I'm a progressive Christian, dually affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and the independent United Ecumenical Catholic Church. As a Quaker, I strive to be a disciple of the Inner Light, including the path of pacifism; as a priest in the UECC, I fellowship with a community connected to the ancient Christian Church by way of apostolic succession of bishops (though independent of Rome, Constantinople, and Canterbury), with the Eucharist as the focal point of our public worship. For inspiration, I draw on diverse Christian sources, including Orthodox, Catholic, Gnostic, Swedenborgian, Esoteric, anthroposophical, liberal-progressive, and, recently, Manichaean. For some years, I've sought to incorporate Toaist philosophy into my Christian devotion and praxis. My interest in Syriac Christianity in general and Manichaeism in particular was kindled in 2009 during formal studies in ancient church history.