| The
Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, originated in England
during the civil wars of the mid-seventeenth century. Early Quakers
have been variously described as founders of a fundamentally new form
of spiritual practice, as the radical end of the Protestant Reformation,
and as political revolutionaries. In The Light in Their Consciences, which recounts the earliest history of the Friends in England, Rosemary
Moore suggests that all of these characterizations are accurate and
can help us grasp the true significance of Quakerism.
Moore offers compelling portraits of the leading figures of the
Quaker movement, notably George Fox, James Nayler, and Margaret
Fell. She shows their interrelationships and documents the emergence
of George Fox as the leading Friend, relying not so much on Fox's
own proclamations as on the perceptions of both his followers and
his enemies as reflected in correspondence and printed pamphlets.
Moore also charts the growth of a genuine denominational consciousness
among Friends. This leads her to continue her account past the customary
stopping point of 1660—the Restoration of Charles II—up through
1666. It was in that year that Fox initiated major organizational
reforms that signaled the true dividing line between the early charismatic
Quaker movement and the introverted sect of the later seventeenth
century.
The Light in Their Consciences combines a lively narrative
with impeccable research. Moore draws upon unprecedented computer-based
analysis of all the contemporary Quaker and anti-Quaker literature.
Her account will interest historians, theologians, and members of
the Society of Friends throughout the world. |
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