Quakers Today

In this episode, special co-host Diana Yáñez and Sweet Miche explore the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. From the linguistic wisdom of the Aymara people to the radical call of liberation theology and the hard work of healing Quaker involvement in Indian Boarding Schools, we're asking what might happen to our faith if we start living from the "We" instead of the "I"?

Jiwasa: The Communal We with Rubén Hilari Quispe 

Rubén, an Aymara Quaker and linguist, introduces us to jiwasa – a concept of "we-ness" that includes humans, the environment, and even the objects around us. He invites us to sit with the unsettled feeling of language that doesn't center the individual. Read Rubén’s article, "Jiwasa, the Communal We" in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. You can hear an extended interview in Spanish with English subtitles at the Friends Journal YouTube page. 

Liberation Theology and the Inner Light with Renzo Carranza 

Guatemalan Friend Renzo Carranza explores how the Quaker Inner Light intersects with the radical tradition of liberation theology. Together, they form a call to action: to reinterpret the gospels from the perspective of the marginalized and transform society. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming the SPIRIT: Liberation Theology and the Inner Light” at QuakerSpeak.com.

Collective Relationship and Boarding Schools with Rachel Overstreet 

Rachel Overstreet (Choctaw Nation) discusses the history of Quaker Indian boarding schools. She suggests that the way forward isn't through individual guilt, but through collective relationship. Read Rachel’s article, “Speaking with Friends About Indian Boarding Schools” in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. Rachel writes the Native American Legislative Update, a monthly newsletter on the most important developments on Capitol Hill related to Indian Country. You can also write your Congressperson to cosponsor and pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. Find out more at fcnl.org/issues/native-americans.

Book Review: Chooch Helped 

Katie Green reviews a charming children’s book by Andrea L. Rogers and Rebecca Lee Koons (Cherokee Nation) that celebrates present-day Cherokee family life and love. Read Katie’s review of Chooch Helped in the January 2026 issue or at FriendsJournal.org.

Recommended Resources by Indigenous Creators

Jonny Appleseed (Novel)
By Joshua Whitehead (they/them)

A beautifully fragmented story about a Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer person navigating life in Winnipeg. The title ironically reclaims a settler-colonial myth to tell a raw story of modern Indigenous identity.

Coyote & Crow (Tabletop Role-Playing Game)
Created by a team of over 30 Indigenous creators

Set in an "Indigenous Futurism" world where the Americas were never colonized. This RPG focuses on community, advanced technology, and spirits in a world where history took a different path.

Drama & Performance

The Thanksgiving Play (Play)
By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation)

A biting, hilarious satire that made history as the first play by a Native American woman on Broadway. It follows four well-meaning white people trying to create a "politically correct" Thanksgiving play for a school.

The Rez Sisters (Play)
By Tomson Highway (Cree)

A modern classic of Indigenous drama. It tells the story of seven women on a reserve who dream of winning "the biggest bingo game in the world." It’s a powerful blend of humor, tragedy, and the supernatural.

Mary Kathryn Nagle: Land Sovereignty and Indigenous Women’s Rights (Podcast/Interview)
Produced by Peterson Toscano for Citizens Climate Radio

A deep-dive conversation with Cherokee playwright and attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle. She discusses how her plays, like Sovereignty and Manahatta, serve as "living law," using the stage to advocate for tribal jurisdiction and the safety of Indigenous women.

Music & Audio

Come and Get Your Love (Song)
By Redbone

The 1974 hit that made Redbone the first Native American band to reach the top five on the Billboard Hot 100.

Forged (Podcast)
CBC Listen / Host: Adrian Stimson

A gripping series exploring a massive art fraud ring involving the works of Norval Morrisseau, the "Picasso of the North."

Literature & Thought

Sacred Instructions (Book)
By Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset)

A roadmap for "spirit-based change" drawing on Penobscot ancestral wisdom to address modern crises.

Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Scholar & Musician)
A Diné (Navajo) and Cheyenne artist whose work blends hip-hop with traditional acoustics and ecological activism.

Digital Culture & Media

Trixie Mattel: Root Maintenance (Video/Q&A)
The world-famous drag queen discusses her biracial Ojibwe heritage and navigating identity in the public eye.

Rez Ball (Film)
Produced by LeBron James and Sterlin Harjo

A 2024 film following a Navajo high school basketball team, capturing the unique, fast-paced style of "Rezball."

