William Penn and the Development of a Discourse of "Civil Rights"
This article sets out to highlight a less well-known aspect of William Penn's politically engaged campaign for liberty of conscience. Specifically, it will demonstrate that Penn had much wider objectives than merely seeking guarantees from the state on religious toleration. He sought extensive...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
Quaker studies
Year: 2022, Volume: 27, Issue: 1, Pages: 7-27 |
| IxTheo Classification: | KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KBF British Isles KBQ North America KDG Free church NCC Social ethics NCD Political ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Early Quakers
B ‘Civil Rights’ B William Penn B politically engaged publications B religious liberties B religious nonconformity B Huguenots B Seventeenth Century B Pennsylvania |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article sets out to highlight a less well-known aspect of William Penn's politically engaged campaign for liberty of conscience. Specifically, it will demonstrate that Penn had much wider objectives than merely seeking guarantees from the state on religious toleration. He sought extensive reform of the civil laws governing the rights of individuals. Drawing on his early Quaker experiences in England and his experiences among the French Huguenots, Penn forged a vision of the rights and duties pertaining to any godly civil society. The development of a discourse of "Civil Rights" became central to Penn's campaign, and came to symbolise a set of universal, not specifically English, rights to be observed for the mutual benefit of all. This has implications for our understanding of Penn's experience as a Quaker, but also for English seventeenth-century religious and civil politics in general, as well as their evolution over time. |
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| ISSN: | 2397-1770 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Quaker studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.3828/quaker.2022.27.1.2 |