Lives that preach

Abstract

While certain branches of Quakerism are well known for the silence of their worship, such branches also practice highly valued speech events. In this article, I explore one such speech event, the telling of one's "spiritual journey" by members of a Quaker meeting. From an ethnography of communication perspective, drawing on cultural communication and cultural discourse theory, I examine the cultural premises that underlie this practice of narrative telling, informing both the story told and the situated narrative performance. This analysis reveals the way in which the interactional event of telling journeys among Friends serves as a model of practicing Quakerism for others and is central to the process of community formation. In addition, I suggest that the same premises that inform the telling of "spiritual journeys" also underlie engagement in silent worship and a distinctive style for conducting Quaker administrative meetings. "I tend to divide my life into-into (.) um (.) the part where I didn't know I was Quaker (.) and then the (.) the part where I did and I (1) and I always (.) habitually think well the-(1) that it was harder when I didn't understand it. (1) Um (.8) and I don't know that that's true because (.) part of becoming a Quaker is becoming aware of a-a path (1.5) a narrow path (.) and um ((clears throat))(2) um (.) and and having to be (.) mindful of uh where I am on the path. "