Abstract

This thesis provides an account of Quaker service work for peace and social justice in the Canadian context, drawing from life history interviews gathered during attendance at Canadian Yearly Meeting and Canadian Friends Service Committee meetings. Interviews explored each individual's involvement in peace and social justice within the context of their Quaker spirituality. The analysis of the interviews emphasizes that religion is woven into each person's life over time and through experiences. Further, because Quaker spirituality emphasizes that each person has the capacity to commune with the Divine on an individual basis, the nature of religious experience will differ. This problematizes the notion that religiously-based service for peace and social justice derives from one type of religious experience. Instead, this research shows how, for Quakers, involvement in peace and social justice is intimately connected to personal experiences of the Divine, which are both fostered and tempered by their spiritual community.

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