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Quakers Today

Quakers Today

De: Friends Publishing Corporation
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Quakers Today provides a window into Quaker thought, faith, and action—for Quakers and non-Quakers alike. If you are seeking to deepen your spiritual life, expand your thinking, and find strength and comfort as you navigate today’s rapidly changing world, this podcast is for you.

You can listen to the Quakers Today audio podcast or watch the extended video edition on the Friends Journal YouTube page. Each episode invites you to hear from writers, musicians, and thinkers who speak from the heart, grapple with faith, and share the insights they have discovered along the way.

Hosted by Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche, Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. Season Five is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

We’d love to hear from you: 📧 Email: podcast@FriendsJournal.org 📞 Voicemail: 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377) 📲 Social Media: Instagram @quakerstodaypodcast | TikTok @quakers.today

Copyright 2022 All rights reserved. Ciencias Sociales Espiritualidad Filosofía
Episodios
  • Sexuality, Gender Identities, and Quakers

    Sexuality, Gender Identities, and Quakers
    Mar 17 2026

    In this special end-of-season episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano explores the intersections of faith, sex, and gender. As an "Interval" between Seasons 5 and 6, we hear from LGBTQ+ individuals about living their truth with integrity within their spiritual communities. We feature insights from a pioneering transgender priest, a Quaker healer and musician, a best-selling queer author, and voices from the Southeastern Yearly Meeting.

    For a full transcript visit www.quakerstoday.org This episode is also available as a YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsJournal

    This Season of Quakers Today is sponsored by:

    • Friends Fiduciary
    • American Friends Service Committee
    Transgender Identity and the Church

    Rev. Dr. Tina Beardsley, one of the first transgender priests in the Church of England, discusses the evolving challenges trans and non-binary people face within both society and the broader LGBTQ community.

    "The trans experience is often about a journey toward wholeness that the church is only beginning to understand."

    Healing Through Song

    John Calvi, a Quaker healer and writer, shares the story behind the music he composed during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis to provide comfort and spiritual grounding. Many thanks to Pendle Hill and Dwight Dunston for giving us permission to use this excerpt from their podcast, The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope.

    • Takeaway: Music can serve as a vessel for collective healing during times of profound community trauma.
    • Link: John Calvi’s Website
    Horror as a Tool for Hope

    Queer author Ryan La Sala discusses his new eco-horror book, The Dead of Summer, and explains why "scary stories" are a necessary outlet for processing real-world anxieties.

    • Takeaway: We need stories that acknowledge the "horrible times" we live in to find the courage to move through them.
    • Link: The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala
    Community Beyond the Binary

    Peterson shares audio recorded at the Southeastern Yearly Meeting, capturing a celebration of community that transcends traditional gender binaries.

    "It was a celebration of community that transcended traditional gender binaries." — Peterson Toscano

    Thank You Notes from the Future

    Last month, we asked: If you received a thank-you note from 100 years in the future, what are they thanking you for?

    • Teacher Margaret (Email): Thanked for providing a "sheltering wing" for a child in turmoil whose descendants are now thriving.
    • BearCloverCA (TikTok): Thanked for planting native plants and minimizing waste to preserve the Earth.
    • Daniel Cummings (Social Media): Thanked simply for "not giving up."
    • ROmAnA (Social Media): Thanked for breaking a cycle of trauma and being a "good mom."
    Question for Next Month

    What insights or practices guide your relationship with finance today?

    Share your thoughts:

    • Leave a voicemail: Call 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)
    • Email us: podcast@friendsjournal.org

    Social Media: Respond on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

    Sponsors

    Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

    • Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.
    • American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.
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    49 m
  • Quakers and Finding Your Center in Turbulent Times

