TABLE OF CONTENTSSHORT HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEES BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS SEARCHING IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOGUE FOR RELATED MATERIALS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS Ser.1 Committee to Consider Propositions for Changes in Discipline (1911-1913) 1911-1913 Ser.2 Committee on the Revision of Discipline (1922-1927) 1922-1927 Haverford College Quaker Collection Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College |
PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. FAITH AND PRACTICE REVISION COMMITTEES.A Finding Aid for Records Deposited in Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
SHORT HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEESIn 1911, a Committee of Men and Women Friends of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Hicksite) was appointed to Consider Propositions for Changes in Discipline from Concord Quarterly and Southern Half-Yearly Meetings. The revised discipline was approved by the Yearly Meeting in 1913. The next revision, The Book of Discipline of the Religious Society of Friends, Christian Practice, Business Procedure was published in 1927 as approved by Yearly Meeting. When the Hicksite and Orthodox branches of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends agreed in 1950 to work towards an “organic” unification, a committee made up of members of both meetings worked to create a single revised “book of discipline.” Faith and Practice was published in 1955 and reprinted with minor revisions in 1961. In 1964, concerns relative to membership, particularly the status of non-member children and the section on Worship and Ministry, became sufficiently pressing that a committee was appointed to revise Faith and Practice to address these concerns. It was some time until the committee was actually created: in 1965 the Yearly Meeting agreed that a revision committee ought to begin work within the space of a year. The volume was originally scheduled to be released in 1970, but was not published until 1972. After another reprinting in 1978, a concern originating in the Committee for Education and Care of Members and reinforced by the Women’s Committee and the Worship and Ministry committee suggesting a general revision of Faith and Practice be undertaken was presented to the Representative Meeting. This was presented by the Representative Meeting at the 1986 Yearly Meeting, whereupon a list of names formulated by a previously appointed Nominating Committee was approved by the Yearly Meeting. This set of revisions included a major reorganization of the entire volume. It focused on removing sexist language and improving the representation of women’s voices in the section of Friends’ quotations. The volume was finished in 1996 and published in 1997. Return to the Table of Contents BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDSThe records, 1911-1996, of the Faith and Practice Revision Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and its predecessors. They include minutes from the committees themselves as well as relevant minutes from the Yearly Meeting and Representative Meeting from the same time-periods, and other letters, memoranda, and budgeting statements. The bulk of the collection is made up of an extensive series of drafts which represent the progression of changes each time it was revised. The drafts demonstrate effectively the goals and actions of the committee. Further, the collection contains a few of the documents and publications used as references or models for the drafts. Organization: Ser.1 Committee to Consider Proposals for the Revision of Discipline (Hicksite : 1911-1913) Ser.2 Committee on the Revision of Discipline (Hicksite : 1922-1927) Ser.3 Committee on the Book of Faith and Practice (Society of Friends : 1950-1955 : Philadelphia, Pa.) Ser.4 Committee on the Revision of Faith and Practice (1964-1972) Ser.5 Faith and Practice Revision Committee (1986-1996) Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccessCollection is open for research. Use RestrictionsCopyright has not been assigned to the Repositories. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the individual Meeting or its successor. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Repositories as the holder(s) of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader. Return to the Table of Contents SEARCHING IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOGUE FOR RELATED MATERIALSThis collection is indexed under the following headings in TRIPOD, the joint on-line catalog of Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings. Earlier CommitteesPhiladelphia Yearly Meeting of
Friends (Hicksite : 1827-1955). Committee to Consider Proposals for the Revision of
Discipline (Hicksite : 1911-1913)
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of
Friends (Hicksite : 1827-1955). Committee on the Revision of Discipline (Hicksite : 1922-1927)
Committee on the Book of Faith and Practice (Society of Friends : 1950-1955 : Philadelphia, Pa.)
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of
the Religious Society of Friends. Committee on the Revision of Faith and Practice (1964-1972)
Subjects:Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of
Friends (Hicksite : 1827-1955). Committee to Consider Proposals for the Revision of
Discipline (Hicksite : 1911-1913)
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of
Friends (Hicksite : 1827-1955). Committee on the Revision of Discipline (Hicksite : 1922-1927)
Committee on the Book of Faith and Practice (Society of Friends : 1950-1955 : Philadelphia, Pa.)
