Christianity · branch

Quaker Christianity (Religious Society of Friends)

The inner light in every person, reached in silence, with no clergy, no creed and no sacraments — the most thoroughly de-ritualised body in Christianity. Its authority and practice positions sit closer to Stoicism than to Catholicism, which is one of the more interesting facts the matrix surfaces.

What makes it unusual

The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.

D2 Centrality of ritualoptional or absentFurther toward "optional or absent" than most traditions in the matrix.
B3 Institutional authorityindividual conscience decidesFurther toward "individual conscience decides" than most traditions in the matrix.
C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgmentFurther toward "one life, then judgment" than most traditions in the matrix.
B1 Source of truthreason and direct experienceFurther toward "reason and direct experience" than most traditions in the matrix.

All seventeen positions

Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.

The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.

position
tolerated variation

A · The divine

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists	leaning a divine reality certainly existsQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.82	0.15
A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address	leaning a personal being one can addressQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.70	0.20
A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits	strictly oneQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.08	0.08
A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it	fully present within itQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.88	0.10

B · Knowledge and authority

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience	reason and direct experienceQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.88	0.10
B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all	leaning metaphorical, or no text at allQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.75	0.15
B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides	individual conscience decidesQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.92	0.08

C · Self and destiny

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form	leaning continues in some formQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.75	0.20
C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return	one life, then judgmentQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.05	0.05
C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound	leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.70	0.15

D · Practice

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight	between given as grace and achieved by effort or insightQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.45	0.18
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent	optional or absentQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.92	0.06
D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated	between to be disciplined and to be celebratedQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.38	0.16

E · World and others

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths	leaning many valid pathsQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.82	0.14
E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural	leaning an intentional actQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.18	0.15
E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice	leaning an individual choiceQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.82	0.12
E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred	between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredQuaker Faith & Practice (Britain Yearly Meeting) and Barclay’s Apology (1678)	0.62	0.15

Compared with

Where do you sit?

The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.