Quakers Today

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 depth to a story often overlooked. We also hear from Ollie, a British Quaker and creator of the popular YouTube channel Quake It Up [https://www.youtube.com/@Quake-It-Up]. In conversation with Peterson, Ollie explores the role of the Bible in liberal Quakerism, what happens when scripture is weaponized, and how we can find spiritual grounding beyond the written word. This episode delves into the complications and possibilities of engaging with sacred texts, especially for those who have felt harmed by them. It also celebrates the boldness of Mary and Martha in the Gospels, and the courage it takes to step outside of cultural norms in pursuit of truth. Featured Guests Fr. James Martin, SJ Editor-at-large of America Magazine [https://www.americamagazine.org/] and author of Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/come-forth-james-martin?variant=40440856936482]. He also hosts the Spiritual Direction podcast [https://www.americamagazine.org/thespirituallife]. Learn more at AmericaMagazine.org. Ollie from Quake It Up Quaker YouTuber and podcast host whose channel explores the faith and practice of liberal Quakerism. You can find Quake It Up [https://www.youtube.com/@Quake-It-Up] on YouTube, Instagram, and Bluesky. Listener Question for Next Month 🎙️ What’s your favorite Quaker term or phrase? Something common among Friends, but maybe a little odd to outsiders? Leave a voice memo with your name and location. Call 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). If you're outside the U.S., dial +1 first. You can also send your answer via email or on social media. Email: podcast@quakerstoday.org Resources 📖 Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/come-forth-james-martin?variant=40440856936482] – by Fr. James Martin 🎥 Quake It Up on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@QuakeItUp]📝 Friends Journal’s new Bible Study column [https://www.friendsjournal.org/departments/bible-study/]. We welcome your insights, your stories, and your questions. Transfigurations--Transgressing Gender in the Bible [https://youtu.be/-XXHAy7-J44?si=-NYaCFAzH5OQW_24] by Peterson Toscano. Available for free viewing on YouTube.  Episode Highlights * Spiritual Geography: Fr. Martin reflects on visiting the tomb of Lazarus in Al-Eizariya (Bethany), a pilgrimage site in Palestinian territory, and how this physical journey mirrors spiritual transformation. * Freedom as Disruption: Lazarus’s story reveals how resurrection is not just about life after death but the courage to leave behind shame and fear. * Mary at Jesus's Feet: Peterson and Ollie reclaim this story as one of gender expansiveness, courage, and spiritual authority. * Quaker Perspectives on the Bible: Ollie and Peterson explore the tension between inward spiritual authority and the cultural dominance of scripture—especially when it's used to exclude or harm. * New Life and Letting Go: What must we leave behind to embrace spiritual freedom? Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal [https://www.friendsjournal.org/] and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche McCall.

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 [https://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/] and part of the pastoral team at Iglesia Amigos de Indianapolis. Karla shares her eyewitness account of the 2023 Asbury University revival, a spiritual awakening that drew national attention and over 50,000 visitors. Next, we meet Hayden Hobby, a youth worker and worship leader in Richmond, Virginia. Hayden reflects on his journey out of a fear-based evangelical theology and into a more authentic, evolving faith. He reads from his essay, Surviving Religious Trauma: How I Left an Abusive God [https://www.friendsjournal.org/surviving-religious-trauma/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], published in the February 2023 issue of Friends Journal. Finally, Peterson takes listeners to Millville, Pennsylvania, where Millville Friends Meeting has taken bold steps to affirm LGBTQ+ people and all spiritual seekers. Inspired by a call from Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting [https://pym.org], the small rural meetinghouse—situated across from the local high school and next to a hilltop cemetery—crafted explicit welcome statements and is preparing to participate in PrideAPalooza 2025. The welcome statement for LGBTQ+ people reads:  At Millville Friends Meeting, we publicly recognize that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, asexual, and queer (LGBTQIA+) people have faced systemic exclusion, judgment, and harm—especially in religious communities. In light of this history, we affirm LGBTQIA+ people as full and valuable members of our spiritual community. Your presence, leadership, and gifts are cherished. You are welcome here. The general welcome statement reads: Millville Friends Meeting welcomes and embraces all peace-loving spiritual seekers. We are committed to creating a community where people of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual, romantic, or affectional orientations, immigration or refugee statuses, marital or family structures, economic situations, educational backgrounds, and physical, mental, or neurodiverse abilities are affirmed and valued. Each person’s spiritual journey is sacred. You are welcome here. The Millville Meeting commissioned graphic designer, Christine Bakke [https://www.christinebakke.com/], to create posters for the website, to hang inside the meetinghouse, and to post outside. Monthly Question What’s a favorite Quaker term or phrase that’s common among Friends but might sound strange to outsiders? Leave a voicemail or text us at +1 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377) or email podcast@quakerstoday.org. You can also post your answer on our social media sites. We’d love to hear from you! Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal [https://www.friendsjournal.org/] and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche McCall.

