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… Continue reading Whose Friends are we?
Tag: bible
I’m writing another book!
Great news! I've just signed a contract with Broadleaf Books to write the tentatively titled "Unapologetic: a queer Quaker approach to the Bible." I'm beyond thrilled.
Why God’s wrath and vengeance is necessary
I’m sure there are many of my fellow Quakers who would say that wrath and vengeance cannot possibly be part of who God is, particularly the God revealed in the life of Jesus. But what if wrath and vengeance are actually necessary aspects of the Divine? What if divine anger and retribution are good things?
Is love the central message of the New Testament? A comment on the 2025 BYM Epistle
The BYM Epistle is a letter that attempts to capture the essence and important themes of the gathering. The Epistle is sent to many other Yearly Meetings around the world, and is often read aloud in local Quaker meetings throughout Britain. I want to remark on one sentence of the Epistle: ‘We are reminded that the central message of the New Testament is one of love.’ This statement may seem incredibly innocuous, or so obvious as to need no further comment. But this sentence needs our attention, as I think it’s haunted by the ghost of Judeophobia.
Desiring Jesus in a world of queerphobic Christianity
It’s no secret that Christians do terrible things, or that terrible things have been done in the name of Jesus and the Christian God. As a scholar of Christian theology and racism I know that Christianity has some serious problems. But recent events in my life have brought this truth home to me in a deeply personal way, to the point where I’m questioning whether, as a queer person, being a Christian makes any sense.
Opportunities to work with me in 2025
I’ve got a number of exciting online engagements lined up for 2025. Do come and join me!
Quakers and gift-giving
I've written a Thought for the Week in the Friend about festive gift-giving. You can read it here: https://thefriend.org/article/present-and-correct-mark-russs-thought-for-the-week
Advent Reflections Week 1 – The Ancestors
Part of a series of four Advent reflections centred on Mary and her song in Luke 1:46-55. "Her mercy is for those who fear herfrom generation to generation…She has helped her servant Israel,in remembrance of her mercy,according to the promise she made to our ancestors,to Sarah and Abraham and to their descendants for ever." I… Continue reading Advent Reflections Week 1 – The Ancestors
The good news of sin
I want to talk about sin. Depending on what type of Quaker you are, this may seem a very un-Quakerly thing to do. The Quakers I know in Britain hardly talk about sin at all, and the first Quakers of 17th century England were very wary of anyone putting too much emphasis on sin, like the Puritans. Quakers accused Puritan ministers of “preaching up sin,” weighing people down rather than directing them to the liberating Light of Christ. I’m not a Puritan, but in this post I write about sin, and about how deeply it dwells in our flesh, so deep that escape in this life is very unlikely. I hope my Quaker forebears can forgive me.
God doesn’t require suffering: a message for St Patrick’s Day
I believe that God can bring good out of evil. God can take the worst things and grow something good from that soil. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us finding meaning and hope in our suffering. But that’s a different thing entirely to saying that God requires evil and suffering in order to bring about good. That isn’t the God I worship. The God of Jesus Christ wants us to have abundant life and wipe away every tear from our eyes. This God doesn’t hurt us and tell us it’s for our own good.
Jolly Quaker 