Simple Faith Groups

 Becoming part of a Religious Group 

Religious and spiritual groups may offer you a real chance to feel part of a community with others of similar views to yourself, and eventually allow you to make some good friends. If you already consider yourself to have found your spiritual home in your own branch of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Paganism or whatever, then you will want to fit your simple lifestyle into the tradition of that religion. None of these religions is without a long tradition of simplicity and your life will be made richer by exploring, alone or with others, the roots and practice within your faith. Others among you will be ‘seekers’; you may feel that you have a spiritual home somewhere, but you might not know where to start looking. If this is the case, a search for some kind of religious ‘home’ may be worthwhile. Don’t assume however, that this is necessarily as easy as it sounds; as with finding a partner, you should know when you have made the right choice! 

Wherever and whatever you seek, do not accept compromise; go to a spiritual home where your your own personal beliefs fit comfortably and choose a group to join only if it is made up of individuals with whom you feel at ease, and with whom you are happy to make a spiritual journey.  Below I will highlight some religious groupings that you may not be too familiar with, but all of which have some special relevance to simplicity. I have avoided discussion of ‘mainstream’ churches only because they are very well known and easy to find out about; this does not mean that they might not be perfect for you! I will not be discussing any group that charges a fee for you to join or attend meetings; if you find yourself being asked for contributions other that the customary voluntary ‘collection’, think very carefully about whether you are becoming part of a spiritual group, or just buying another product. Most groups should allow you time to ‘taste’ what's on offer before you decide to become a full member, so don’t hesitate to decline membership if you feel that you really don’t fit in or simply say that you are not ready yet and wish to give it longer before you make up your mind. 

Mennonites 

The Mennonites come from the same theological roots as the Amish, namely Anabaptism; they too found a home in Pennsylvania at the invitation of the Quakers, following persecution in Europe.  While it may be hard for the outsider to see the difference between an Amish community and an Old Order Mennonite community, differences do exist. Most Mennonites today do not wear Plain clothing and seem thoroughly ‘modern’, but they do have very strong beliefs including a strong commitment to simplicity and pacifism. Mennonite groups exist widely in the USA, Eastern Europe, Russia and many African countries; in the UK they are thin on the ground, but groups do exist and a national umbrella organization helps groups and individuals to make contact (see links below). 

If you want to combine your simple lifestyle with conventional Biblical Christian beliefs, then it is well worth exploring the Mennonites in more detail.  

“Preoccupation with money and possessions, self-indulgent living and eagerness to accumulate wealth for personal advantage are not in keeping with the teaching of Scripture.” 

~US Mennonite Brethren Confessions of Faith 

 Quakers 

Simplicity is an important concept to Quakers, both as individuals and as a group.  Practitioners of simplicity at any level will find like-minded people at their local meeting. Quakers (The Religious Society of Friends) have their roots in the religious and political turmoil of the seventeenth century. Quakers do not have churches but meet together, usually once or twice a week, in a Meeting House for what is not called a service, but a Meeting for Worship. 

Today Quakers offer a spiritual home for many including those from a very wide range of religious beliefs. Worldwide Quakers are predominantly Christian, but Universalist, Buddhist, Pagan and even Nontheistic Quakers are not uncommon, especially in Britain. In the UK the vast majority of Quakers are part of one umbrella group, the Britain Yearly Meeting, but in North America, where the numbers of Quakers are much larger, several groupings are present that represent differing traditions. The most common form of Quaker worship (and as far as I know the only form in the UK) is unstructured worship where Quakers (called Friends by each other) gather in a Meeting and wait in silence until one of them is moved to speak. This speech emanating from the silent Meeting is called Ministry and represents the only spoken part of the meeting, until the announcements at the end. Going to the meeting makes you an ‘attender’ but, given time you may apply to become a full member. 

Quakers are very tolerant of differences among individuals, and you will find yourself able to participate fully without having your individual beliefs challenged. While Quakers have no creed or dogma you are expected to be in broad agreement with a series of statements called Testimonies which are associated with peace, justice, truth, environment, equality and of course simplicity. Many Quakers, particularly those associated with Ohio Yearly Meeting, do dress Plain and a growing number of Quakers from other yearly meetings are adopting this form of simplicity, even a few in Britain.   

