Female friends and the transatlantic Quaker community : 'the whole family and household of faith', c.1650 â c.1750
This thesis explores the lives and social interactions of Quaker women in the British Isles and American colonies between c.1650 and c.1750. The radical behaviour of women in the early years of Quakerism has been heavily researched. Historians, however, fail to give sufficient credit to those women who did not travel and preach as a way of life, but who used Quaker values and beliefs to organise their daily lives and give meaning to their experiences. This thesis offers a more accurate and comprehensive picture of early Quakerism, by examining how both ministering and non-itinerant womenâs identities were redefined as a result of their Quaker membership. The chapters are structured around the relationships that women developed both within and without the Quaker community with the lens of focus shifting outwards from the family, to the local meeting system, then to the connections and friendships that Quaker women formed with other members of the Society, and finally, to their relationship with the non-Quaker world. In arguing that Quaker womenâs domestic identities helped shape both their ministerial careers and the wider outlook of the movement, it counters the view that the originality of Quakerism stemmed
Pullin, Naomi Rebecca
BX Christian Denominations ; D204 Modern History
Female friends and the transatlantic Quaker community : 'the whole family and household of faith', c.1650 â c.1750. This thesis explores the lives and social interactions of Quaker women in the British Isles and American colonies between c.1650 and c.1750. The radical behaviour of women in the early years of Quakerism has been heavily researched. Historians, however, fail to give sufficient credit to those women who did not travel and preach as a way of life, but who used Quaker values and beliefs to organise their daily lives and give meaning to their experiences. This thesis offers a more accurate and comprehensive picture of early Quakerism, by examining how both ministering and non-itinerant womenâs identities were redefined as a result of their Quaker membership. The chapters are structured around the relationships that women developed both within and without the Quaker community with the lens of focus shifting outwards from the family, to the local meeting system, then to the connections and friendships that Quaker women formed with other members of the Society, and finally, to their relationship with the non-Quaker world. In arguing that Quaker womenâs domestic identities helped shape both their ministerial careers and the wider outlook of the movement, it counters the view that the originality of Quakerism stemmed
female friends transatlantic quaker_community the whole family household faith explores live social_interaction quaker woman british isles american colony radical behaviour woman quakerism heavily research historians however_fail give sufficient credit woman travel preach way_life use quaker value belief organise daily_life give meaning experience offer accurate comprehensive_picture early quakerism examine minister non itinerant woman identity redefine quaker membership structure_around relationship woman develop within without quaker_community lens focus shift outwards family local meeting system connection quaker woman form member_society finally relationship non quaker world argue quaker woman domestic identity help_shape ministerial career wider outlook movement counter view originality quakerism stem