Quakers a Christian religious group have some members who included nudity as a part of their expression of Chritistian worship. Most quakers do not usually consider themselves naturists. Historically some quakers utilized nudity in protest similar to the Doukhobors.¹

These small groups practice what is described as spiritual nakedness. This spiritual nakedness is more aligned with the teachings of Jacob Bohme whose religious philosophy Behmianism, reflects spiritual and biblical virtues accepted by many Quakers. Several instances exist in the historical record of naked Quakers going naked as a sign.

Dozens of records attest to the fact that during the mid-seventeenth century politicized public nudity or “going naked as a sign” as it was known to early modern subjects proliferated ²

Quaker nudists have also run summer camps for kids. ³ Some young modern Quakers have renewed the practice of spiritual nakedness as a sign and generated videos and music to promote the practice among their peers. ⁴

When researching the Early Quakers for my 2006 album about the 17th century British origins of the movement, I uncovered (so to speak) some stories of Quakers taking off their clothes and running through the streets naked. (!)

Last year my memory was jogged when my friend Maggie wrote a research paper for the Earlham School of Religion, specifically on “going naked as a sign”. Upon reading Maggie’s research, I found that the theology behind going naked as as sign is not only worth exploring, but also brings into question some of the ways we are living our lives today. ⁵

https://youtu.be/JWX9JUh3C2g

https://youtu.be/siWCs0lNV98

Naked quakers

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