Chester Quarterly Meeting (Quakers)

Quakers and Peace

From early in our 350 year history, Quakers have taken a clear stand for peace. The words we have written, and action we have taken in opposition to war and in support of peace, have come to be known as ‘the Quaker peace testimony.’

The peace testimony is often identified with a declaration by early Quakers in 1660 (see below) but it has always been more than that. It is an active expression of our understanding of the nature of how we should live in this world; an understanding that comes from our experiences of meeting together in worship. It is an evolving expression of an insight at the heart of our approach to faith, challenging us in every generation. It is not simply about international conflict, but also about building peace and challenging the causes of violence in our everyday lives. Quakers engage with the transforming power of nonviolence at every opportunity.

We try to live out our commitment to peace individually and together. Sometimes, we set up and support long-term Quaker action as an expression of our peace testimony. For example, we develop and support alternative ways of resolving and engaging in conflicts, and work for a reduction in armaments in the world and a change to the conditions and circumstances that lead to war. At other times, simply ‘bearing witness’ to a different way is all we can do as individuals. But this too is an important part of our testimony.

It is important to realise that there is no requirement for individual Quakers to be pacifist; Quakers do not subscribe to creeds and there is no need to be in unity with other Quakers on every issue to be part of our meetings. Although Quakers have a long-standing concern for peace, the consequences of our peace testimony are not simple, and Quakers will have different understandings of what to do in any given situation.

Declaration to Charles II, 1660

"Our principle is, and our practices have always been, to seek peace, and ensue it, and to follow after righteousness and the knowledge of God, seeking the good and welfare, and doing that which tends to the peace of all. All bloody principles and practices we do utterly deny, with all outward wars, and strife, and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever, and this is our testimony to the whole world. That spirit of Christ by which we are guided is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil, and again to move unto it; and we do certainly know, and so testify to the world, that the spirit of Christ which leads us into all Truth will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world.

"And as for the kingdoms of this world, we cannot covet them, much less can we fight for them, but we do earnestly desire and wait, that by the word of God's power and its effectual operation in the hearts of men the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, that he might rule and reign in men by his spirit and truth, that thereby all people, out of all different judgments and professions might be brought into love and unity with God and one with another, and that they might all come to witness the prophet's words, who said, 'Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more'. (Is 2:4; Mic 4:3)"

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