That which is spirit is spirit: Male and Female Quaker Perspectives in Political Context

Female Quaker preachers of mid-seventeenth century England perplexed their non-Quaker contemporaries, but found initial encouragement within their sect. Despite extensive research conducted on and about Quakerism and its members during the English civil wars and Revolution some questions are left unanswered, in particular connections between male and female members are often overlooked. Since the Quaker sect valued spiritual egalitarianism, the contributions of each sex deserve examination. This study applies a comparative gendered approach to Quaker attitudes towards female preaching through the mid- and late-seventeenth century. It is essential to examine the male perspective on female preaching alongside female perspectives because the men initially supported the public presence of women despite its clear opposition to patriarchal society and English views of masculinity. In this thesis I explore the varied ideas and attitudes toward acceptable preaching during the political upheaval of the civil war years of the 1640s, the justifications for Quaker preaching methods as provided by male and female Friends during the Protectorate of the 1650s, and how these ideas compared to the Quietist changes instituted by the sect in the Restoration years following 1660. Analysis of publications authored by non-Quakers demonstrates the established acceptable preaching actions in the seventeenth-century and therefore provides a larger context for understanding the radical label applied to Quakerism. This information further expands our knowledge of the internal perceptions of preaching and progression of Quakerism toward Quietism in the 1660s as well as provide solid examples of how the Inner Light was interpreted as spiritual equality