Early Friends and the Books of Moses

Between 1656 and 1657 Margaret Fell composed a series of epistles to Jewish communities. In these texts she used her knowledge of Biblical religion to support some of the central claims of Quakerism, including appeal to the Inward Light. At the same time, she sought to show how Quaker life and worship both anticipated and fulfilled long-standing Messianic hopes within Judaism.

In this session, learners will explore:
• Early Friends’ Scriptural reading practice
• Early Quaker attitudes to Judaism, both Biblical and post-Biblical
• Early Friends’ changing views of Judaism and the Torah.

This session also highlights the two-sided nature of early Quakerism. By delving into first-generation Quaker attitudes to the Torah, learners will discover both early Friends’ creative dialogues with Jewish tradition alongside harmful patterns of Christian anti-Judaism inherited from the wider Protestant Reformation.

This session will appeal to Friends who want to strengthen their understanding of how Quakers read and used the Bible. It may also resonate with Friends of Jewish practice and/or heritage, who would like to explore the historic connections between Quaker and Jewish communities.