Stuart Masters
@stuartkmasters.bsky.social
Teacher and writer on Quaker and Christian history, theology and spirituality. Author of 'The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth' (T&T Clark, 2025), and 'The Rule of Christ: Themes in the Theology of James Nayler’ (Brill, 2021).
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Explore the Quaker faith with Stuart Masters, who offers learning opportunities that cover the history, theology, and spirituality of Friends, through accessible and engaging teaching, speaking, and w...
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www.stuartkmasters.com
www.stuartkmasters.com
Truth will not lose ground by being tried.
Isaac Penington (1616-1679)
Isaac Penington (1616-1679)
February 13, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Truth will not lose ground by being tried.
Isaac Penington (1616-1679)
Isaac Penington (1616-1679)
The Church is supposed to be a small working model of the new creation.
N. T. Wright
N. T. Wright
February 12, 2026 at 8:38 AM
The Church is supposed to be a small working model of the new creation.
N. T. Wright
N. T. Wright
The experience of Christ dwelling in them and speaking through them was powerfully liberating for ordinary people, and especially for women, who played a full part in public ministry, even if this outraged the wider society.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.116.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.116.
February 11, 2026 at 9:03 AM
The experience of Christ dwelling in them and speaking through them was powerfully liberating for ordinary people, and especially for women, who played a full part in public ministry, even if this outraged the wider society.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.116.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.116.
The most important consideration is not the right action in itself, but the right inward state out of which right action will arise.
Howard Brinton
Howard Brinton
February 11, 2026 at 8:55 AM
The most important consideration is not the right action in itself, but the right inward state out of which right action will arise.
Howard Brinton
Howard Brinton
Pray inwardly even if you do not enjoy it. It does good though you feel nothing, even though you think you are doing nothing.
Julian of Norwich
Julian of Norwich
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Pray inwardly even if you do not enjoy it. It does good though you feel nothing, even though you think you are doing nothing.
Julian of Norwich
Julian of Norwich
“When we attribute God’s Kingdom rule to kingdom-of-this-world rulers, we reject the way of Christ, who explicitly denied that his rule is of this world, and so denied that the rulers of this age are instruments of God's Kingdom rule.”
Joel Lawrence – Author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed
Joel Lawrence – Author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed
February 9, 2026 at 8:54 AM
“When we attribute God’s Kingdom rule to kingdom-of-this-world rulers, we reject the way of Christ, who explicitly denied that his rule is of this world, and so denied that the rulers of this age are instruments of God's Kingdom rule.”
Joel Lawrence – Author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed
Joel Lawrence – Author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed
Their spirituality was both contemplative and charismatic, their vision was both universalist and Christian, their witness was both opposed to the world and actively engaged with it, and their culture was both individualistic and communitarian.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.28.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.28.
February 8, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Their spirituality was both contemplative and charismatic, their vision was both universalist and Christian, their witness was both opposed to the world and actively engaged with it, and their culture was both individualistic and communitarian.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.28.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.28.
I agree that this is something we all experience and struggle with. I don’t think there’s a simple solution. Sustaining a daily spiritual practice can help. Other than that, we may just have to exercise patience and persistence and ask for the the love and support of others.
February 8, 2026 at 8:03 AM
I agree that this is something we all experience and struggle with. I don’t think there’s a simple solution. Sustaining a daily spiritual practice can help. Other than that, we may just have to exercise patience and persistence and ask for the the love and support of others.
Yes, it seems that anyone who appears to be moving towards real political power (assuming they are acceptable to the wealthy) is pulled out into rarefied space which effectively separates them from ordinary people and makes them dependent on wealthy interests.
February 7, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Yes, it seems that anyone who appears to be moving towards real political power (assuming they are acceptable to the wealthy) is pulled out into rarefied space which effectively separates them from ordinary people and makes them dependent on wealthy interests.
Nayler’s emphasis is on the need for people to genuinely participate in the work of Christ as a real inward and spiritual experience. They must come to know Christ’s birth, his life, his crucifixion and his resurrection in their own experience.
The Rule of Christ, p.22.
The Rule of Christ, p.22.
February 7, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Nayler’s emphasis is on the need for people to genuinely participate in the work of Christ as a real inward and spiritual experience. They must come to know Christ’s birth, his life, his crucifixion and his resurrection in their own experience.
The Rule of Christ, p.22.
The Rule of Christ, p.22.
What is the kingdom of Christ? A rule of love, of truth - a rule of service.
George MacDonald
George MacDonald
February 7, 2026 at 9:13 AM
What is the kingdom of Christ? A rule of love, of truth - a rule of service.
George MacDonald
George MacDonald
Decolonizing the Bible isn't about replacing one interpretation with another or simply inverting the power dynamics we've inherited. It's about holding spaces for the mosaic of perspectives to coexist in tension, resisting the urge to tidy them into resolution.
Kat Armas
Kat Armas
February 6, 2026 at 9:16 AM
Decolonizing the Bible isn't about replacing one interpretation with another or simply inverting the power dynamics we've inherited. It's about holding spaces for the mosaic of perspectives to coexist in tension, resisting the urge to tidy them into resolution.
