My research explores whether British Quakerism can be understood as an emancipatory theology, using prison abolition as a contemporary case study.

Prisons in the UK are places of exclusion, torture, and dehumanisation. People held in them are disproportionately drawn from communities that are impoverished, marginalised, and oppressed.

Emancipatory theology is proposed here as a framework shaped by non-hierarchical ways of organising, by ongoing revelation through lived experience, and by a strong focus on ethical action. Quaker practice—rooted in experiential knowledge and often resisting dominant, rationalist ways of thinking—can be understood as producing ways of knowing that challenge commonly accepted ideas. In this context, the widespread assumption is that imprisonment is a normal and necessary part of the UK justice system.

This research will develop and apply a draft model of emancipatory theology to current Quaker work on prisons, paying particular attention to the tensions between reformist and abolitionist approaches. While Quaker testimonies speak clearly to equality and peace, public-facing Quaker work assumes the continued existence of prisons. This highlights a gap between stated beliefs and practical action.

Key Topics
Prison abolition, emancipatory theology, liberation theology, British Quakerism

About

I returned to university in 2022 to provide my social justice activism with a stronger theoretical grounding. I completed an MA in Postcolonial Culture and Globalisation at Goldsmiths in 2024. My interest in undertaking further research grew from my MA dissertation. I have recently begun the PhD, and I expect my research questions to evolve and become more focused. I am a Quaker, and my studies will continue to inform my activism.

Email: JXT651@student.bham.ac.uk