William Penn; apostle of dissent

by Hans Fantel

A graphic presentation of kinds of light--daylight, starlight, lightning, electric signs, etc.

298 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice straight-forward biography of William Penn that places him in his historic context well. The author clearly has his own biases and is upfront about them. He likes Penn, but is not afraid to criticize him when due. I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Penn, Quakers, and the conflicts between Quakers and Puritans. The author also throws in interesting tidbits of what life was like back then. I think my having read 'Forever Amber' recently, which is in the same time period made this book especially interesting. Plus, of course that I grew up in Pennsylvania and have a soft spot for Quakers yet don't know that much about Quakerism.

I liked his clear descriptions of how Quakerism and Puritanism are opposites in many ways. Puritans rely on mind-control to ensure moral behavior whereas for a Quaker, you cannot be fully moral without the freedom to make your own decisions.

And I have to say that I love the title of this book. I got this at a library book sale because I could not leave a book with that title behind.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read, an essential for anyone interested either in the establishment of Quakerism as an international religion, the foundation of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and a haven for other religious minorities; the early settlement and foundation of the U.S. and national and religious divisions, the precepts of early Quaker faith and practice; and the role of luck and misfortune, privilege and broader trends and changes in new phenomena.

Also touches on the post-Reformation evolution of the social contract from feudal to egalitarian and the emergence of London as a modern metropolis.

Great read - a shame that the author was not more prolific. Has piqued my interest in the American Revolution, which preceded the American constitution which had many Quaker values in it: freedom of religion, freedom of assembly; freedom of speech; etc.

[Ranea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read, either for research (contains valuable information on Penn's trials and factual coverage of the events of his life) or for sheer pleasure. Brings light to the passions that fueled his beliefs and eventually took him to the colonies and the founding of Pennsylvania.