Kat Armas
Kat Armas
I did a couple of sessions for (Swedenborg) New Church ministers a few years ago at their Purley Chase Centre. Nice people.
February 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I did a couple of sessions for (Swedenborg) New Church ministers a few years ago at their Purley Chase Centre. Nice people.
If [Friends] pay careful inward attention and undertake their discernment rigorously, their lives will reflect, in some form, the historic Quaker commitments to nonviolence, truthfulness and integrity, justice, fairness, and compassion.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.141.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.141.
![The image includes the quotation below on a light green background, along with a picture of "The Quaker Faith" book cover:
If [Friends] pay careful inward attention and undertake their discernment rigorously, their lives will reflect, in some form, the historic Quaker commitments to nonviolence, truthfulness and integrity, justice, fairness, and compassion. This is an ongoing dynamic process which binds together inward spiritual experiences
and outward physical lives.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.141.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kjhbn74264gl4hsar7n7imbs/bafkreidnf2k72tgtf6cgnoxez4dvnounap47fqzspvb7up374glzqqmnja@jpeg)
February 5, 2026 at 9:29 AM
If [Friends] pay careful inward attention and undertake their discernment rigorously, their lives will reflect, in some form, the historic Quaker commitments to nonviolence, truthfulness and integrity, justice, fairness, and compassion.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.141.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.141.
God calls us to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him." Advocating for justice means ensuring fairness, equality, and equity in all our communities.
Bishop Rosemary Mallett
Bishop Rosemary Mallett
February 5, 2026 at 9:24 AM
God calls us to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him." Advocating for justice means ensuring fairness, equality, and equity in all our communities.
Bishop Rosemary Mallett
Bishop Rosemary Mallett
"The blues demand a theology of prophetic criticism that contests all arbitrary uses of power or coercion... and that cherishes the lives of ordinary everyday children, women and men of all cultures and races."
M. Shawn Copeland
M. Shawn Copeland
February 4, 2026 at 9:06 AM
"The blues demand a theology of prophetic criticism that contests all arbitrary uses of power or coercion... and that cherishes the lives of ordinary everyday children, women and men of all cultures and races."
M. Shawn Copeland
M. Shawn Copeland
When we refuse to see the image of God in others, we prepare our hearts for violence. Racism and genocide begin not with weapons, but with a failure to love.
Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen
February 3, 2026 at 9:22 AM
When we refuse to see the image of God in others, we prepare our hearts for violence. Racism and genocide begin not with weapons, but with a failure to love.
Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen
Yes agreed. I think it's helpful to experience something dynamic and empowering (the catalyst) that can then be maintained over time, even if the fire has died down.
February 2, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Yes agreed. I think it's helpful to experience something dynamic and empowering (the catalyst) that can then be maintained over time, even if the fire has died down.
One big operation or a series of small procedures?
February 2, 2026 at 10:45 AM
One big operation or a series of small procedures?
The Spirit is like a divine physician, whose work within identifies the sickness, prescribes the remedy, and restores the patient to health. The Light shines within us like an X-ray, revealing what is wrong.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.74.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.74.
February 2, 2026 at 9:32 AM
The Spirit is like a divine physician, whose work within identifies the sickness, prescribes the remedy, and restores the patient to health. The Light shines within us like an X-ray, revealing what is wrong.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.74.
The Quaker Faith: Friends of Love and Truth, p.74.
“In order to participate in the new humanity, people need to lay down their human will and yield themselves to the will of God. This requires an attitude of meekness.
The Rule of Christ: Themes in the Theology of James Nayler, p.44.
The Rule of Christ: Themes in the Theology of James Nayler, p.44.
February 2, 2026 at 9:21 AM
“In order to participate in the new humanity, people need to lay down their human will and yield themselves to the will of God. This requires an attitude of meekness.
The Rule of Christ: Themes in the Theology of James Nayler, p.44.
The Rule of Christ: Themes in the Theology of James Nayler, p.44.
Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat.
Wm. Paul Young
Wm. Paul Young
February 1, 2026 at 9:03 AM
Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat.
Wm. Paul Young
Wm. Paul Young
A good book to look for is Perry Yoder’s “Shalom: The Bible’s Word for Salvation, Justice and Peace.”
January 31, 2026 at 4:27 PM
A good book to look for is Perry Yoder’s “Shalom: The Bible’s Word for Salvation, Justice and Peace.”
I wonder whether this should be interpreted as "shalom-maker" in the Hebrew sense (i.e. those who foster peace, justice, well-being and right relationship)?
January 31, 2026 at 9:50 AM
I wonder whether this should be interpreted as "shalom-maker" in the Hebrew sense (i.e. those who foster peace, justice, well-being and right relationship)?
Movements of the Spirit may be the Braxton-Hicks of a new creation.
January 30, 2026 at 9:39 AM
Movements of the Spirit may be the Braxton-Hicks of a new creation.