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of
the Religious Society of Friends. Committee on the Revision of Faith and Practice (1964-1972)
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Faith and
Practice Revision Committee (1986-1996)
Society of Friends --
Pennsylvania.
Society of Friends -- New
Jersey.
Society of Friends -- Delaware.
Society of Friends -- Maryland.
Society of Friends -- Disciplines.
Disciplines.
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationAccession informationDeposit, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Return to the Table of Contents DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDSNote to Researchers: These records may only be consulted at either Haverford (HV) or Swarthmore (SW), and are not available through inter-Library loan. To request materials on-site, please make sure to use the correct call numbers for the Library in which you wish to use the records: Ser.1 Committee to Consider Propositions for Changes in Discipline (1911-1913), 1911-1913In 1911, a Committee of Men and Women was appointed to Consider
Propositions for Changes in Discipline from Concord Quarterly and Southern Half-Yearly Meetings. The revised discipline,
Rules of discipline and advices of the Yearly meeting of the Religious society of Friends held in Philadelphia, was approved by the Yearly Meeting in 1913.
The published version may be found at Friends Historical Library, BX7609 .P7 1913
Minutes, 1911-1913, and miscellaneous papers,
1912-1913. Papers include correspondence and drafts of changes.
Return to the Table of Contents Ser.2 Committee on the Revision of Discipline (1922-1927), 1922-1927A volume entitled The Book of Discipline of the Religious Society of Friends, Christian Practice, Business Procedure was published in 1927 as approved by Yearly Meeting.
The published version may be found at Friends Historical Library, BX7609 .P7 1927
Minutes of the Committee on Revision of Discipline,
1922-1927.
Report of the Committee on Revision of Discipline of
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Hicksite) of the text for the seven
Yearly Meetings in Friends General Conference, 1927.
Suggested revisions of the Rules of Discipline and
Advices of the Religious Society of Friends by the Revision Committee
of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Hicksite), cooperating with the
Uniform Discipline Committee of Friends General Conference, 1923 and
1926.
Return to the Table of Contents Ser.3 Committee on the Book of Faith and Practice (Society of Friends : 1950-1955 : Philadelphia, Pa.), 1940-1956The Planning Committee of Philadelphia General Meeting proposed a joint committee, Committee on the Common Book of Discipline,
Faith and Practice, in 1950. Four years later, the name of the committee was changed to Committee on the Book of Faith and
Practice. In 1955 they published Faith and practice of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends : A book of Christian discipline.
1955. Part I: Faith and thought. Part II: Practice and procedure. Part III: Quaker witness to the faith. It was reprinted with some revisions in 1961.
The published version may be found at Friends Historical Library, BX7731 .2 .A5x 1961
Chronological
Includes: 1/14/53 agenda with outlined proposal for
work, 1/14/53 Section 1 table of contents, 4/15/54 outline, 6/23/54
letter (serving as preface to preliminary edition), Section 1, 1954
edition, expanded Section 1, 1954 edition, preliminary publication,
miscellaneous and fragmented draft with typed revisions inserted.
Includes: “Two Recommendations from Friends to
Consider”, Suggestions for Anthology from Rufus Jones” 2/18/54,
“Review of Responses from Friends, Feb-July 1953”, “Review of
Responses from Friends, Study Groups, and Monthly Meetings since July
1953”.
Includes: 2/25/53 draft, 5/20/54 draft;
Historical Introduction, F. Tolles
draft, 12/10/50, Undated (later) draft, draft published in “Friends
Intelligencer” to elicit suggestions, 1952 (?); The Basis of Our Faith and Unity, 12/17/53
draft, 1/21/54 draft, undated draft, abstract of “What is Our
Faith?”, fragment of “Friends Witness to the Faith” from FGC 1952,
full “Friends Witness to the Faith”; The
Society of Friends and Christian Thought, Undated draft,
Doctrinal Statement (not included in final publication);
The Light Within, 2/4/54 draft, 5/20/54
draft, extract from Harold Brinton text, N.D., extract from Rufus
Jones text, N.D.; The Value and Use of the
Bible, 6/16-6/21/54 revisions, 4/3/54 draft, Brinton text,
extracted 1952.