If you hold strong to the Christian heritage of Quakerism, you may find it difficult in the UK to find a meeting in your locality at which you feel you fit in. In this case you may, instead of seeking membership, consider yourself one of the growing numbers of unaffiliated Quakers who, while fully feeling part of the world Quaker movement, are not comfortable with the direction that many British Quaker Meetings seem to be taking. In North America, with several strands of the Quaker tradition very active, you should find it much easier to find a Meeting which you feel at home with. 

"Try to live simply. A simple lifestyle freely chosen is a source of great strength. Do not be persuaded into buying what you do not need or cannot afford. Do you keep yourself informed about the effect your style of living is having on the global economy and environment?" 

~Advices and Queries; Britain Yearly Meeting 

Bruderhof Communities 

Again part of the Anabaptist family and active in North and South America, the UK and Australia, the Bruderhof started life in Germany, but were persecuted out of the county by the Nazi regime. The Bruderhof practise a simple and peaceful lifestyle in a way that allows for community living and common ownership. Bruderhof communities accept families and single people to join them and are very accommodating to those who are happier with just being visitors. If you want your simple living to be within a like-minded, very Christian community, then you might like to find out more.  

Unitarians 

Unitarians (called Unitarian Universalists in most countries) developed from a number of free churches and Eastern European movements in the sixteenth century. Today Unitarians are noted for their lack of creed and dogma, and their accommodating attitude. Christians (of the non-Trinitarian kind), Pagans, Buddhists and others can all make a home within a Unitarian group. While not having a specific statement on simplicity, Unitarians would be very open to those following a simple living lifestyle. 

Over a century ago many Unitarians, who were members of the transcendental movement, mainly American, experimented with simple living; among them were Henry David Thoreau and Amos Bronson Alcott (father of Louis M. Alcott of 'Little Women' fame).  They met with mixed success but great literary influence. It is impossible to look at any kind of experimental way of living in the Eastern USA at the end of the nineteenth century without constantly hitting upon Unitarian ideas. If your religious views are difficult to match up with congregations you have tried, and geographically you have Unitarians near you, then this could be the answer. With some lack of understanding as to what both groups encompass, Unitarians are sometimes described as ‘Quakers who sing Hymns’; this ignores the independent development of traditions in both of these strands of liberal religion, but from abolition of slavery to women’s rights and same sex marriage, Quakers and Unitarians have stood shoulder to shoulder.

“We need to praise simplicity in religion and simplicity in our life style, to make of simplicity, sparing and stewardship an integrated way of being.” 

~ John Toye, Economist and Unitarian

Oblates 

Oblates are generally part of the Catholic, Orthodox or sometimes Anglican Christian tradition, but many people from other Christian denominations are able to take part, as long as they have a belief in the Trinity. Being an Oblate associates you with a monastery, and although you are not formally a monk or a nun you may take part in life of the monastery either regularly, if geography allows, or through visits. Oblates can be individuals, families or even small groups. Perhaps the most well-known are the Oblates of St Benedict which ranks simplicity high among their aims. Becoming an Oblate is considered a vocation and does involve the taking of vows, so make sure that you are happy with this from the onset. 

Plain Catholics 

Another very different grouping of Catholics devoted to simplicity are the Plain Catholics. Full individual members of the Catholic Church, Plain Catholics have adopted many of the lifestyle choices more often associated with Amish, Plain Quakers or Old Order Mennonites. The grouping has no geographical base but has members in congregations around the world. Catholics devoted to self-sufficient living might also want to investigate the Catholic Land Movement which again has worldwide membership. (Links at the bottom of this page.) 

Celtic Christian Communities 

Celtic Christianity is a term applied, fairly loosely, to the form of Christianity that grew up before the Christian areas of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany and parts of  England were under the direct control of the Roman Catholic Church. Definitions are vague, but this was the Dark Ages, and while historians may disagree, the writings of early Celtic Christians are quite wonderful in their attempts to marry together Christianity with a more ‘pagan’ view of the world. The early Celtic Christians were convinced that simplicity drew them closer to God and allowed them to live close to the natural cycles of the Earth. Simplicity was at the heart of the Celtic monastic tradition and, at times, this developed into a very austere way of life. 

