Quakers, or the Society of Friends, originated as a spiritual group or religion in the 17th century in England. Like other Protestant sects, the Society of Friends found Catholicism, the dominant form of Christianity at the time, a less direct approach to worshipping God. However, unlike many other Christian denominations, the Society of Friends believes that God is present in all human beings, regardless of their actions, and that every human can, given sufficient time and silence, feel and hear God’s voice within themselves. As a result, the Society of Friends is committed to nonviolence and equality in both their spiritual practice and their daily lives.

Most religions have a hierarchy of spiritual leadership, and pastors, priests, rabbis, or imams hold positions of spiritual and moral authority in the religious community. Although the Society of Friends has a system of leadership to support the community and maintain organization, and some Friends meetings have pastors who guide meetings and Quaker activities (Stanton-Henry, Andy. “Three Common Fallacies of Quaker Leadership.” Friends Journal, 1 June 2023), it has no defined hierarchy. Instead, it considers moral authority the provenance of the Divine, which is within each individual.