Description

In the midst of England's civil war, George Fox, the son of a weaver, sparked the fastest-growing religious movement of its age. This collection of excerpts from Fox's letters of encouragement and instruction to the early Quaker communities make Fox's vision accessible to a new audience. Especially helpful is that the editor has reformatted many of the selections as poetry. Readers hear the rhythms of Fox's preaching emerge from sometimes dense seventeenth century language. "There has never been such a poetic and prophetic selection and rendering as this one" (Paul Anderson).

This collection gathers selected letters according to themes that carry through Fox's vision of the triumph of the Lamb. The first section concerns the personal encounter with the Light within, followed by sections on fellowship and ministry, and concludes with a section on Gospel Order. Readers move from the deeply personal outward to communities of peace, holiness, and equity. Each selection has a short introduction and accompanying scripture which help the reader contextualize Fox's letters.