Rekindling the Fire of Fox
PREMISES
Quaker Evolutionary Culture-Building
- Global society faces an existential crisis.
- Quakers have historically been a catalyst in American social transformation.
- Many Friends have the capacity to tap into archival memory, the DNA of Quaker contemplative practice, and leadings therefrom to guide people through the narrow straights of climate change disruptions, economic upheaval and systems collapse.
- The time has come again for Friends to stand in the epicenter of social transformation and model an evolutionary response to society’s multi-tiered, existential challenges.
- Global society is on an unsustainable course because the meaning we’ve made of the world has been erroneously based on the illusion of separation and disconnection.
- A Great UNLEARNING of a mechanistic worldview with the goal of clearness is needed.
- Truly sustainable and transformative social change requires clearness and perception that is as free from cognitive distortion as is humanly possible.
- Outworn, “Enlightenment Era” ways of thinking compounded by cognitive distortionyield a blurry organizational vision and blunt, short lived social impact.
- Quaker contemplative practice informed by a scientific understanding of the language, architecture, and function of the mind and brain is key to reducing cognitive distortion and formulating a clear, unified vision.
- Friends and Quaker organizations can cultivate innervision to: a) view global crisis as an opportunity for planetary catharsis, and, b) cultivate self-mastery in service to others by:
□ Thinking holistically: Using systems thinking to focus on how all parts of the Quaker fractal constellation are interconnected, can self-organize, and interact to create a dynamically emergent whole.
□ Seeing clearly: Translating neuro and cognitive behavioral science into practical application in order to understand how our brains and minds shape our perception, thoughts, emotions and behavior.
□ Working smart– Practicing the art of authentic relationship cultivation, and resilient, collaborative culture-building in, and beyond the world of monthly and yearly meetings.
