Starting in 2012, Friends Journal began announcing themes for most of our upcoming issues. Every 18 months or so, we poll readers for topics that they’d like to see in our pages. Please check our Submissions page for the most up-to-date list of upcoming themes or email us at editor@friendsjournal.org to send suggestions for future issues.
Past and upcoming Friends Journal themes
2012 Issues
- Jan: Convergent Friends
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Crime and Punishment
- Apr: Membership and the Generation Gap
- May: Food
- Jun/Jul: Faith, Practice, and Community
- Aug: Sustainable Travel
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Money/Economy (Wall Street, Main Street, and Meetinghouse Road)
- Nov: Quaker Books, Writing, and Poetry
- Dec: Hospitality
2013 Issues
- Jan: Privilege
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Sexuality
- Apr: Conflict and Eldering
- May: The Arts
- Jun/Jul: The Testimonies
- Aug: Parenting (first color issue!)
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Aging
- Nov: Books and Writing
- Dec: Outside the Quaker Bubble
2014 Issues
- Jan: Finding a Path
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Funding Ministry
- Apr: Education
- May: Mental Health and Wellness
- Jun/Jul: Concepts of God
- Aug: Quaker Myth-Busting
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Experiences of Friends of Color
- Nov: Books and Writing
- Dec: Open
2015 Issues
- Jan: Climate Change
- Feb: Life Transitions
- Mar: Open
- Apr: Mentorship and Teaching Our Values
- May: Friends and Other Faiths
- Jun/Jul: Activists vs Mystics vs Pragmatists
- Aug: The Effects of War
- Sep: Reproduction and Family Planning
- Oct: Faithful Living
- Nov: Quakers in Pop Culture
- Dec: Economic Justice and Poverty
2016 Issues
- Jan: The Political Process
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Disability and Inclusion
- Apr: Spiritual Nurture, Quaker Training
- May: Gender and Sexuality
- Jun/Jul: Almost Quaker
- Aug: Quaker Spaces
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Crossing Cultures
- Nov: Social Media and Technology
- Dec: Giving and Philanthropy
2017 Issues
- Jan: Quakers in the Workplace
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Race and Anti-Racism
- Apr: AFSC Centennial
- May: Quaker Summers
- Jun/Jul: Reimagining the Quaker Ecosystem
- Aug: The Art of Dying and the Afterlife
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Conscience
- Nov: Quaker Libraries
- Dec: Conflict and Controversy
2018 Issues
- Jan: Quaker Lifestyles
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Quakers and the Holy Land
- Apr: Healing
- May: What Are Quaker Values Anyway?
- Jun/Jul: Creativity and the Arts
- Aug: Going Viral with Quakerism
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Meetings and Money
- Nov: Books That Have Changed Us
- Dec: Quakers and Christianity
2019 Issues
- Jan: A Racially Diverse Society of Friends?
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Outside the Meetinghouse
- Apr: Humor in Religion
- May: Friendly Competition?
- Jun/Jul: Food Choices
- Aug: QuakerSpeak at Five
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Friends in Africa
- Nov: Gambling
- Dec: Quaker Kids
2020 Issues
- Jan: Drugs
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Unnamed Quaker Creeds
- Apr: The State of Quaker Institutions
- May: Thin Spaces
- Jun/Jul: Membership and Friends
- Aug: Pastoral Friends
- Sep: Open
- Oct: Quaker Process
- Nov: Quakers in Translation
- Dec: Emerging Witnesses
2021 Issues
- Jan: Race & Antiracism
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Lockdown at One Year
- Apr: Open
- May: Generations
- Jun/Jul: Quaker Utopias
- Aug: Open
- Sep: Policing and Mass Incarceration
- Oct: Open
- Nov: Speculative Fiction/Sci-Fi
- Dec: Language of Faith
2022 Issues
- Jan: Quaker Heroes
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Safety in Meetings
- Apr: Open
- May: Climate Activism and Sustainability
- Jun/Jul: Vocal Ministry
- Aug: Open
- Sept: Quaker Arts
- Oct: Open
- Nov: Fiction
- Dec: Atonement
2023 Issues
- Jan: Reparations
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Isolated Friends and Meetings
- Apr: Open
- May: Farming and Food
- Jun/Jul: Leadership
- Aug: Open
- Sep: Younger Friends Becoming Quaker
- Oct: Ecumenical & Interfaith Friends
- Nov: Fiction
- Dec: Stewardship as a Testimony
2024
- Jan: Forgiveness
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Prayer and Healing
- Apr: Open (QW)
- May: At-Large or Non-Traditional Membership
- Jun/Jul: 400th anniversary of George Fox’s birth
- Aug: Open
- Sept: Relationships
- Oct: Open (QW)
- Nov: Fiction
- Dec: Spiritual Optimism vs Spiritual Pessimism
2025
- Jan: How Meetings Use Money
- Feb: Open
- Mar: Neurodiversity
- Apr: Open
- May: Housing and Homelessness
- Jun/Jul: History of Revivalisms
- Aug: Open
- Sep: Affinity Groups and Worship
- Oct: Open
- Nov: Quaker Fiction
- Dec: How Do We Answer: What Do We Believe?