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 highlights the ongoing Quaker commitment to justice. You'll hear from: Max Goodman & Ross Brubeck: Attenders at Brooklyn Monthly Meeting who grew up at Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, and two of the core organizers of the walk. Diana Mejia and Stuart Sydenstricker: Quakers from Plainfield Monthly Meeting [https://icarusz.github.io/RahwayPlainfieldQuakers/], who lead Wind of the Spirit [https://wotsnj.org/en/], an immigration advocacy center.  Imani Cruz: Global Policy Coordinator for Migrant Justice at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). A Journey of Faith and Action for Justice This episode delves into the "Quaker Walk to Washington," a pilgrimage rooted in the historical fight for religious freedom and the Quaker testimony of peace and justice. The walk draws direct inspiration from the 1657 Flushing Remonstrance, a courageous declaration written for Quakers facing persecution in New Netherland. This document, which asserts the right to religious liberty and the protection of all people, served as a foundational text for the walk's purpose. The episode also connects the walk to a recent lawsuit filed by Quaker meetings against the Department of Homeland Security, challenging policies that undermine the sanctity of worship spaces. The 300-mile trek itself became a profound spiritual experience. The walkers reflect on the physical challenges and unexpected moments of deep connection, such as canoeing through dense fog—a powerful metaphor for walking forward in faith even when the path ahead is unclear. The walk fostered a sense of solidarity with migrants, mirroring their uncertain journeys, and demonstrated how Quaker meetings along the route extended radical hospitality and welcome, regardless of resources. Beyond the symbolic act of walking, the episode explores the practical dimension of Quaker witness. Imani Cruz from AFSC outlines current legislative efforts to advocate for just immigration policies, including resisting increased funding for immigration enforcement and championing the Sensitive Locations Act, which aims to protect places like houses of worship from immigration intrusions legally. The walkers brought their message of justice to Washington, D.C., culminating in a powerful symbolic act of nailing a contemporary remonstrance to a door on the National Mall. Question for Next Season: What is your favorite Quaker term that is common among Friends, but strange to outsiders? Share your response by emailing podcast@quakerstoday.org or call/text 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Please include your name and location. Your responses may be featured in our next season! Resources * To learn more about the Quaker Walk to Washington and read the two remonstrances, visit QuakerWalk2025.org [http://quakerwalk2025.org]. * Quakers Sue DHS over Immigration Enforcement and Religious Freedom from Friends Journal [https://www.friendsjournal.org/quakers-sue-immigration/] and QuakerSpeak [https://quakerspeak.com/video/quakers-sue-dhs-over-immigration-enforcement/] * Six Ways to Support Immigrants Right Now [https://afsc.org/news/6-ways-support-immigrants-right-now] by AFSC * Just Immigration [https://www.fcnl.org/issues/just-immigration] from FCNL   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 Four of Quakers Today was sponsored by American Friends Service Committee [https://afsc.org/] and Friends Fiduciary [https://friendsfiduciary.org/]. American Friends Service Committee: Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works at the forefront of many social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Find out more about how you can get involved in their programs to protect migrant communities, establish an enduring peace in Palestine, de-militarize police forces worldwide, assert the right to food for all, and more. Visit AFSC.ORG [http://afsc.org]. Friends Fiduciary: Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for fellow Quaker organizations.  Friends Fiduciary consistently achieves strong financial returns while witnessing to Quaker testimonies. They also help individuals support organizations they hold dear through giving strategies, including donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more about FFC’s services at FriendsFiduciary.org [http://friendsfiduciary.org]. Feel free to email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org with comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/].  Follow Quakers Today on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com], X [https://www.twitter.com], and visit us at https://www.quakerstoday.orgQuakersToday.org [http://quakerstoday.org].