Next Month’s Question

A central part of Quakerism is our commitment to peace. But that doesn't mean we should avoid conflict. In fact, it means we have a specific responsibility to it. What is a small practice that brings you a measure of peace or stability in the midst of conflict and turmoil?

Leave a voice memo at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)

Email us at [email protected]

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) tackle a question that seems simple but is actually quite complex: What do Quakers believe?

We explore the wide theological spectrum of the Religious Society of Friends from those who view the Bible as the inerrant word of God to those who may not believe in God at all.

A Smorgasbord of Beliefs

We hear from Adam Segal-Isaacson, a Friend from Brooklyn Meeting who was raised both Jewish and Quaker. Adam shares how he navigates his dual identity and offers a powerful metaphor about harmony versus monotony in worship. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video: Do All Quakers Hold the Same Beliefs?

An Evangelical Friend Among Liberals

Peterson sits down with Jasson Arevalo, an Evangelical Quaker from El Salvador and a student at the Earlham School of Religion. Jasson describes the "Programmed" tradition of his upbringing—complete with pastors and music—and his view of Biblical inerrancy. He shares his experience of studying alongside Liberal, Unprogrammed Friends and how curiosity and respect bridge the theological divide. Read Jasson’s article, "You Will Be Told What You Must Do," in the December 2025 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org.

Convincement and Belonging

What makes someone a Quaker? Is it a membership card or an internal shift? We review the new Pendle Hill pamphlet, Awakening the Witness: Convincement and Belonging in Quaker Community by Matt Rosen. The pamphlet explores the distinction between "convincement", the spiritual experience of becoming a Friend, and formal membership. Learn more at PendleHill.org.

Recommendation

Peterson recommends the Iranian film It Was Just an Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi. It is a darkly comic and morally complicated story about the long-term effects of trauma and the refusal to become like one's oppressors.

Listener Responses

We asked you: What do you believe now that you didn't believe before becoming a Friend?

Jeremy shares how Quaker history helped him understand the "Great Apostasy" as the moment the church merged with political power.

Zoe discusses moving from "religion as harm" to religion as a positive force for community.

Creative Decorating reflects on the mind-blowing concept of "that of God in everyone."

Resources Mentioned:

QuakerSpeak Video: Do All Quakers Hold the Same Beliefs? (Featuring Adam Segal-Isaacson): quakerspeak.com/video/do-all-quakers-hold-the-same-beliefs

Read Jasson's Article: "You Will Be Told What You Must Do" in Friends Journal: friendsjournal.org/you-will-be-told-what-you-must-do

Pendle Hill Pamphlet: Awakening the Witness by Matt Rosen: pendlehill.org/product/awakening-the-witness-convincement-and-belonging-in-quaker-community

Next Month's Question

We want to hear from you! What is something you learned in school about Native Americans or Indigenous peoples that you've since learned is not true? Leave us a voice memo with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content.

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

Friends Fiduciary provides professional investment management for Quaker organizations, uniting financial goals with Quaker values. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

AFSC works to challenge injustice and build peace. Their "North Star Vision" calls for transformative alternatives to prisons and policing. Learn more at afsc.org/NorthStar.

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) invite you to learn more about the sometimes baffling practice of silent worship. Whether you're a long-time Friend or someone who has never stepped into a mostly silent meeting, we are pulling back the curtain to explore what happens in our hearts, minds, and bodies when we sit together in worship.

The Purpose of Ministry

We speak with author Rhiannon Grant about her book, Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship: What, When, How, and Why. Rhiannon helps us understand the purpose of spoken ministry in the silent meeting, explaining how speech that deepens silence is a vital part of our shared spiritual practice. 

Quote: "The purpose of ministry then might be understood as deepening the silence of meeting for worship."

Read a review of Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship by Paul Buckley at FriendsJournal.org. 

Learn more about Rhiannon Grant’s book and other Quaker Quicks at QuakerBooks.org/Collections/Quaker-Quicks.

Our First Meetings for Worship

Peterson and Sweet Miche share their first experiences in Quaker worship: Peterson's search for community after 9/11 and Sweet Miche's feeling of guidance at Pendle Hill. We also hear from Paula Christophersen, a Quaker in Germany, who shared her first experience of ministry.

You can watch the full video of Paula Christophersen on YouTube or at QuakerSpeak.com.

Meeting for Worship with Attention to Worship

Peterson introduces a new format for meeting for worship he’s been experimenting with: Meeting for Worship with Attention to Worship. This model of worship uses the meeting's existing structure to guide newcomers by making the internal work of worship visible and conversational.

