Eric Sabelman

Articles

Dielectric

Author(s): Eric Sabelman

Here is a strange simile: God is like the parallel plates of a capacitor, and we are the molecules of dielectric between them.

Issue: On Science (November 2022)

Being Quaker . . . Where You Are (review)

Author(s): Eric Sabelman

Reading Sakre Edson’s collection of interviews is an experience akin to sitting in worship-sharing with Friends whom you almost think you know already, each contemplating the query, “What kind of Quaker am I?”

Issue: On Garbage (November 2017)

The Confluence of Body, Mind, and Soul

Author(s): Eric Sabelman

The coming together (“confluence”) of Friends in silent worship is a rare and precious human experience. Even if other creatures have their equivalent merging with the Divine, Quaker worship is a distinctly human thing to do. It draws upon capabilities inherent in our human bodies, including built-in social senses usually active in family relationships and tribal rituals (like supporting your team in a ball game).

Issue: On Flesh (November 2016)

Quaker Culture: Speaking as Equals

Author(s): Eric Sabelman

Friends (of the non-pastoral sort, at least) do not have a hierarchy. No chain of command. No higher-ups. No in-group. No pyramid of authority. No ultimate decision-maker, where the buck always stops. Nobody on the bottom, who must keep his/her head down and mouth shut for fear of retaliation. Nobody who is powerless. Nobody more powerful than whomever fills the temporary and limited role of clerk.

Issue: On Difference (July 2015)