Abstract
Comparison of postal surveys of Friends in Britain Yearly Meeting in 1990 and 2003 showed modest differences for reported self-descriptions and beliefs. Quakers in 2003 appear to be less pacifist, somewhat less likely to describe God as ‘Spirit’, ‘Inward Light’, or ‘Love’ in absolute percentages, and less likely to describe Jesus as ‘containing that of God within as we all do’. Meeting for Worship was described less as ‘Seeking God’s will’, and more as ‘Listening’. The largest changes were an increase in reported levels of education and a 13-year increase in median age across the 13-year period. The change in sampling methodology between the two surveys did not appear substantially to affect the results.
Keywords
Quakers, Britain Yearly Meeting, aging, educational attainment, religious belief
How to Cite
Cary, M., Dandelion, P. & Rutherford, R., (2009) “Comparing Two Surveys of Britain Yearly Meeting: 1990 and 2003”, Quaker Studies 13(2), 238–245. doi: https://doi.org/10.3828/quaker.13.2.238
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