Four hundred years after the birth of George Fox, Quakers in Britain are joining others across the world in celebrating the life and legacy of one of their founders.
Born in 1624 in Fenny Drayton, Leicestershire, and raised by devout parents, Christianity was very important to Fox. He grew up in the Church of England and his father was a churchwarden. But the Christianity Fox experienced in church didn’t match the vision he found in Jesus’s teachings.
After years of travelling and meeting religious teachers, he fell into despair, spending time reading the Bible and sitting in quiet reflection. This led him to the revelations that everyone could hear Jesus’s voice directly and that there was that of God in everyone.
In the tumult following the English civil wars, communities of seekers had left the established church, worshipping together without ritual or leader, waiting for God’s message to be revealed.
Fox’s message of the infinite love of God found a home with them and in the 1650s many were inspired to spread his message and their silent worship throughout England and beyond. These people became the very first Quakers.
Though the Quaker movement is Christian, in Britain today Quakers are theologically diverse, ranging from Christian to nontheist. They have no creed, but shared values, called testimonies, that include peace, equality, simplicity, and truth.
The core belief, that there is that of God in everyone, can help Quakers who work in ecumenical settings, searching for the spiritual common ground that binds all life together.
Facing current political and social turmoil, Quakers still live their faith in the world, working to tackle the root causes of violence and to build a just and peaceful world.
George Fox ‘joins’ contemporary Friends in a series of images developed for the anniversary by Quakers in Britain.
To mark Fox’s 400th anniversary, Quakers in Britain are holding events in July including a festival at Swarthmoor Hall in Cumbria, where Quakerism first took hold in the 1650s. This will include a meeting for worship in the hall where Fox and other early Quakers, including Margaret Fell and James Naylor, held some of the first Quaker meetings for worship. From Tuesday to Saturday, 16 to 20 July, Swarthmoor Hall will be open to everyone to explore the history of Quakerism and learn about Quakers today.
In London on 28 July, Quakers attending their annual gathering will mark the anniversary with singing, games, quizzes and cake. Four hundred flags will be decorated with reflections on what is important for Quakers today and hopes for Quakerism in the future. This bunting will be sent to the World Plenary of Quakers, organized by Friends World Committee for Consultation taking place in South Africa in August.
Find out more about the George Fox 400 celebrations
Images credit: Quakers in Britain. Main photo: George Fox ‘joins’ Quakers and people of other faiths protesting outside Excel London at the Defence and Security Equipment International event in 2019.