Personality Cults. Perhaps this label is a bit exaggerated, but I find it noteworthy that a number of the factions resulting from the nineteenth century splintering of the Society of Friends were named after individuals, prominent Friends' ministers - Hicksites, Gurneyites, Wilburites. Friends wrote much upholding or denouncing particular ministers associated with tendencies among Friends. While in earlier days traveling ministers helped keep the society united, in later days they often encouraged factionalism in fact if not in word.
Traditionalism. While there's certainly nothing wrong with walking in the footsteps of the faithful of the past, over time the practices and tenets at least perceived as being the tradition can come to be accepted because they're how things have been done rather than because of current inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Tension develops between the guardians of tradition and those who feel they have fresh inspiration not wholly consistent with the constraints the traditionalists seek to impose.
Influences from Outside. Friends were influenced by movements in the larger society around them. In different places, the outside influences moved Friends in different directions.
Where Are We Now?
Today, differing groups of Friends have gone in different directions. There are huge variations in faith and practice. Some groups don't recognize other groups as holding a faith in common with themselves. The Society has been weakened because some features, such as the elders, which were strengths, often became perverted. As a result, groups jettisoned them without finding adequate other means to fulfill their functions. At the worst, the results range from rampant individualism to rigid imposition of doctrines imported from outside. But even where such extremes have been avoided, the Society often struggles with mixed success to maintain unity and needed discipline without legalism and repressive structures.
There are Friends with dreams of reuniting Friends. The obstacles to that are tremendous, and I personally don't believe we can put Humpty Dumpty back together again. But there are winds of spiritual renewal blowing among Friends from across the spectrum. While the results of such renewal don't look identical from place to place, those caught up in the moving of the Spirit bringing renewal can often see the same Spirit working in other parts of the Society where the fruits look a little different. God is not finished with Friends yet.
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