In all honesty, the Celtic Church no longer exists, but strands of it survive in modern Anglicanism, Methodism and Catholicism whilst similarities in theology and practice show comparisons with Orthodox Christianity. Several communities have grown up which draw from all denominations, and which try to keep those ideals of Celtic Christianity alive.  The Northumbria and Ionna Communities have well supported groups on the web and help to organize pilgrimages and retreats. True, many experience these groups only via the internet, but their activities are helpful and worth investigating if you find yourself in sympathy with Celtic Christian ideals. 

Sexual Orientation and Religious Groups 

If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual or any kind of gender nonconformist, then you may want to check the attitudes of any group you plan to join. Quakers, Unitarians and Reform Jews are very openly against discrimination on sexual orientation grounds, but you may need to approach other groups on a local level. Above all do not be intimidated into thinking that you need to change basic parts of your own sexual makeup just to be part of a religious group ~ you don’t! Modern attitudes to sexual orientation are in no way compromised by simple living, and by accepting your own sexuality and that of others you are embracing the simple notion that all of us are different and yet all of us are equal! 

“One should no more deplore homosexuality than left-handedness.” 

~Towards a Quaker View of Sex 1963 

Doing your own Thing 

Geography is much more important than it used to be in finding a group that you feel you want to be part of. At one time a whole range of alternative religious groups might have been available for your use within easy reach, but in many European and North American communities, decreasing attendance and a more dispersed population means less choice. One solution is to start your own group consisting of family, friends and neighbours. The Amish meet fortnightly in each other's homes and, when a worship group gets too large for the accommodation, a new group is formed. You could run your group along lines of the unstructured meetings of Quakers, the more directed worship of the Mennonites, or any other alternative you chose. You may wish your group to be self-contained or seek to affiliate it to a larger organization. If it all ends up with just your family taking some time together in silent worship once a week then what’s wrong with that? 

Alternatives 

You may find that you don’t fit into any of the groups above and that your religious beliefs, or lack of religious beliefs, would be compromised by joining any group. In that case the internet should provide you with a wealth of non-religious, or alternative religious groups to join. It may be difficult to gain local connections, but you could be pivotal in starting a group of your own. Many, throughout history have found themselves literally on their own and this too may have rich rewards.  

 If you are interested in any of the groups mentioned in this chapter, then a visit to the respective website should give you access to update information about the groups and any local activity. 

The Mennonite Trust (UK) http://menno.org.uk/ 

Mennonite Church (USA) http://www.mennoniteusa.org/about-us/who-are-the-mennonites/ 

Unitarians (UK) http://www.unitarian.org.uk/index.shtml 

Unitarians (USA) http://www.uua.org/ 

Quakers in Britain http://www.quaker.org.uk/ 

Quaker Finder (North America)  http://www.fgcquaker.org/connect/quaker-finder 

Conservative Quakers (USA) http://www.quaker.us/welcome.html 

Bruderhof Communities   http://www.bruderhof.com/en-gb 

Plain Catholics http://plaincatholic.webs.com/ 

The Catholic Land Movement http://www.thecatholiclandmovement.org/ 

The Northumbrian Community (Celtic Christian) http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/ 

The Iona Community (Celtic Christian) http://iona.org.uk/ 

Benedictine Oblates (UK)  http://www.benedictine-oblates.net/ 

The North American Association of Benedictine Oblate Directors http://www.naabod.org/ 

QuakerQuaker (worldwide community) http://www.quakerquaker.org/ 

The Pagan Federation (UK) http://www.paganfed.org/cms/ 

Hermits http://www.solitaries.org.uk/ 

National Secular Society (UK) http://www.secularism.org.uk/  

Wikipedia page on LGBT affirming Christian Denominations  LGBT-affirming Christian denominations 

 (C) Ray Lovegrove 2015 2022

Simple Ideas

The simple answer is from the past, before much modern technology had been developed. It is wrong to look too fondly on things that we imagine came from some kind of ‘golden age’ because such an age never occurred. The distant past had a number of advocates of the simple life, Socrates, Jesus, Buddha, and others, but it is the not-too-distant past that this blog will draw most heavily upon. In the last fifty to one hundred years, we have seen probably the most dramatic changes to everyday life that have ever been witnessed, so we are not far removed from a way of living that seems strange to us now, but almost within our grasp. Like ‘the day before yesterday’ those times have gone, but if we work at it, we can capture the essence of them and select those things which have been lost which should have been cherished and nurtured.  

