Quakers and the Afterlife

In the comments under "Gathered in the Spirit", Kimberly (Ma) asked about the Quaker conception of Heaven and the afterlife. I decided to make the answer (such as it is) a separate post, so that I can easily link to resources for anyone interested. I'm no expert in the subject, and I've tried to frame my comments in a way that avoids making blanket statements about what any particular sect of Friends believe. Quakers are notorious for having a wide variety of takes on many issues of theology. Additional input from Friends in the comments is welcome.

First of all, there are several branches of Quakers, so it's hard to say what "Quakers" believe. Evangelical Friends would probably have beliefs about heaven, hell and salvation that are very similar to other evangelicals in the U.S. Among FGC (Friends General Conference) Friends (theologically liberal) and FUM (Friends United Meeting) Friends (with a theology somewhere in between -- "mainstream"?), I think there is a wide range of belief.

My Meeting is affiliated with FGC, and I suspect that few FGC Friends take a literal view of the Biblical descriptions of heaven and hell. Some would probably describe themselves as agnostic on the issue, not really knowing what the afterlife holds, but having some sense that there will be "something more" -- a union with God/Spirit/The Universe, or something similar. Those with a more traditional view of God and the afterlife probably believe something akin to the argument put forward by Phillip Gulley and James Mulholland, Quaker pastors in the moderate tradition. (I think they are affiliated with FUM, but I'm not sure about that.) They authored a compelling book on the subject of salvation: If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person. Their view of God and Christ is similar to most mainstream Christians, but as the title suggests, they reject the notion that those who do not accept salvation through Christ in this life will be thrown into a literal hell. I feel comfortable in positing that the views of most Quakers in my branch fall somewhere along a scale from the Gulley/Mulholland view to a serious doubt about the existence of any afterlife at all. (With lots of people somewhere in between.)

Quakers (of the liberal and perhaps moderate stripes) do tend to put more emphasis on the creation of God's Kingdom on Earth. Many would describe humans as being in "co-creation" with The Divine in this endeavor. In that sense, the Religious Society of Friends really is more of a "here and now" religion than many other Christian denominations in the United States.

Clear as mud? :o) Hope that helps answer Kimberly's question. If Quaker readers feel I've made a mis-characterization or have anything to add that might be helpful or interesting, please comment!

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