The arts, which were once regarded as pernicious distractions, are accepted as insightful and valid in their own right. In their personal spirituality Quakers often go beyond Foxs constraints, as can be seen by the entries in Christian Faith and Practice. With the increase of vocal humanist Quakers, Foxs insights may well be re-interpreted in terms, not of revelation and the Spirit, but of creativity, insight, imagination and rationality. In many ways a psychological vocabulary parallels the theological one, but they ultimately part company over the question of the nature of being: the God question. Most certainly the silent meeting and vocal ministry will require a new understanding. Whether Quakers move out of Foxs cul-de-sac remains an open question.