We gather most of our impressions of how things were done in the past from books, films, paintings and photographs, but these can give artificially simplistic ideas about what the past was like. We may be able to see a reconstruction of an 1850s kitchen, but we can never be aware of the levels of light, the smells, the noise etc. … we are left with a fairly ‘rosy’ impression of what it would have been like. Life has always been very hard for the vast majority of people on the planet; what seems to us to be a nice or even a fashionable little pastime, like making bread or growing potatoes, was just another part of the great drudgery of living and ‘making ends meet’.  We do not want to return to simple drudgery to live however; we want to live simply, but happily.  We want our simplicity to be a joy, not a burden; to achieve this we need to use technology carefully. We need to look at technical advancements and, whilst never accepting them merely because they exist, we need to evaluate them carefully to see whether they can help us live the way we aim to live; that is what technology is for!  

Various movements and individuals have tried to develop a simple approach to life developed from spiritual/philosophical ideals.  Among them are many Buddhist groups, and those following the monastic lifestyle in the Celtic, Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions. In more modern times various religious groups such as the Mennonites and Amish, the Quakers and the Shakers have all developed a simple approach to life from which all of us can learn. More recently still, secular ideas of minimalism have made an impact on the lives of many. Tolstoy, Thoreau, Gandhi, and others have written of simplicity and those writings have influenced countless numbers of individuals, and persuaded many to change their lives, some a little, others vastly.  

‘Minimalism’ isn't the same as ‘simple living’, though some overlap of ideas is common. It may be a minimalist that sits at a table in a white room eating an apple, but it’s the simple life that gets you outside growing those apples, harvesting those apples, cooking those apples. A simple kitchen will have lots of tools for doing the job, the kind of thing that a minimalist wouldn't want. I'm not against minimalism in any way, and we could all look at minimising things in our lives, but this blog is about radical simple living, and that’s very different! 

  

One often-overlooked source of ‘modern’ simplicity comes from Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid. Reid was a key member of the Scottish Enlightenment and a founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense, which argued that the feelings and actions of humans were governed by basic principles of common sense. This may have been a strong influence on Samuel Smiles, another Scot, who wrote several Victorian best sellers including Self Help (1859), which provided the English-speaking world with hundreds of easy-to-remember quotes on self-improvement. One can sum up Smiles’ philosophy as “keep clean, and work hard”. It is surprising how often Smiles is quoted (usually unaccredited) in self-sufficiency books and websites. Much of the ‘homespun’ advice to families up to the middle of the twentieth century comes from Smiles. I have also found Smiles quoted in a political setting where his words are used to promote that kind of ‘rugged individualism’ which usually boils down to the idea that we all need to look after ourselves and the state should not be involved. I don’t think that was what Smiles was saying at all, but feel free to disagree with me on that! 

 “The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual.”  

“A place for everything and everything in its place.” 

“The experience gathered from books, though often valuable, is but the nature of learning, whereas the experience gained from actual life is of the nature of wisdom.”  

-Samuel Smiles 

Common sense still has to be at the heart of our simple life.  We need to do things because they are the common sense way to achieve our goals. Cooking, housekeeping, growing food and bringing up children all require a ‘common sense’ approach, otherwise they are not simple at all.  

‘Victorian’ homes were traditional places where people from all classes tried to display as many material possessions as possible. Wallpaper, curtains, potted plants, pianos, vases, plates, framed pictures and other artefacts filled drawing-rooms and front parlours. To our eyes these look like rooms full of clutter, a mishmash of styles and functions. William Morris (1834 –96) and others led a movement towards a more simple way of furnishing homes, using well-designed craftsman-made items.  This became known as the ‘Arts and Crafts Movement’. To be honest, it still looks a bit cluttered at times to our modern eyes, but the move towards less items of better quality was an important one and one we should aim to learn from.  