    Quakers and Finding Your Center in Turbulent Times
    Feb 17 2026
    In this episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano explores how we can remain steady when the world feels like it is spinning out of control. We revisit a vital conversation with Australian activist and Quaker Adrian Glamorgan about activism, despair, and finding our specific leadings. We also hear from Kat Griffith on the spiritual work required to bridge deep political divides in rural communities. Peterson also shares a personal reflection on the "chemistry of fear" and how the choice to love is a practical move against alienation. This Season of Quakers Today is sponsored by: Friends FiduciaryAmerican Friends Service Committee The Chemistry of Fear and the Choice to Love Peterson reflects on a message received during Quaker worship regarding the physiological impact of fear. Drawing on research and the wisdom of bell hooks, he discusses how fear narrows the mind and fuels "structures of domination." “The choice to love is a choice to connect—to find ourselves in the ‘Other.’” — Peterson Toscano Remaining Steady with Adrian Glamorgan We revisit words from Adrian Glamorgan, the Asia and West Pacific Section Executive Secretary of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). Adrian shares his journey from "angry activist" to a grounded Quaker, emphasizing that quiet time is not inaction—it is a neurological reset. Read Adrian's article: “The Devoted Path,” December 2024 Friends Journal Bridging the Divide: Kat Griffith How do we talk to neighbors when political tension feels insurmountable? Kat Griffith shares her experiences in rural Wisconsin. This segment features audio from the QuakerSpeak video series. Watch the Video: How to Bridge the Political Divide Through Faith Reviews and Recommendations Book Review: Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature By Phap Xa and Phap Luu. Reviewed by Trevor Brandt. A practical guide to mindfulness through movement, helping us transform suffering into a new way of being. Read the full review: Friends Journal Book Review Recommendation: Scavengers Reign Peterson recommends the 12-episode animated series Scavengers Reign (available on HBO/MAX and Netflix). Set on a distant planet, it explores how life flourishes through ecological balance rather than "Good versus Evil." If you do not have access to Max or Netflix, you can watch the original short film version for free on YouTube: Scavengers. Both were written and directed by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner. Explore the Creators' Work: josephbennett.tv Answer our Monthly Question. Imagination Required! If you, or a group you are part of, received a thank-you note sent to you from 100 years in the future, what would the people of the future be thanking you for doing today? Share your response: Voicemail: Leave a message at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Add +1 if calling from outside the USA.Email: Click here to email the showSocial Media: Find us on TikTok, Instagram, and X.You can follow Peterson on Bluesky and Facebook. Listener Voices: How do you stay steady? Special thanks to our social media contributors and listeners for sharing the practices that anchor them: Pumanti: Transparency in politics.MemawClaus: Making something from scratch.Copperkey13: Breathing.Jenny Okamoto: Dogs and a crackling fire.TransQuakerism: Assembling and painting miniatures.Andy: Taking prescribed medications.Catherine Habegger: Deep breathing.Sheila Garrett: A Thich Nhat Hanh meditation practice: “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.”Thanks also to Manda.and.her.menagerie, Youngfriendsmke, sarahmudd60, Gail, Rejena, Tom, Richard, and everyone who left voicemails and answered on social media. Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. Thank you to our Sponsors The American Friends Service Committee works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Since 1948, AFSC has worked for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel. Today, its Gaza team delivers lifesaving aid, while U.S. advocates push to end the occupation and apartheid system. In July 2025, AFSC and seven other Quaker groups declared, “Quakers discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action.” Read the statement and take action at afsc.org/crisis-gaza. Learn about other initiatives and actions at AFSC.org Season Five is also sponsored by Friends Fiduciary. Friends Fiduciary unites Quaker values with expert investing. They serve more than 460 organizations with ethical portfolios, shareholder advocacy, and a deep commitment to justice and sustainability. They walk the talk on environmental stewardship. The Quaker Growth & Income Fund has a 70% smaller carbon footprint than the benchmark. Friends Fiduciary supports science-based targets and urges companies to adopt clear, immediate climate transition plans. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org. Sponsors Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is ...
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    29 m
  • Quakers and Jiwasa: Moving from I to We

