Quakers and the Concept of Equality

Résumé du document

The Civil War was a gateway for women's entrance into the public area. As a result of the shortage of men due to the conflict, women were increasingly needed to preserve the society. Never before had women found access to such opportunities for contribution. For this reason, woman's position in society was slightly altered. 'The Society of Friends' in particular, gave women a new rank. Achieving to some extent the biblical status of men's help-meets, women felt that their spiritual aspirations were no longer stifled as under the national Church. The concept of equality, central to the Quaker doctrine, implied that no difference was to be made between any member of the society, whether old or young, rich or poor, male or female. Friends strove to promulgate the notion of universal equality and incidentally equality between the sexes both in the secular and sacred spheres. Consequently, during the revolutionary years Quakerism gave women a justification to obey the dictates of their own conscience rather than that of their conservative contemporaries. From the earliest days of Quakerism, George Fox endeavoured to promote simplicity and equality among his followers. He even defied the boundaries between the sexes giving women more freedom than was usually granted. First and foremost, Fox's belief in plain dress, speech and behaviour stood both as a declaration of religious equality and as evidence of opposition to all other forms of inequity.

Extraits

[...] According to Quakers all were servants of the Lord, and in this tradition they went as far as defending slaves, even protesting for their freedom, when visiting Barbados in 1671.[34] Having said that, it is no wonder that the Society of Friends was one of the first movements to develop a concept of equality between the sexes while still remaining a patriarchal conservative society Male and Female Equality: the Quaker Exception The equality of men and women in spiritual privilege and responsibility has always been one of the glories of Quakerism. William Braithwaite, Second Period of Quakerism.[35] The teachings of Quakers were not that different from that of the other dissenting groups; many non-conformist congregations such as the Levellers, the Baptists and the Familists were concerned with emphasising the role of women within their society. However, women marked Quakerism more than women did in other dissenting movements. Indeed the Quakers' concept of universal equality also concerned women. [...]

[...] fines,[28] persecutions and imprisonments. Yet, the Quakers remained constant in putting their conviction into practice, behaving in the same way both in the public and private spheres. The refusal to doff their hats to social superiors, and especially to magistrates when in court (figure was adopted by all Quakers, and represented one of the main features of the Friends' characteristic attitude. George Fox enthusiastically claimed that "when the Lord sent [him] forth into the world, he forbade [him] to put off [his] hat to any, high or low; and was required to 'thee' and 'thou' all men and women, without any respect to rich or poor, great or small."[29] Reinterpreting the Bible to the letter, they protested that the custom of hat-honour was not ordained by God, consequently, this habit was no longer adequate and valid: Where did ever any magistrate, king, or judge from Moses to Daniel command any to put off their hats when they came before them into their courts amongst the Jews the people of God or amongst the heathen, or where did any of the heathen command any such thing in all their courts or their kings or judges? [...]

[...] She also espoused the idea of simplicity. In 1662, officers told Elizabeth Hooton not to preach within Charles II's court. However, the first Quaker woman preacher came back, defying authority and social customs, displaying her opposition by dressing differently, whilst still trying to show people the right way: Came vpon me to gett a Coat of sackecloath, and it was plaine to me how J should haue it, soe we made that Coat, and the next morning J were moued to goe amongst them againe at Whitehall in sacke- and ashes, and the people was much strucken, both great men and women was strucken into silence, the witnesse of god was raised in many.[10] Figure 4. [...]

[...] B. Qism, p E. Hooton, in Manner, p Nick. Jnl, p Idem, p ETP, p Matt. 5:34: "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:" James 5:12: "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Sykes, p Second Period of Quakerism, p E. L. [...]

[...] Hooton in Manners, p Bacon, p ETP, p W. Hodgson, Select Historical Memoirs of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, being a Succinct Account of their Character and Course during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia pp. 39-41. George Fox, Epistles No (Fox was referring to the day of Creation) quoted in Braithwaite, pp. 139-40. Hodgson, p J. [...]