New Books Network Naomi Baker, "Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century" (Reaktion Books, 2025)
Nov 7, 2025
Naomi Baker, a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Manchester, shares her insights on the radical Protestant women of the 17th century. She highlights remarkable figures like Rose Thurgood, who battled starvation and faith, and Anna Trapnel, known for her prophetic trances. Baker delves into how these women challenged social norms and religious authority, intertwining their activism with theology. Their voices helped shape the earliest autobiographical accounts in English, inspiring future generations to question hierarchy and pursue justice.
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Individual Conscience Fueled Radicalism
- The Reformation's emphasis on individual conscience fuelled radical religious movements in 17th-century England.
- Women took that emphasis to extremes, asserting spiritual equality and rejecting hierarchical authority.
Theology And Social Justice Were One
- Radical theology and social justice were inseparable for these sectarian groups; spiritual beliefs drove political aims.
- Belief in spiritual equality made women's voices inherently challenging to 17th-century social hierarchies.
Apocalyptic Urgency Drove Action
- A strong apocalyptic expectation galvanised activists to try to enact God's kingdom on earth rather than induce fatalism.
- That urgency intensified both religious fervour and radical political action.
