Announcements

Quaker History Roundtable: June 8–1, 2017

Overview

The 20th century was pretty busy for the USA: two world wars, plus Vietnam, Iraq, and many smaller “conflicts”; a Great Depression, long booms, sex, drugs & rock ’n roll.

It was busy for American Quakers too: among much else, several split yearly meetings came back together; others divided, and schismatic tensions persisted. American Quaker missionaries fanned out to many countries. An effort to move Toward A Quaker View of Sex set off a firestorm that’s still smoking.

Meantime, two Quaker presidents claimed to work for peace: one via treaties to outlaw war, the other through war toward what was called “peace with honor.” On other fronts, anonymous Friends revised the 1660 Peace Testimony so it fit recent pacifist notions; YouthQuake erupted and then fizzled; and someone else discovered that the “classic” Quaker testimonies could fit in a SPICE jar. The Society began to grapple with its mixed history on matters of race and other oppression.

Quakers even made it to the big screen a few times, from High Noon to Friendly Persuasion.

Busy indeed.

Yet surprisingly, nearly seventeen years into the next century, serious study of this packed Quaker era has so far been sparse and scattered. Thus the 2017 Quaker History Roundtable: here we hope to jump-start more extensive study and discussion (even, yes, debate) on this largely uncharted period in American Quaker history.

The Roundtable will bring together scholars and others with expertise on the forces that shaped (& reshaped & misshaped) Quakerism in the USA during the 20th century. The presentations will offer overviews, portraits of key Quakers, analysis of important groups and movements, controversies and conflicts, and provocative perspectives on the carryover from this intensely active period into our present situation.

Participants will accompany their presentations with prepared papers, intended for publication in a post-colloquium book. We also plan to use streaming technology to broaden the event’s reach and audience.

Format

The colloquium is sponsored by the journal, Quaker Theology (which began just in time, in 1999: www.quakertheology.org). The event is being organized by Chuck Fager, the journal’s Editor. It will gather on Thursday afternoon, June 8, 2017, at the Earlham School of Religion, in Richmond, Indiana. It will open with initial overview efforts, followed by a series of panels Friday and Saturday.

In addition to prepared presentations, feedback and discussion will be encouraged. As part of the closing session on Sunday June 11, participants will contribute to an agenda for continued study of 20th century Quakerism, for better understanding and constructive use of the experience by Friends and others. (A detailed schedule will be forthcoming as the list of Roundtable presentations takes shape.)

Followup

A book of papers will be produced after the conference; principal papers will also be posted on appropriate websites. We hope to have a video internet stream.

How to Participate: Call for Papers

We invite proposals of no more than one page in length describing a topic or thesis, outlining the research that will support it, and a brief autobiographical sketch of the author. We hope to elicit broad views, original insights, and searching examination, and will not shy away from controversial matters. This call is not limited to professional academics: we also want to hear independent, well-informed voices.

Arrangements

Up to twelve presenters will be selected from the proposals. Th selected presenters will be furnished with meals and lodging on campus during the Roundtable, and on publication of their finished paper, receive an honorarium of $200.

Target Date

Proposals should be submitted by January 21, 2017 but earlier is better. Send them to: chuckfager@aol.com. (And if you want to sit in on the sessions, let us know that too. There is no fee to attend, though meals will be charged at the Earlham College Food Service rates.)

2017 American Academy of Religion Boston, MA Quaker Studies Unit November 18–21, 2017

Race, Gender, Class: Quakers in the Public Sphere

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