Includes: Introduction: (NB:
this is called Part III introduction, but the segments discussed
match up better with what the contents of the later drafts designate
as Part II - what went where must have been changed around)
9/8/53; Worship & Ministry, “The
Meeting for Worship” 3/4/54; The Meeting for
Business, 5/13/54 draft, 5/27/54 draft; Prayer, 5/26/53 draft, 4/15/54 draft;
Simplicity 10/15/53 draft, 11/6/53
draft; Recreation, 4/29/54 draft, 6/3/21
draft, undated draft; Marriage, 9/8/53
draft; Home and Family, 1/21-1/28/54
draft, marked, undated draft; Education,
2/11/53 draft, 1/17/54 draft; Temperance, 9/8/53 draft, “Notes of the Leon
J. Saul Seminar [On Alcoholism?]” 12/22/53; God
and Human Diversity, 1/28/54 draft.
Includes: Introduction and
Complete Copies, 10/29/53 complete (as of then) copy, marked
draft of the previous, marked Introduction only, 1/14/54:
Peace - A Positive Testimony, 5/16/52
draft, undated draft; Religion and
Science, 7/7/54 draft; Intergroup
Relations, 12/8/53 draft; The Individual
and the State, 1/16/52 draft, revisions, 12/17/53 draft,
3/11/54 draft; Social Customs and Individual
Responsibility, 4/22/54 draft
Return to the Table of Contents Ser.4 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Committee on the Revision of Faith and Practice (1964-1972), 1956-1972Appointed in 1964, the Committee on the Revision of Faith and Practice first met in January of 1965. A proposed draft was
reviewed by the Yearly Meeting in 1970, and was reworked in 1971 as the result of many suggestions and corrections. The final
version was presented to the Yearly Meeting in 1972 and was accepted with a few small amendments. The Committee was laid down
after the publication of Faith and practice / Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. A book of Christian discipline later that year.
The published version may be found at Friends Historical Library, BX7609 .P4 1972
No minutes, 1965-1967; gaps.
Minutes of the Committee on the Revision of Faith and
Practice, 1965-1972
Chronological.
Includes: Introduction, 9/15/69, Introduction,
10/9/70; The Inward Light, 8/1/60 draft,
10/20/69 draft; Concerns 5/10/69
revisions of 11/29/67 version; Value and Use of
the Bible, suggested changes to “ “, 9/15/69;
The Sacraments August 1969 draft;
Prayer, 11/16/69 draft. 12/1/69 draft;
Simplicity and Integrity, undated draft;
Recreation, 8/25/69 draft;
Marriage, August 1969 draft, 10/20/70
draft; Education, “Religious Education”
6/9/69 draft, “Education” 11/7/69 draft, “Education” 12/15/69 draft,
1/17/70 draft; Social Customs and Individual
Responsibility, “Alcohol and Drugs,” 5/3/69 draft, “Alcohol
and Drugs,” November 1969 draft, “Gambling,” 5/19/69 draft,
“Gambling,” 6/9/69 draft; God and Human
Diversity, 12/15/69 draft, 1/5/70 draft; Human Relations, 1/20/70 draft;
The Peace Testimony, 11/1969 draft;
The Individual and the State, 9/22/1969
draft
Includes: Meetings for
Business, Business Procedure: “Monthly Meeting Minutes and
Yearly Meeting Decisions,” N.D., “The Yearly Meeting:” “Committees to
Plan for Yearly Meeting Sessions,” 4/26/69, “Representative Meeting:”
5/19/69 revisions, Duties of the Representative Meeting,” No. 9
revised 9/25/69; Worship and Ministry,
“Meeting on Worship and Ministry,” 5/10/70, “Meeting on Worship and
Ministry,” 1/19/70; Committee of
Overseers, draft, 1/11/69, revisions to the previous, 4/14/69;
Membership, “Transfers of Membership,”
12/16/68, “Transfers of Membership,” 4/26/69; Funds, Property, and Records, “Meeting Funds,”
6/9/69, 12/1/69 revisions to the above, “Property,” 12/12/69.
“Property,” 12/15/69.
