Not Just the Tudors Dark Side of the Quakers
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Dec 1, 2025 Dr. Erica Canella, a historian specializing in 17th-century English religious movements, dives into the dark origins of Quakerism born from the chaos of the English Civil Wars. She explains how trauma and instability created fertile ground for this radical faith. Their disruptive tactics alarmed authorities, while early Quakers faced persecution for challenging norms around gender and social hierarchy. The conversation also reveals failed miracles like Susanna Pearson’s resurrection attempt, illustrating the urgency and fervor with which they pursued their divine mission.
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War Made Quakerism Possible
- The English Civil Wars created trauma and uncertainty that made people receptive to radical religion like Quakerism.
- Erica Canella argues Quakerism emerged as a response to fear, hope, and social upheaval.
Fox As Synthesizer Not Sole Inventor
- George Fox synthesized existing radical ideas rather than inventing an entirely new theology.
- Erica Canella describes him as cherry-picking from ranters, seekers and Baptists to create Quaker doctrine.
Preaching, Prisons And Print Drove Spread
- It was charismatic street preaching and rapid grassroots spread that made Quakerism infectious.
- Canella stresses preaching tours, prison networks and seekers as transmission channels.