    Quakers and Jiwasa: Moving from I to We
    Jan 20 2026
    In this episode, special co-host Diana Yáñez and Sweet Miche explore the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. From the linguistic wisdom of the Aymara people to the radical call of liberation theology and the hard work of healing Quaker involvement in Indian Boarding Schools, we're asking what might happen to our faith if we start living from the "We" instead of the "I"? Jiwasa: The Communal We with Rubén Hilari Quispe Rubén, an Aymara Quaker and linguist, introduces us to jiwasa – a concept of "we-ness" that includes humans, the environment, and even the objects around us. He invites us to sit with the unsettled feeling of language that doesn't center the individual. Read Rubén’s article, "Jiwasa, the Communal We" in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. You can hear an extended interview in Spanish with English subtitles at the Friends Journal YouTube page. Liberation Theology and the Inner Light with Renzo Carranza Guatemalan Friend Renzo Carranza explores how the Quaker Inner Light intersects with the radical tradition of liberation theology. Together, they form a call to action: to reinterpret the gospels from the perspective of the marginalized and transform society. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming the SPIRIT: Liberation Theology and the Inner Light” at QuakerSpeak.com. Collective Relationship and Boarding Schools with Rachel Overstreet Rachel Overstreet (Choctaw Nation) discusses the history of Quaker Indian boarding schools. She suggests that the way forward isn't through individual guilt, but through collective relationship. Read Rachel’s article, “Speaking with Friends About Indian Boarding Schools” in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. Rachel writes the Native American Legislative Update, a monthly newsletter on the most important developments on Capitol Hill related to Indian Country. You can also write your Congressperson to cosponsor and pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. Find out more at fcnl.org/issues/native-americans. Book Review: Chooch Helped Katie Green reviews a charming children’s book by Andrea L. Rogers and Rebecca Lee Koons (Cherokee Nation) that celebrates present-day Cherokee family life and love. Read Katie’s review of Chooch Helped in the January 2026 issue or at FriendsJournal.org. Recommended Resources by Indigenous Creators Jonny Appleseed (Novel)By Joshua Whitehead (they/them)A beautifully fragmented story about a Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer person navigating life in Winnipeg. The title ironically reclaims a settler-colonial myth to tell a raw story of modern Indigenous identity. Coyote & Crow (Tabletop Role-Playing Game)Created by a team of over 30 Indigenous creatorsSet in an "Indigenous Futurism" world where the Americas were never colonized. This RPG focuses on community, advanced technology, and spirits in a world where history took a different path. Drama & Performance The Thanksgiving Play (Play)By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation)A biting, hilarious satire that made history as the first play by a Native American woman on Broadway. It follows four well-meaning white people trying to create a "politically correct" Thanksgiving play for a school. The Rez Sisters (Play)By Tomson Highway (Cree)A modern classic of Indigenous drama. It tells the story of seven women on a reserve who dream of winning "the biggest bingo game in the world." It’s a powerful blend of humor, tragedy, and the supernatural. Mary Kathryn Nagle: Land Sovereignty and Indigenous Women’s Rights (Podcast/Interview)Produced by Peterson Toscano for Citizens Climate RadioA deep-dive conversation with Cherokee playwright and attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle. She discusses how her plays, like Sovereignty and Manahatta, serve as "living law," using the stage to advocate for tribal jurisdiction and the safety of Indigenous women. Music & Audio Come and Get Your Love (Song)By RedboneThe 1974 hit that made Redbone the first Native American band to reach the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. Forged (Podcast)CBC Listen / Host: Adrian StimsonA gripping series exploring a massive art fraud ring involving the works of Norval Morrisseau, the "Picasso of the North." Literature & Thought Sacred Instructions (Book)By Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset)A roadmap for "spirit-based change" drawing on Penobscot ancestral wisdom to address modern crises. Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Scholar & Musician)A Diné (Navajo) and Cheyenne artist whose work blends hip-hop with traditional acoustics and ecological activism. Digital Culture & Media Trixie Mattel: Root Maintenance (Video/Q&A)The world-famous drag queen discusses her biracial Ojibwe heritage and navigating identity in the public eye. Rez Ball (Film)Produced by LeBron James and Sterlin HarjoA 2024 film following a Navajo high school basketball team, capturing the unique, ...
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    23 m
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