Quakerism: Practices, Beliefs and Values Essay

Quakerism came into existence as an offshoot of Christianity in the 17th century. The main belief of Quakers focuses on an equal access to God for all people otherwise known as spirituality equality. People of this religion believe that no race, gender, class, or other group has any sense of entitlement to divine revelation over another (Sullivan Julia). In the church setting, Quakers are very welcoming. In fact, prior to my attendance of a Quaker meeting, I visited their website and the very first page had these big letters that read, “You Are Welcomed Here”. I saw this same welcoming when I attended the meeting at First Friends Meeting in Richmond, IN. Those who attended greeted me at the door and conversed with me after the meeting. Both conversations, while brief, made me feel welcomed. Welcoming is a sign of the Quaker belief

Quakers also were a large part in the history of the Underground Railroad. They opposed slavery and it was said that almost half of all Quaker communities helped in the freeing of slaves. The Quaker communities had many hiding places for slaves and also many routes to freedom in the New York area. Quakers believed in independence and in supporting the law, but they were quick to take slave owners to court to pay for the injustices that slave owners caused to the slaves (The Role of the Quaker Community).

These first ministers of Quakerism were the principal means of spreading it through the backcountry of England during the 17th century, and leaking it into the heavily populated south east. They acquired the nickname: The Valiant Sixty. The Valiant Sixty were ordinary people. Most were middle or lower class citizens.

According to (Dulmus & Sowers, 2012, p.106), the history of social work is one of an old religiously grounded ethos of offering, aid and comfort. This shows that social work has been around for quite a long time, helping the unfortunate and it has developed more throughout these past centuries. The profession was largely shaped by Westerns idea and events. (Chenoweth &McAuliffe, 2015, p.32). The ideas and events included could have been war, poverty and other social reforms. That is when social welfare was needed to give aid and help solve these issues. Social work largely expanded in England in the 16th during the Elizabethan poor laws and later on in America between 17 and 18th century (Dulmus & Sowers, p.6). This essay is going to focus on how social work has evolved or changed for the better from the 1960s till present.

Quakers- those who condemned extravagance, sought to restore Christianity to its early simple spirituality; William Penn made Pennsylvania a refuge for his fellow Quakers who refused to pay taxes or serve in the military for the Church of England.

The Puritans and the Quakers are two religious groups that played an important role in the colonization of America. Both of these groups disliked the church of England and sought to gain freedom of worship and lifestyle. Therefore, the Puritans and the Quakers are similar to each other because they both faced persecution and left England to go to America with the goal and hope of living the life they wanted, gain more opportunity, and to practice their desired religion freely.

When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.

This paper will explore the history of the colonial settlements of the Quakers, who are also known as the Society of Friends, who settled in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in colonial times. The history surrounding the establishment and growth of the Quaker colonies of West Jersey and Pennsylvania will be discussed. William Penn’s efforts in establishing the colonies of West Jersey and Pennsylvania were paramount to Quakers immigrating to America. John Fenwick also played a major role in founding the colony of West Jersey, which is now known as New Jersey and the later immigration of Quakers to Pennsylvania. The abolitionist efforts of the Quakers in their fight against slavery, their equal treatment of slaves and the assistance that they provided to slaves will also be discussed. Quakers provided shelter, financial support and harbored many slaves so that they could avoid capture by their owners. Quakers were a large part of the abolitionist movement in the colonies while slavery was legal. Many Quakers played a role in the Underground Railroad, which assisted slaves in obtaining their freedom and avoiding capture. The terms “Quaker” and Society of Friends are interchangeable and will be used throughout this paper accordingly.

The Quakers were different from many of the settlers of other early American colonies. The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, were built upon ideals of pacifism and benevolence. They did not come here as traders or merchants. The Quakers came here for religious freedom, as did many others. However, Quakers, who had experienced persecution in other colonies like

Equiano sees the Quakers as simple people, good Christians, who have supported minorities, and who have been fundamental in what he calls, “breaking the yoke of slavery.” Not only was a Quaker the one who allowed him to purchase his liberty, but Quakers were the leaders of society in favor of abolition.

There were several Christian religions evolving at the time, but Puritan society in the late 17th and early 18th centuries was dominant and focused on social and economic status unlike the Quakers who believed that God lived in everyone and evoked a more positive outlook on life. These two important identifying characteristics of people went hand in hand and constituted what

or "Children of Light," they felt that God speaks to their hearts, as some sort of inner light. Because they were said to tremble or quake whenever receiving this inner light, they got the name Quakers.

Several valid points were made, and she used textual evidence to back up her assertions. Pestana stays on topic and she does not digress, which makes it easy to follow and understand. This article is important because it raises questions about certain topics such as the, “suspicious similarities between Quakers and Catholics” (Pestana, 339). Because Pestana notes the Puritans believed that the Quakers were affiliated with other religious and social groups, the readers question the similarities and look for connections. In short, it is thought

The Puritans that arrived in America from 1630 to 1649 prompted by religious persecution made a commitment to the “covenant” with God, whom had ordered the puritans to “fly into the wilderness”, (Reich, 2011, p. 72). This “covenant” was to bind all residents tightly together both religiously and socially. Centered on a common pasture, a village could consist of a meetinghouse, land and multiple family homes that support the whole group or a “city on the hill” (Brinkley, 2010, p. 76), (Reich, 2011, p. 72). The social unit, whom was tightly knit in the early years of the Massachusetts colony, began to strain and many challenges arose as time passed affected this social structure, mainly the increasing commercialism of the surrounding New

They had their own reform from the Catholic Church with a minister. They believed that they were the only group to go to heaven and that they were the best. The Puritans even banished, tortured and killed Quakers who chose to preach. Quakers were a part of the Religious