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 [https://www.friendsjournal.org/honoring-god-with-our-substance/], “In a world as profoundly abundant as ours, it is a societal failure of monumental proportions that anyone go without safe and comfortable housing.” Sweet Miche: And he ends with this reminder from scripture and Woolman: “Think on these things and do them.” That’s what we’re exploring today—what it means to actually do something. In This Episode: Zae Illo, an Earlham School of Religion graduate and a longtime public theologian, shares how his lived experience of homelessness informs his ministry among unhoused neighbors in San Francisco. Outside the Friends meetinghouse, his laundry ministry provides more than clean clothes—it offers presence, listening, and dignity. Read his article: Laundry Chaplaincy for Unsheltered Souls [https://www.friendsjournal.org/laundry-chaplaincy-for-unsheltered-souls/] Sharlee DiMenichi, staff writer at Friends Journal, highlights how Quaker meetings across North America care for unhoused neighbors. From shelter partnerships in Arizona to memorials for unhoused Friends in California, her reporting centers spiritual practice and community action. Read her article: Solidarity with Our Unhoused Neighbors [https://www.friendsjournal.org/solidarity-with-our-unhoused-neighbors/] Michael Luick-Thrams reflects on Scattergood Hostel, the Iowa Quaker school that transformed into a refuge for Jewish children fleeing the Holocaust. Watch the QuakerSpeak video: Scattergood: A Quaker Response to the Holocaust [https://quakerspeak.com/video/hostel/] Read the book: Scattergood by H.M. Bouwman [https://www.friendsjournal.org/book/scattergood/] Book Review We feature Bird, Bee, and Bug Homes and Habitats for Garden Wildlife, a vibrant guide for helping our smallest neighbors. It is recommended for ages 6–12 and curious adults. Read the review: Bird, Bee and Bug Homes [https://www.friendsjournal.org/book/bird-bee-and-bug-houses-homes-and-habitats-for-garden-wildlife/] Monthly Question We asked listeners: Beyond a roof and four walls, what does the word “home” mean to you? Thank you to Mario, Sonia, Erin, and Ben for sharing heartfelt reflections. From childhood memories to chosen neighborhoods, your answers grounded this episode in personal truth. Next question: What is your favorite Quaker term—one common among Friends but strange to outsiders? Leave a voicemail at 317-QUAKERS or comment on our socials. Credits & Links * * Quakers Today is a podcast from Friends Publishing Corporation * Hosted by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche * QuakerSpeak Video recorded by Layla Cuthrell * Season 4 is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee * Music comes from Epidemic Sound. Closing song: Weather Any Storm [https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/RZI7R4iUkt/] by Cody Francis. * Visit QuakersToday.org [https://quakerstoday.org/] for a full transcript and more. * Learn more about Zae Illo at ZaeIllo.com [https://zaeillo.com/] Contact us: podcast@friendsjournal.org Season Four of Quakers Today is Sponsored by: Friends Fiduciary Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org. Feel free to email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org with comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/].  Follow Quakers Today on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/], and X [https://www.twitter.com/]. For more episodes and a full transcript of this episode, visit QuakersToday.org [https://www.quakerstoday.org/].

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 his perspective on the continued usefulness of organized religion, emphasizing the importance of bringing people together, respecting personal autonomy, and aligning its social efforts with the ethos of Jesus and radical love. Philip Gulley [https://philipgulley.com/] is a Quaker pastor, writer, and speaker from Danville, Indiana.  Gulley has written 22 books, including the Harmony series recounting life in the eccentric Quaker community of Harmony, Indiana, and the best-selling Porch Talk essay series. Gulley’s memoir, I Love You, Miss Huddleston: And Other Inappropriate Longings of My Indiana Childhood [https://philipgulley.com/books-by-philip-gulley/general/memoir/], was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Hor.  In addition, Gulley, with co-author James Mulholland, shared their progressive spirituality in the books If Grace Is True [https://philipgulley.com/books-by-philip-gulley/general/if-grace-is-true/] and If God Is Love [https://philipgulley.com/books-by-philip-gulley/grace-series/if-god-is-love/], followed by Gulley’s books If the Church Were Christian [https://philipgulley.com/books-by-philip-gulley/grace-series/if-the-church-were-christian/]and The Evolution of Faith. [https://philipgulley.com/books-by-philip-gulley/general/the-evolution-of-faith/] In  Living the Quaker Way: Timeless Wisdom For a Better Life Today [https://philipgulley.com/books-by-philip-gulley/grace-series/living-the-quaker-way/], Gulley offers the opportunity to participate in a world where the values of the Quaker way bring equity, peace, healing, and hope. In his most recently published non-fiction work, Unlearning God: How Unbelieving Helped Me Believe [https://pendlehill.org/product/unlearning-god-how-unbelieving-helped-me-believe/], Gulley describes the process of spiritual growth, especially the re-interpretation of the earliest principles we learned about God. Resources Here are some resources for friends in the process of unlearning and seeking spiritual growth: * Therapy * * * Therapy and spiritual growth can be deeply complementary. While therapy doesn't typically provide spiritual direction, it creates fertile ground for unlearning and spiritual development. You can use online therapist directories to find a therapist by location, insurance, specialty, cost, and more at Psychology Today [https://www.psychologytoday.com/], TherapyDen [https://www.therapyden.com/], or Open Path Psychotherapy Collective [https://openpathcollective.org/]. * Poets and Authors * * Audre Lorde is a profoundly