Quaker Fiction

We explore how writers use fiction and poetry to make the internal, mystical experience of worship visible.

Anne E.G. Nydam's story, “The Conduits”, reveals the flow of connection in meeting through glowing lines of light.

Peterson shares two of his short stories! “Penn’s Spring”, uses a mysterious, unexplained wet patch on a meetinghouse wall to represent a spiritual movement in a "stagnant and dry" meeting. “What Is Actually There” features a high-schooler named Jordan reflecting on the enduring effort of the Quaker path.

“A Fine Showing for the Court of Owls” by Jonathan Doering is a story about the radical Quaker abolitionist Benjamin Lay.

Read Quaker-themed fiction and poetry in the November 2025 issue of Friends Journal.

Listener Responses

Who is someone you’ve encountered in fiction that embodies Quakerness? The character could be from a book or movie. They could be a hero or even a minor character, and they do not need to be Quaker. 

This month’s fictional “Quakers” include: Pooh Bear, Maisie Dobbs, Gumby, Ted Lasso, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, WALL-E, Stevens from The Remains of the Day, and Dorothea from George Eliot's Middlemarch.

Next Month's Question

We want to hear from you! What do you believe now that you didn't believe before becoming a friend or before encountering Quakerism? 

Leave us a voice memo with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

For over a decade, the American Friends Service Committee has provided technical and strategic support for divestment campaigns around the world. Today, AFSC’s Action Center for Corporate Accountability aims to expose and reduce corporate complicity in mass incarceration, immigrant detention, border militarization, and the Israeli military occupation. Visit investigate.afsc.org and find resources to help you divest from corporate-sponsored state violence.

Friends Fiduciary is a Quaker non-profit offering cost-effective, professional investment services to Friends meetings, churches, schools, and organizations. We offer five value-aligned portfolios, managed by 12 SEC-registered firms. We screen every holding for Quaker values, engage in shareholder advocacy, and in 2024, distributed $16 million to our constituents. Learn more about us at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) explore the impact of affinity groups and how they provide a space for community and spiritual nourishment.

Affinity Spaces: A Sacred Necessity

African American Friends Vanessa Julye and Curtis Spence speak from the heart about why affinity spaces are sacred. Vanessa, Associate Secretary for Organizational Cultural Transformation at Friends General Conference, and Curtis, a writer and minister, share how these groups offer "soul rest," a place to breathe, and an opportunity to be fully seen without constantly centering polite white supremacy (PWS). Vanessa credits Yawo Brown as the originator of the phrase, “polite white supremacy.”

“I didn’t join a BIPOC Quaker affinity group because I had something to teach. I joined because I needed to breathe.” — Curtis Spence

“If there is a BIPOC person within Quakerism looking for a place where they can have more connections with other BIPOC people, there are resources out there... I hope there comes a time when we can stop justifying affinity spaces.” — Vanessa Julye

You'll hear excerpts from their influential articles in the October 2025 issue of Friends Journal:

Vanessa Julye, Affinity Spaces for BIPOC Friends: Healing from Polite White Supremacy Together [link to article at FriendsJournal.org]

Curtis Spence, We Gather to Affinity Worship and the Light That Disrupts [link to article at FriendsJournal.org]

Extended Conversation: Watch the full video conversation with Vanessa Julye and Curtis Spence on the Friends Journal YouTube channel. [insert hyperlink]

Environmental Justice & the Illusion of Separation

Writer and activist Eileen Flanagan shares wisdom from her new book, Common Ground: How the Crisis of the Earth Is Saving Us from Our Illusion of Separation. She connects the spiritual dilemma of loving one's neighbor with the urgent realities of the climate crisis, highlighting how environmental racism creates a shared, though unequal, stake in the fight for a habitable world.

“I boiled down my dilemma to a challenging theological question: How do I love my neighbor when he is killing my other neighbors?” — Eileen Flanagan

Learn more about Eileen, her tour, and her writing at EileenFlanagan.com.

Read a review of Common Ground by Rua Swinterfeld at FriendsJournal.org.

For one of her chapters, Eileen interviewed Daniel Hunter. Learn more about Daniel at DanielHunter.org.  

Resources for Community & Spiritual Nourishment

We share a few of the vibrant affinity spaces available online for Friends seeking deeper connection and specific spiritual community:

Ujima Friends Meeting: An online community of Friends of African descent. (Worship on Sundays, Prayer on Wednesdays). Visit UjimaFriends.org.

