George Richardson Lecture – Back to the Light: A Fresh Approach

Nigel will focus on the interactions between Friends and various European groups. Asking questions such as “What was at the heart of the debates between Quakers, Mennonites, Collegiants, Sephardic Jews, and other fellow travellers, about the meaning of the ‘light within’?” and “Why did some become Quakers at this time and others not, and what does this tell us about the decisions we make and practices we follow today?”.

He will look at two of the key philosophers involved in those debates: John Locke and Baruch Spinoza, exploring how their writings fit with early Quakerism, and what the implications are today. He will also address some of the women involved in these religious-philosophical debates, such as Ann Conway, Damaris Cudworth Masham, Judith Zinspenning and Antoinette Bourignon, acknowledging the unjust neglect of these figures until recently.

This annual prestigious public lecture in Quaker studies is open and free to everyone. The lecture will last up to an hour with time for questions and discussion afterwards.

About the Lecturer:
Nigel Smith, the William and Annie S. Paton Foundation Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature at Princeton University, which he joined in 1999 from Oxford University. He has authored notable books on Andrew Marvell and Milton, and has edited various publications including the Journal of George Fox (Penguin, 1998). His current projects include research on early modern European spiritualism and the writings of Thomas Tillam. You can read more about Nigel’s work here: https://english.princeton.edu/people/nigel-smith.