Morris very openly drew on medieval ideas to develop his style and that led him to the use of traditional materials and craftsmanship, sometimes producing a monastic feel to his work. He did come up with a famous maxim for all those who seek a simple, yet beautiful space to live.  

also need to note that Morris was concerned for the wellbeing of the craftsmen who made the objects and materials he used, and in this we see the start of some kind of realization that the goods that we use need to be ethically sourced. 

 “If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it:  Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ~ William Morris 

Homesteading  

Homesteading is a familiar lifestyle for many in North America.  Use of the term in the United States dates back to the Homestead Act (1862) and hit its heyday in the period between the end of the American Civil War and the start of the Twentieth century. Perhaps most of us get our concept of homesteading from the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and its companion books, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This view of a homesteading family as seen through the eyes of Laura as a girl, has had a potent effect on many who read it as children. In my experience any conversation with a self-sufficient homesteader gets back to the influence of these books very quickly.  I have heard all kinds of theories about the alleged ghost writing, or at least the heavy editing, of these books (by her daughter), but nothing distracts from their charm.   

It is a little known fact that many African-American families were given plots of land to start up homesteading after the Civil War in an initiative developed by Abraham Lincoln himself.  Homesteading is still an important way of life for many in America and it is interesting to note how strongly those who adopt it believe they are the inheritors of that pioneer spirit which drove their great grandparents ever farther westwards.  

Homesteading has its followers among those on the liberal left who see it as an expression of political disobedience and a way of avoiding corporate interference, whilst those homesteaders on the right regard it as a stand against ‘big government’ and see it as the last refuge of individualism in modern America. Perhaps it is just that most homesteaders see it as a way of life which allows them to develop strong family and community ties and lets them become self-sufficient, free to make their own decisions.   

In Western Europe the homesteading movement has never gained momentum, with most self-sufficient growers and farmers calling themselves ‘small holders’ and less likely to see their choice of occupation as being a political or philosophical statement.  

Counter Culture  

Hippies are not normally considered as the inspiration for a simple lifestyle, but they did have a profound effect on western society. Starting famously in 1967, “the summer of love” in San Francisco, they developed the spirit that was to lead many to live an alternative lifestyle. So many alternative lifestyles were developed, that by the 1970s, a whole range of “counter cultures” were on offer. Most significant of these to our cause were the “green movement” (not yet to become a political force) and the related movement towards self-sufficiency. This was helped by some influential books of the time; “Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World” by Helen and Scott Nearing (1970) in the US and “Farming for Self-Sufficiency - Independence on a Five Acre Farm” by John Seymour (1973) in the UK, followed by his “The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency” (1976). A great deal of attention was also given to the publication of “Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as If People Mattered” (1973) a collection of essays by British economist E. F. Schumacher.  These books changed many peoples’ lives by convincing them that they do have the ability to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on modern industrial and agricultural techniques. These movements may have started without the development of the ‘Hippy Movement’, but the general sprit of the age led to new ideas about how to live taking root more quickly than might have been thought possible.  

What ideas support Simple Living today ? 

• Just three things are important; 
• The desire to live more simply and avoid a life that is more complicated than necessary  
• The need to care for and cherish the environment   
• The belief that simplicity is a gateway to greater understanding of the true values of life and/or a more spiritual approach to life. 

Throughout this blog I will work on the assumption that simple living, environmentally ‘green’ living and ethical living are all so connected that one cannot truly be doing one without having given some attention to the other two! To me, these ideas are encapsulated by the American Quaker John Woolman, a man who thought hard about the consequences of his everyday actions and took steps to live in a way that was compatible with his beliefs.  

“The produce of the earth is a gift from our gracious creator to the inhabitants, and to impoverish the earth to support outward greatness appears to be an injury to the succeeding age.” 

~ John Woolman 

(C) Ray Lovegrove 2015 2022