FCRP GENERAL INFORMATION
The Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology, which takes place over Memorial Day weekend, is a Philadelphia-based, nonprofit Quaker organization that first met in 1943.
The seeds of the conference were sown before the war in a number of Quaker study groups spread around the U.S. Eastern seaboard which focused on the relevance of depth psychology—and the psychology of C.G. Jung in particular—as a means of spiritual growth and grounding in this world. The silent worship of Quakers in which Friends “center down” and open to the spirit, and the Jungian process of exploring the material and “messages” from the unconscious through dreams, creative work, and active imagination appeared to complement and even mirror the other. The practices seemed to interweave and support one another.
Since the earliest conferences, guest speakers have been invited to help open new doors into this experience. Not all speakers have been Jungians or Quakers. The tradition of small "break-out" groups in which participants process and integrate the material from the plenaries also dates back to the earliest days of this conference.
The weekend’s plenary speaker or speakers generally offer four talks on the conference theme. Past keynote speakers have included: Robert Bly, Joseph Campbell, Michael Conforti, Lionel Corbert, Mathew Fox, Donald Kalsched, Joanna Macy, Ira Progoff, M. C. Richards, D.T. Suzuki, Marion Woodman, Bessel van der Kolk and many, many others. You can see a complete list of all of FCRP past plenary speakers and past conference topics here.
The interest groups meet three or four times during the weekend, giving members an opportunity to explore the plenary material personally and at some depth. Interest groups have included: reflective writing; personal myth exploration; intuitive poetry; family constellation work; body work; Tai Chi; Qigong; journal writing and painting; and dream sharing. The process that unfolds within these small "growth" groups—with its ups and downs and insights—is an important part of the FCRP experience.
Costs
FCRP Registration Rates as of April 1- May 20, 2023
Single room rate: $625
Shared room: $565
Commuter rate: $355
Room rates include room and breakfast, lunch, and dinner and all conference activities.
Commuter rates cover lunch, and dinner and all conference activities.
If you cancel before April 14, there is a $100 cancellation fee or or $75 for commuters. After April 14, we cannot refund any registration fees except in cases of dire medical or family emergencies. We regret this policy but it is necessary because of contractual agreements with our conference venue.
Scholarship help is available. You can apply for scholarship assistance by using this form
and sending it to our scholarship coordinator, Tara Tappert. You must apply for scholarship assistance before you register. After you apply, you will receive a code from our scholarship coordinator that will reduce your fees automatically when you register.
Pendle Hill Covid Policy: Pendle Hill strongly recommends that all guests be up to date on their Covid vaccinations and also asks guests to test themselves within 24 hours of their arrival on campus and to stay home should they test positive.