Quaker Universalist Conversations

We Appreciate Your Support!


Dear Friends,

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed our free publications, our new blog, and the talks we’ve sponsored at Quaker gatherings. We are also pleased to announce two new free pamphlets online: “Universalism: the Hope of Humanity” by Philip Gulley and “Islam from a Quaker Perspective” by Anthony Manousos (see universalistfriends.org). We have been able to provide these services free of charge thanks to Friends like yourself, but now we must ask urgently for more help. We hope you will give as generously as you can so that we can continue to be the voice of Quaker Universalism.

When we first started the Quaker Universalist Fellowship in 1983, there were concerns that we might cause divisions among Friends. Instead, we have helped make the RSOF a more welcoming place for Friends of diverse beliefs — Jewish, Buddhist, non-theist and others. We have also helped to facilitate dialogue among Christian and non-Christian Friends, as Sallie King did in her recent pamphlet on fundamentalism.

We have been empowered by the prophetic vision of Universalist Friend John Linton, inspired by years of worshiping with Quakers in New Delhi, India — “a vision of harmony and peace that stretches back to the prophets of the past from every culture and looks toward union with the Light.” We have proclaimed for all to hear the unifying Quaker messages of silent listening to God, of expressing love through deeds, not words, and of reverence for the sacred life forces of this planet.

Today QUF is seeking ways to move beyond our Quaker circle and to respond to perilous challenges from religious extremists. Violent religious strife has become the norm in the post 9/11 world and the human family is threatened with destruction as never before. In order to promote interreligious harmony, we are publishing a new book this summer entitled “Quakers and the Interfaith Movement.” This will also be the title of a workshop that Anthony Manousos will lead at the Friends General Conference Gathering at Grinnell College in Iowa.

In sending out our messages by means of printed words, lectures, and now through the worldwide reach of the internet, the QUF depends on the dedication of a few volunteers and the contributions of many who share the vision. We have produced pamphlets and books that are available from a web site at and a semi-annual journal that has now been transformed into an interactive blog at . To Quaker audiences we have brought speakers like Bishop John Spong, theologian Marcus Borg, Quaker minister Philip Gulley, and author Elaine Pagels. On our blog we are now partnering with CIRC (the Christian Interfaith Relations Committee of Friends General Conference) to advance the understanding that peace, justice and love are inherent in all of the world’s great religious traditions and that Quakers must work with them to strengthen these forces.

In keeping with the faith of Friends, we have not accumulated resources for the future but have spent them as they came to us to realize our vision. We therefore depend on continuing contributions from those who are touched by our message. If you are among them, we ask you to send whatever contribution you can afford to our website (universalistfriends.org) which has a paypal button, or send a check to:

Quaker Universalist Fellowship

Larry Spears, Clerk

15160 Sundown Drive

Bismarck, ND 58503-9206

We appreciate your support!


Yours in  friendship,

Rhoda Gilman


The Quaker Universalist Fellowship is a donor supported (501c) charitable organization with all of its newsletters, journal articles, and pamphlets posted free on our expanded world wide website at www.universalistfriends.org. With your tax-deductible contribution, we plan to continue our publication efforts, to increase our advertisements in both Quaker and non-Quaker publications to direct seekers to our website publications, and to create a fund to provide honorariums and travel expenses for speakers at regional and national Quaker gatherings.
 To enquire about supporting QUF financially, email: treasurer@universalistfriends.org or see our website  universalistfriends.org for more information.

Last year we announced both the publication of the Quaker Universalist Reader Number 2: Universalism and Religions.

And last autumn we announced the third in the series of Quaker Universalist Readers: Universalism and Spirituality edited by Patricia A. Williams.

Both publications collect the writings of Quaker authors from Great Britain and the U.S. from both the Universalist Friends, the journal of the Quaker Universalist Fellowship, and the Universalist, the journal of the Quaker Universalist Group in Britain.

Purchase any of our publications at our new online bookstore: http://www.universalistfriends.org/Bookstore.html or at your local bookstore.


 

QUF is seeking manuscripts


The publishing arm of the Quaker Universalist Fellowship seeks publishable postings, essays, and manuscripts focused on universalist themes. Short articles, book reviews and critiques (<3000 words) could be published in the Journal, “Universalist Friends”. Full-length essays (9000 words) may qualify as a stand-alone QUF pamphlet. Longer manuscripts (60000 words) might be published as a QUF book. Send your essay/manuscript to qufbooks@universalistfriends.org
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