Three Rivers Meeting: An online queer Christian meeting. (Worship on Thursdays, Vespers on Sunday evenings). Visit ThreeRiversMeeting.org.

Quaker Discord Channel: An active app-based server with channels for Spanish-speaking Friends, queer Friends, disabled Friends, and more.

FLGBTQC, Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Concerns.  

Question for Next Month

Who is someone you’ve encountered in fiction that embodies Quakerness? The character could be from a book or movie. They could be a hero or even a minor character, and they do not need to be Quaker.

Leave us a voicemail with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

 

Sponsors

 

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary

 

Friends Fiduciary 

This season is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.

 

AFSC works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.

 

Did you know AFSC helped thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during World War II resettle in the U.S.? Today, AFSC works toward a future where everyone can thrive, has access to legal status, and is safe from detention and deportation.

 

 Learn how you can take action for immigrant safety, dignity, and well-being at afsc.org/stronger-immigrants.

 

Friends Fiduciary combines Quaker values with expert investment management. They serve more than 460 organizations with ethical portfolios, shareholder advocacy, and a deep commitment to justice and sustainability.

Friend Fiduciary blends Quaker principles with smart, mission-driven investing. With 100% of revenue supporting their mission and a 100% Quaker board, they help hundreds of faith-based groups invest ethically and affordably. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.

Did you know AFSC helped thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during World War II resettle in the U.S.? Today, AFSC works toward a future where everyone can thrive, has access to legal status, and is safe from detention and deportation.

Discover how you can take action for the safety, dignity, and well-being of immigrants at AFSC.org.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this premiere episode of Season Five, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche (they/them) explore the urgent question: How do we balance peace and protest in today’s world?

Prophetic Voices for Troubled Times
Australian Friend Greg Rolles shares his experiences with nonviolent direct action, police intimidation, and the risks of faithful disobedience. Arrested more than 25 times for his activism, Greg challenges Quakers to move beyond polite pacifism.

“Peace is not the same as passivity. We think that peace is about being polite and nice and being quiet in public spaces. But peace is proactive, and it calls us to take action and take risk.” —Greg Rolles

Greg’s article We Are Having an Effect: The Necessity of Spiritual Resistance in Climate and Justice Activism appears in the September 2025 issue of Friends Journal (add link to article at FriendsJournal.org). You can also watch the extended interview on the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink).

Quaker Renewal in a Fast-Moving World
Jade Rockwell, pastor at West Elkton Friends Meeting in Ohio, lifts up the role of renewal and revival in Quaker practice today.

“Our emphasis has shifted in the 21st century more towards being a people called to action. We’re living in a time when inaction is risky. If we’re not able to respond to our world, bad things can happen—and we may be morally responsible if we aren’t able to be active.” —Jade Rockwell

You can find more of Jade’s ministry in the QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming Quakerism in Troubling Times” at QuakerSpeak.com or on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel.

Anger, Grief, and Action
This month’s Friends Journal book review features Richard Rohr’s The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage (Convergent Books). Rohr highlights how the anger of prophets like Amos and Jeremiah matures into grief, then into transformative action. Read Wendy Cooler’s full review at FriendsJournal.org (insert hyperlink).

Game Recommendation
In addition to books, this season introduces a new segment: recommendations beyond the bookshelf. Peterson suggests Fate of the Fellowship, a cooperative board game by Matt Leacock, creator of Pandemic. Players work together in Tolkien’s Middle-earth to guide the Fellowship while resisting the growing Shadow. Learn more at BoardGameGeek or through major retailers.

Listener Responses
Friends share their favorite Quaker expressions—from “That of God in everyone” to “Hold you in the Light.” Eleanor from Colorado reflected,

“I think of all people as a Friend or a buddy. That framework helps me move through life more peacefully.”

Question for Next Month
Quaker gatherings often create space for specific affinity groups—such as Friends of Color, Young Adult Friends, or FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns).

We want to hear from you: How has being rooted in a small group changed the way you share your voice in bigger settings?

Leave us a voicemail or text at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Greg Rolles, We Are Having an Effect — Friends Journal (September 2025) [link]

QuakerSpeak video: Transforming Quakerism in Troubling Times — QuakerSpeak.com

Richard Rohr, The Tears of Things (Convergent Books) — [FriendsJournal.org book review link]

Fate of the Fellowship board game — BoardGameGeek

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Sponsors

Friends Fiduciary: Providing values-aligned investment services since 1898. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Working for peace, justice, and human dignity worldwide. Learn more at AFSC.org.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.