Image: Margaret Fell and George Fox accompanied, John Jewell Penstone, c1860
Overlooked or sidelined? Reading Margaret Fell by Joanna Godfrey Wood
‘Might not the “Mother of Quakerism” have had a more strident, ideas-fuelled role in the formation of the Quaker movement?’
Reading texts written centuries ago can be an unsettling experience. And I wasn’t ‘just’ reading, either. I was copying out every last word of a vast collection of writings, last published in 1710 with the amazing title: A brief collection of remarkable passages and occurrences relating to the birth, education, life, conversion, travels, services, and deep sufferings of that ancient, eminent, and faithful servant of the Lord, Margaret Fell.
At times I was not at all sure why I was doing it, or where it was going to lead – if anywhere at all. But I found the experience of copying it made it far easier for me to focus on the words and what they were trying to express. They resonated with me, and the repetitive nature of the content meant that certain messages, for example about Light and Truth, really struck home. Just reading would have made me glaze over, lose concentration, and perhaps find it hard to find focus again. I would never have made it through to the middle, let alone the end.
In the course of the mechanical act of copying, I found added purpose. Fell’s words seem to travel through my fingertips and up into my mind, where they began to find new life and nudge me into action. I realised that Fell had much to speak of that perhaps we all need to hear. She had interesting ways of saying it, too. Perhaps her spiritual findings had been overlooked or even sidelined by others who had found the limelight in the early years of Quakerism. Known for a long time as the ‘mother of Quakerism’ because of her nurturing care of early Quakers, might not Fell, in fact, have had a more strident, ideas-fuelled role in the formation of the Quaker movement? Some of her words and phrases might test modern understandings, and some of her tone seems overly harsh and admonitory for modern sensitivities, but such was the style of the time. Other parts of her writings are gushing in their expressions of love and care, though to modern ears that might seem over the top, too.
While I was working I noticed some themes emerging and realised that I would like to share these with others. I pulled some paragraphs out and formed the first draft of a booklet that would later become Travelling in the Light: How Margaret Fell’s writings can speak to Quakers today. We formed a study group in my local Meeting and read through excerpts, analysng, discussing and mulling over what they might mean for us. We ‘translated’ the passages into more modern language, which some liked and others did not. We gradually began to tease out meaning, peeling away the layers. Unexpectedly, the seemingly ‘hardest’ themes, such as ‘Prophets and false prophets’ and ‘The power of Anointing’ turned out to be the most fruitful. These led to the deepest and most-animated discussions. The more well-known themes, the ones we are today more familiar with, such as ‘Light’, seemed to produce a somewhat bored ‘been there, done that’ approach for some.
Fired up after this, I decided to go further. I went back to Fell’s writings with the idea of producing another book: In STEP with Quaker Testimony: Simplicity, Truth, Equality and Peace – inspired by Margaret Fell’s writings. This time, I chose the four well-known Quaker testimony themes: Simplicity, Truth, Equality and Peace and tried to find out whether Fell had written about them. I found plenty to inspire me. In the word ‘simplicity’, Fell seems to be thinking of ‘pureness’, particularly the pureness of God, contrasting this with ‘pollutions’ and ‘filthiness’, which to her were writ large in society of the time. She asks us to keep to our simple Truths, the sure route to God. In Truth, Fell finds that there is nothing else but Light, for ‘God is Light’ and ‘The Truth is one and the same always’. Truth is the most important concept to hold on to, to aspire to, to explore, for Fell; and Simplicity, Equality and Peace are just three of the winding pathways at the end of which we might find our real destination. In Equality, Fell sees us as ‘equally yoked in the Suffering’ and states that Peace comes to those who are ‘faithful in the will of God’. Truth was Truth, for Fell. Perhaps we need to take a long, hard look at this while we are compiling the next edition of Quaker faith & practice, since today we find the word ‘truth’ problematic, experienced by many as a moveable piece of a vastly complex puzzle. What might be one person’s ‘Truth’ is not necessarily so for another. But this way danger lies.
After looking at the four themes as I perceived them to be present in Fell’s writings, I felt inspired to include some ideas of my own – and some memories too. I included excerpts from Advices & queries that point to where many Quakers are today in terms of testimony. My own words are jottings – musings, really. I enjoyed looking at how the themes had been significant, or not, in my own life, and I wanted to write from the heart. They are notes, intended to get people talking. This might be especially useful if Friends have come to Quakerism in adulthood, after perhaps having had experience of other religions and modes of worship. Maybe there could be some explorative creative writing as a result. At the very least there could be a trusting exchange of ideas and findings. This is important because it sometimes seems as though we Friends do not like to talk about our spiritual lives. It usually feels a little too personal. This is perhaps a reflection of our culture, though it is different in others. Sometimes it takes quite a lot to relax and trust, to open up and be vulnerable, and there are scant opportunities for it among the important business and administration we are entrusted with as Friends.
The Covid pandemic has added even more pressures to our communications, and study group meetings may be tricky on Zoom. True discernment in the stillness is often elusive, as technology often seems to stand in the way of being open in Spirit. Even without this, we may make assumptions about the beliefs of others, without perhaps having had the chance to articulate to each other our deepest, most deeply cherished experiences. This is not good for new attenders, or indeed for any of us. How can we explore and grow, share what we have found, if no one is willing to talk? This is a sad loss because we are missing out on being on a diving board of spiritual growth and support, bringing us ever closer to each other in spirit as a community. I hope these books can help the process.
In STEP with Quaker Testimony: Simplicity, Truth, Equality and Peace – inspired by Margaret Fell’s writings is published by Quaker Quicks/John Hunt Publishing. Travelling in the Light: How Margaret Fell’s writings can speak to Quakers today is published by The Kindlers.
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