After the Protestant Reformation in Europe endless sects and religious movements will emerge, each one more peculiar than the last. One of them is the Society of Friends, mostly known as Quakers. Its origins lie in England in the 17th century, probably with roots in the period of the English Revolution (1642-1651). Its founder was George Fox, a character who rebelled against religious consensus, giving a completely different approach to Christianity. The time. His way of writing, so peculiar to him, made his diaries became popular reading at the time.
Etymologically the word quaker comes from quake Which means “tremor” in English. Like most of these moves began with an illumination, in 1652 on Pendle Hill, in the county of Lancashire, Fox said that he had heard the voice of the Lord. From that time he traveled throughout England, the Netherlands and Barbados preaching his word. Quakers believed themselves to be defenders of a true Christianity, calling themselves the true friends.
The number of Quakers increased to 60,000 followers in England, having a special acceptance among women, Fox considered that women should have a new role and were responsible for the spirituality of the community. Quakers also migrated to North America around the 1660s looking for new opportunities to create communities. In many of the colonies they were persecuted by hegemonic Puritanism, but in some such as West Jersey, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania they managed to establish themselves politically.
It has been talked about many times the influence the Quaker community has had on American democracy with the Rhode Island US Constitution Bill of Rights, jury trials, equal rights for men and women, and public education. Quakers rejected slavery in both England and the United States even before independence.
Among the Quakers the beliefs vary considerably, there are schisms and derivations of the original movement such as the Conservative Friends, the Evangelical Friends, the Gurneyite Friends, the Friends of Holiness or liberal Quakerism, all these subgroups have specific characteristics and nuances within their beliefs , but they all have elements in common with Fox’s Quakerism.
They have no official creed, but they felt guided by the Holy Spirit and a spiritual voice that revealed to them the way to find the truth. Currently there are Quaker meetings in practically the whole world, the largest community is in Kenya with more than 180,000 people. In 1947 the Society of Friends was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
the quakers carry out movements against slavery and in favor of the rights of women and homosexuals. They have participated in the financing and foundation of some important organizations such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International or Oxfam.
Although it is a minority movement, throughout history there have been very important figures who have acknowledged belonging to this religious denomination. Among them, for example, former US presidents Herbert C. Hoover and Richard M. Nixon. Also for example the actress Judi Dench or the actors James Dean and Ben Kingsley.