Quakers have always called each other ‘Friends,’ but what does this mean? Is ‘Friend’ just a quaint hangover from our past, or could it be a site of rich theological reflection?
Emerging from my PhD research on Quaker theology and Whiteness, I’ve developed an online course for Woodbrooke reflecting on what it might mean for Quakers to be friends of God, Christ and each other in the 21st century.
Over the course of 6 online sessions running on Monday evenings from 13 October to 17 November 2025, we’ll explore:
- What Quaker faith & practice says about being a Friend
- The preference for agape (self-less love) over friendship in European philosophy and Christianity
- An understanding of Friendship inspired by Black feminism and feminist theology
- The Christian mystical tradition and being a Friend of God
- What the New Testament says about friendship
- What it might mean for white, non-Jewish Quakers to be friends of the Black, Jewish Jesus
If you’re interested in Quakerism, theology and antiracism, do join me for a stimulating and provocative learning opportunity.
Book your place at https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/whose-friends-are-we/
Jolly Quaker 
Looking forward to it!
❤️
Do people use it ironically, I wonder. Cornel West calls everyone, including those he has deep disagreements with “Brother”. I sometimes wonder if he is doing this to wind them up.
I’ve heard (and possibly used!) “friend” in a similar way online. As in I’m in a silly discussion which is getting heated despite being objectively a minor issue. So I start a reply saying “Friend..” as a reminder to everyone else to cool it and a reminder to me that the person I disagree with is not an enemy. And maybe also to wind them up a little.