Explores the history of the Religious Society of Friends from its seventeenth-century origins to the 20th century, tracing the people, movements, institutions, controversies, and social forces that shaped Quaker faith and practice. These studies examine how Friends responded to persecution, war, slavery, reform movements, theological division, cultural change, and the challenges of maintaining a distinctive religious community across changing historical circumstances. See references: 350 Years of the Society of Friends in North America, 1661–2011
This post explores the relationship between Progressive Friends, spiritualism, and social reform in the 19th century, highlighting figures like Isaac Post and Elizabeth Buffum Chace. It discusses how spiritualism provided comfort to the bereaved and aligned with the Progressive Friends’ commitment to science and social progress, despite some opposition and declining popularity after the Civil…