Religion is one of the four pillars of the Chautauqua experience (along with The Arts, Education, and Recreation). The Department of Religion has a long, rich tradition of supporting denominational houses that enrich the religious and spiritual experiences of visitors at the summer assembly. The Quaker House at Chautauqua is the newest, only 3 years old, bringing the total to 15. Our mission it to seek the Living Water at the intersection of Chautauqua and Quakerism; to provide spiritual nourishment.
Each denominational house has a weekly Chaplain. Using more Quakerly language, we call ours, Friend of the Week. The Friend of the Week’s role is to deepen a Quaker presence at the House and on the Chautauqua grounds, contribute to programming, and participate in the community. Programming includes Sunday Meeting for Worship, Brown Bag lunches for presentation and discussion, social hour, and a Friend in Residence workshop, plus special events. The Friend of the Week is integral to the Quaker House program and community.
We seek to match each Friend of the Week with a weekly theme about which they have background knowledge and expertise. They facilitate relevant conversations and overlay a Quaker perspective onto the issues that arise. We listen to them talk about their work in the world and how Spirit has led them along the way. We engage a diverse group of Friends of the Week (ethnicity, gender, age, Quaker affiliation, life/work experience) to bring multiple voices to our conversations. The Friends of the Week help us live into the intersection of Chautauqua and Quakerism.
Find a listing of our Friends for the Week for 2023 here.