Meredith Baldwin Weddle
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195131383
- eISBN:
- 9780199834839
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513138X.003.0016
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The Quaker peace testimony, like violence itself, is complex, encompassing many dualisms, such as its extreme individualism while asserting one Truth, the importance of motive as well as behavior, ...
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The Quaker peace testimony, like violence itself, is complex, encompassing many dualisms, such as its extreme individualism while asserting one Truth, the importance of motive as well as behavior, and the tension between private belief and public duties for magistrates (a tension resolved in favor of public duties). It is best described as a pacifist continuum, a line along which both belief and behavior fall, allowing for different parameters and even deep shifts in meaning over time. Thus, while the early Quaker peace testimony focused upon the purity of one's own soul, later Quakers expressed more concern for the victims of violence and for earthly justice. With this shift, the consequences of nonviolent behavior became more important, and spiritually based pacifism came to resemble secular pacifism, more strategic in nature. Quakers did not assume that aggression was necessarily dominant in human nature; rather, they believed that the transforming power of love itself might prevail over the evil within, one person at a time.Less
The Quaker peace testimony, like violence itself, is complex, encompassing many dualisms, such as its extreme individualism while asserting one Truth, the importance of motive as well as behavior, and the tension between private belief and public duties for magistrates (a tension resolved in favor of public duties). It is best described as a pacifist continuum, a line along which both belief and behavior fall, allowing for different parameters and even deep shifts in meaning over time. Thus, while the early Quaker peace testimony focused upon the purity of one's own soul, later Quakers expressed more concern for the victims of violence and for earthly justice. With this shift, the consequences of nonviolent behavior became more important, and spiritually based pacifism came to resemble secular pacifism, more strategic in nature. Quakers did not assume that aggression was necessarily dominant in human nature; rather, they believed that the transforming power of love itself might prevail over the evil within, one person at a time.
RICHARD S. DUNN
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198202295
- eISBN:
- 9780191675270
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198202295.003.0015
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
Richard S. Dunn, the author of this chapter, focuses on William Penn's lifelong effort to translate unconventional and unpopular personal convictions into purposeful and effective public action. He ...
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Richard S. Dunn, the author of this chapter, focuses on William Penn's lifelong effort to translate unconventional and unpopular personal convictions into purposeful and effective public action. He observes that as the circumstances of his career changed, Penn articulated his private beliefs in strikingly different ways. Dunn provides the four distinct phases to Penn's public life: between 1667 and 1679, as a young Quaker idealist, he felt inspired by God to challenge the religious and political establishment in England openly and aggressively; during 1680 to 1684, when he founded a colony in America, Penn abruptly reformulated this public posture; from 1685 to 1688 Penn tried to promote religious toleration by serving James II's confidential adviser and agent; and, from 1689 onwards, he was generally on the defensive, his public pronouncements becoming more conventional, consisting mainly of moral advice on how to lead a virtuous life.Less
Richard S. Dunn, the author of this chapter, focuses on William Penn's lifelong effort to translate unconventional and unpopular personal convictions into purposeful and effective public action. He observes that as the circumstances of his career changed, Penn articulated his private beliefs in strikingly different ways. Dunn provides the four distinct phases to Penn's public life: between 1667 and 1679, as a young Quaker idealist, he felt inspired by God to challenge the religious and political establishment in England openly and aggressively; during 1680 to 1684, when he founded a colony in America, Penn abruptly reformulated this public posture; from 1685 to 1688 Penn tried to promote religious toleration by serving James II's confidential adviser and agent; and, from 1689 onwards, he was generally on the defensive, his public pronouncements becoming more conventional, consisting mainly of moral advice on how to lead a virtuous life.
Peter Frumkin
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226266268
- eISBN:
- 9780226266282
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226266282.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
The philanthropic landscape is changing dramatically as a new generation of wealthy donors seeks to leave its mark on the public sphere. This book reveals why these donors could benefit from having a ...
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The philanthropic landscape is changing dramatically as a new generation of wealthy donors seeks to leave its mark on the public sphere. This book reveals why these donors could benefit from having a comprehensive plan to guide their giving, and provides the framework to understand and develop this kind of philanthropic strategy. After listening for years to scores of individual and institutional funders discuss the challenges of giving wisely, the book argues here that contemporary philanthropy requires a thorough rethinking of its underlying logic. Philanthropy should be seen, the book contends, as both a powerful way to meet public needs and a meaningful way to express private beliefs and commitments. The book demonstrates that finding a way to simultaneously fulfill both of these functions is crucial to the survival of philanthropy and its potential to support pluralism in society. And it goes on to identify the five essential elements donors must consider when developing a philanthropic strategy: the vehicle through which giving will flow, the way impact will be achieved, the level of engagement and profile sought, the time frame for giving, and the underlying purpose of the gift. The book's point is that donors must understand strategic giving as the integration of these five critical dimensions to giving. The book provides a new basis for understanding philanthropic effectiveness and a new way for philanthropy to achieve legitimacy.Less
The philanthropic landscape is changing dramatically as a new generation of wealthy donors seeks to leave its mark on the public sphere. This book reveals why these donors could benefit from having a comprehensive plan to guide their giving, and provides the framework to understand and develop this kind of philanthropic strategy. After listening for years to scores of individual and institutional funders discuss the challenges of giving wisely, the book argues here that contemporary philanthropy requires a thorough rethinking of its underlying logic. Philanthropy should be seen, the book contends, as both a powerful way to meet public needs and a meaningful way to express private beliefs and commitments. The book demonstrates that finding a way to simultaneously fulfill both of these functions is crucial to the survival of philanthropy and its potential to support pluralism in society. And it goes on to identify the five essential elements donors must consider when developing a philanthropic strategy: the vehicle through which giving will flow, the way impact will be achieved, the level of engagement and profile sought, the time frame for giving, and the underlying purpose of the gift. The book's point is that donors must understand strategic giving as the integration of these five critical dimensions to giving. The book provides a new basis for understanding philanthropic effectiveness and a new way for philanthropy to achieve legitimacy.
