Women and Quakerism in the 17th Century (review)

Book Reviews Edited by Thomas D. Hamm Women and Quakerism in the 17th Century, by Christine Trevett. York, Eng.: Sessions, 1991. xvi+ 171 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, and index. Paper,£6. Christine Trevett's Women and Quakerism in the Seventeenth Century is remarkable in its groundbreaking attempt to place women at the center ofour understanding of the birth and youth of Quakerism. While historians have readily acknowledged the contribution of women to early Friends' history, there has been no coherent book-length study which documented the lives, numbers, spiritual journeys, or literature of the many women prophets and "mothers in Israel" who not only participated in but also led and nurtured the fledgling Quaker movement. Trevett's major contributions lie in three areas: the sheer mass ofmaterial she has unearthed and assimilated, her acute characterization oftwo types offemale leadership in the Society ofFriends, andher careful, thoughtful, and creative exploration ofwomen's meetings. It is valuable to the student of Quaker history to have this bulk of information available in one source and fashioned into a highly readable, if sometimes impressionistic , text. Trevett is a thorough, curious, and creative investigator, and she depicts her characters and events vividly and believably. Her use of detail adds to the richness of the text, and allows the reader to connect with an otherwise distant past. For example, the book begins with a sketch ofEngland in 1 647, which Trevett uses to provide a backdrop for the conditions of life for early Quaker women. She paints a grim picture ofcivil war, witchcraft trials, apocalypticism, heresy charges, high mortality rates, and a general insecurity and fear. Coupled with these conditions , Trevett finds a level of misogyny unknown in England fifty years before. In this context, and all the more vivid for the dichotomy, Trevett brings Elizabeth Hooten, George Fox's first, tenacious convert, to life. This brief but complete examination of Hooten's life effectively prepares the reader for the brave and sometimes astonishing acts of the women who followed her. Second, Trevett makes an important contribution to our understanding offemale leadership in the Society of Friends. Trevett's strength is her discussion of and distinction between the prophetic model and the authoritative public minister model of leadership. Trevett argues that, in the prophetic model, women did not see themselves as speaking, but viewed themselves as empty vessels through which God's Spirit spoke. They were not claiming equality with men. Rather, they were saying that they were no longer women when God used them as prophets. The other model was epitomized by Margaret Fell . No empty vessel, Fell was an authoritative public minister in her own right. Though Fell did not challenge patriarchy in the home or in the political sphere, in spiritual matters she viewed women and men as equals. Third, Trevett contributes immensely to our understanding of women's meetings . She carefully traces their historical development and examines the conflicts associated with their establishment. She considers the ways in which they empowered women, while also acknowledging their limitations on women's full participation in the Society of Friends. Finally, the book's greatest strength is also its weakness. Its massive amount of information is at times piled like jewels, unsorted and unpolished, in a dragon's cave. The reader knows that she is meeting something of great value but is left feeling overwhelmed by its occasional disorder and immensity. A pioneer cannot do 54Quaker History everything, however. For a people who identify themselves by their history rather than by theology, Trevett has unearthed a mountain ofjewels, and that in itself is a great service to Quakerism. She has done important foundational work and provided the inspiration for further study. May others join her in the task of sorting and polishing, reappraising and reorganizing the display ofthe crown jewels ofQuaker history. Earlham School of ReligionMargaret Benefiel and Haven Koontz William Penn on Religion andEthics: The Emergence ofLiberal Quakerism. Ed. by Hugh S. Barbour. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1991 . 2 vols.: xii + 672 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, and index. $79.95. Students of William Penn will welcome the appearance of Professor Hugh Barbour's collection ofthe published works ofPenn which are included in...