Includes: 1) draft, 4/17/68; Answers to Queries, New Queries, and Monthly Meeting
Responses, 5/7/68, Second Query, Third Query, Fourth Query,
Fifth Query; “Third Draft of Queries,” 10/21/68, “Fourth Draft of
Queries,” 1/11/69, “Combined Queries,” 2/11/69, “Suggested New
Queries from Schuylkill Monthly Meeting”, “Supplemental Queries,”
4/14/69, “Seventh Supplemental Query,” 4/21/69
Includes: “On Being a Friend,” n.d.
Return to the Table of Contents Ser.5 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Faith and Practice Revision Committee (1986-1996), 1984-1996At its sessions in March of 1986, Yearly Meeting appointed a Committee to review and propose the revision of Faith and Practice.
Final approval of the revised version occured in 1996, with publication of Faith & practice : a book of Christian discipline / Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in 1997 and 1998.
Prulished version may be found in Friends Historical Library: BX7609 .P4
Some gaps in the minutes.
Assorted budget slips, some bills, etc.
Chronological.
Includes: responses to Questionnaires sent by
Committee to Monthly Meeting and individual Friends.
Includes: 4/6/94 table of contents, undated outline;
Draft Checklists, 9/10/94, marked and
unmarked undated versions; memorandum and outline, 5/27/88, letter
& minute from Haverford Meeting, 7/30/1995; Suggested Changes August 1996, 8/28/96,
10/11/96 & two undated
Includes: Parts I and III: 1995 version for approval
at 1996 YM; Part II: final revised draft, after review of
suggestions, September 1996.
Includes: Foreword,
12/20/94 draft, 1/13/95 draft (marked), 1/24/95 draft;
Preface, 3/24/94 draft, marked version
of the above, 9/23/94 draft; Historical
Introduction, undated “First Draft,’ 8/25/95 draft, draft of
“Recent Growth and Change,” August 1995
Includes: Combined Draft:
Friends and The Bible, Friends and the
Sacraments; Worship & Meeting for
Worship, drafts approved 1992, 1992, 1991 (respectively) at YM
called sessions; The Light Within,
4/6/94 draft, 6/21/94 draft; Worship and
Meeting for Worship, 4/16/89 draft, 11/9/91 draft, undated
editorial note; Decision-Making/The Good Order
Used Among Us, 2/3/90 draft; Committees
for Clearness, May 1991 draft, 5/31/95 draft;
Friends and the Bible, 1/2/92 draft,
2/29/92 draft; Prayer, 1/6/92 draft,
6/24/92 draft; Friends and the
Sacraments, 3/29/92 draft.
Includes: Membership,
6/3/89 draft, 11/3/90 draft; Friends and
Education, 12/14/91 draft, 5/30/94 draft;
Quaker Marriage Procedure, 6/24/94
draft, 5/6/95 draft; Intervisitation, 2/5/94 draft, May 1991 draft;
Death and Bereavement, Nov. 1993 draft,
revision of the above; Funds, Property, Burial
Grounds, 11/9/91 draft; Opportunities
for Wider Religious Fellowship and Action, Fall 1994 draft,
1/14/95 draft
Includes: complete draft of section, 11/18/94;
Living with Ourselves and Others,
handwritten notes, October 1986, Spring 1995 draft;
Living in the World, draft of “Peace,”
N.D.
Includes: Advices,
September 1996 draft; Other, Author
file, “Quotes from Hicksite PYM Faith and Practice of 1927” (added
11/7/95)
Includes: Introduction,
1/13/89 draft, 10/19/91 draft; Monthly
Meetings, “Winter 1988-1989” draft, 11/3/90 draft;
Annual or Biennial Checklist for Monthly
Meetings, undated draft; Quarterly
(Regional) Meetings, 6/11/89 draft, undated draft;
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1991 draft,
Fall 1994 draft, “Committees of PYM,” 8/12/95, August 1995 draft;
Meetings: Growth and changes in Formal
Relationships/Changes in Established Meetings, 4/8/88 draft,
5/19/89 draft, 2/29/92 draft; Revising Faith
and Practice, 11/17/94 draft, 1/21/95 draft.
Includes: 6/17/89 draft, February 1992 draft, 1994
draft, queries 9 & 12 redraft, supplementary queries, feedback
1994, feedback 3/3/95.
Includes: 8/15/94 draft, 3/5/93 draft, 5/27/96 draft,
8/4/96 draft, undated draft.
Includes: miscellaneous model and/or referential
texts used by the committee.
Return to the Table of Contents |