What is Quakerism?
The Roots of Quaker Belief The Religious Society of Friends, commonly called Friends or Quakers, began in England around 1650 following the vision of a young Englishman, George Fox. Fox believed in the existance of the Light within a spark of the Divine which resides in every person regardless of social status or origin. Fox led his followers to eschew the ritual and outward symbols of traditional Christian worship, so that they might wait upon the Lord in silence. This expectant waiting in silence is the core of the Quaker worship service, called the Meeting for Worship. Friends believe that by waiting in such a manner a person becomes able to receive direct communication with God and that intervention by specially trained clergy or use of specific ceremonies is therefore unnecessary. Of the many followers of George Fox who influenced Quaker thought and ideas in the United States, perhaps the best known is William Penn, who founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681. The organization