influential Black lesbian feminist writer, poet, theorist, and civil rights activist. Her work powerfully explores the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability. You can read her essays in Sister Outsider [https://bookshop.org/p/books/sister-outsider-essays-and-speeches-audre-lorde/16589268?ean=9781580911863&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw--K_BhB5EiwAuwYoyq0FH0gXMazl3y8pigMN1C67OkehIGUk92zL9WTyN4jetojyCxXyhxoC2uEQAvD_BwE] and her "biomythography" Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. [https://bookshop.org/p/books/zami-a-new-spelling-of-my-name-a-biomythography-audre-lorde/9195798?ean=9780895941220&next=t] * Federico Garcia Lorca is one of Spain's most important poets and playwrights of the 20th century. His work is celebrated for its intense lyricism, surreal imagery, and passionate exploration of themes like love, death, desire, oppression, and Andalusian culture, particularly in works like Gypsy Ballads [https://bookshop.org/p/books/lorca-gypsy-ballads-robert-g-havard/21503663?ean=9780856684913&next=t] and plays such as Blood Wedding and The House of Bernarda Alba. [https://bookshop.org/p/books/three-plays-blood-wedding-yerma-the-house-of-bernarda-alba-federico-garcia-lorca/10383621?ean=9780374523329&next=t] * Walt Whitman is a central figure in American poetry, often called the "Bard of Democracy." Whitman revolutionized poetry with his use of free verse and expansive lines. His lifelong work, Leaves of Grass, [https://bookshop.org/p/books/leaves-of-grass-the-first-1855-edition-penguin-classics-deluxe-edition-walt-whitman/11696493?ean=9780143039273&next=t] celebrates the individual, democracy, nature, the body, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of all life, aiming to capture the diverse spirit of America. * Mary Oliver is an American poet who focuses on the natural world, particularly the landscapes of New England.  Her work finds wonder, spirituality, and profound insight in quiet observation and moments of attention to nature, inviting readers to connect more deeply with the world around them. * Christian Wiman is a contemporary American poet and essayist known for his unflinching honesty and intellectual rigor in exploring themes of faith, doubt, suffering (often drawing on his own experience with chronic illness), mortality, and love.  * Joy Harjo is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and served as the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate. Her work weaves together Indigenous history, spirituality, myth, social justice, resilience, and a deep connection to the land, often infused with the rhythms of music and prayer. * Akwake Emezi is a non-binary Nigerian writer and artist known for their powerful, innovative, and often genre-bending work. Their novels (like Freshwater [https://bookshop.org/p/books/freshwater-akwaeke-emezi/16609236?ean=9780802128997&next=t] and The Death of Vivek Oji [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-death-of-vivek-oji-akwaeke-emezi/13330817?ean=9780525541622&next=t]) explore complex themes of identity, spirituality (often drawing on Igbo cosmology), gender, mental health, trauma, and the body, challenging conventional Western frameworks of selfhood. * Elaine Pagels is a renowned historian of religion, particularly noted for her scholarship on early Christianity and Gnosticism. Her groundbreaking book, The Gnostic Gospels [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-gnostic-gospels-elaine-pagels/6719485?ean=9780679724537&next=t], brought non-canonical early Christian texts to wider attention, revealing the diversity of early Christian thought and exploring how political and social contexts shaped religious history and scripture. * LGBTQ+ film festivals are events dedicated to showcasing films by, for, or about queer individuals and communities. They serve as vital platforms for representation, providing visibility for filmmakers and stories often marginalized in mainstream media. These festivals (like Frameline [https://www.frameline.org/], Outfest [https://www.outfest.org/], NewFest [https://newfest.org/], and countless others globally) are also important spaces for community building and celebrating queer culture. * Quaker Voluntary Service [https://quakervoluntaryservice.org/] is a year-long program rooted in Quaker values. It brings young adults together to live in an intentional community, work full-time in social justice-focused non-profit organizations, and engage in spiritual exploration and leadership development, putting faith into action. Listener Responses We hear directly from Roxanne, who unlearned the idea that any single group holds the definitive spiritual answer, instead discovering valuable truths across diverse practices and traditions through their continuous seeking. On Facebook, friends shared their experience wrestling with the traditional ideas about God they grew up with. Many people mentioned letting go of a harsh or judgmental image of God, questioning core doctrines, and letting go of feelings of unworthiness. Thank you to Angela, Rae, Tim, Amy, Iris, Christine, Steve, David, Tyler, Joe, Deepak, and Whittier for sharing so openly with our question of the month. Question for Next Month Beyond a roof and four walls, what does the word 'home' mean to you? Share your response by emailing podcast@quakerstoday.org or call/text 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Please include your name and location. Your responses may be featured in our next episode. Quakers Today: A Project of Friends Publishing Corporation Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall. Season Four of Quakers Today is Sponsored by: Friends Fiduciary Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org. Feel free to email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org with comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com/].  Follow Quakers Today on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com], and X [https://www.twitter.com]. For more episodes and a full transcript of this episode, visit QuakersToday.org [https://www.quakerstoday.org].