In The Story of Christianity, Gonzalez describes George Fox as a man of humble origin who came to believe that all of the various religious sects in England were wrong.  Believing that the human “inner light” allows men and women to recognize God and believe scripture, he started a new religious group who would come to be known as the Quakers.

Revelation and religious experiences drove Fox towards paths he felt compelled by God to pursue.  After founding the Quakers, his conviction to do only what God wanted him to do meant that he was often silent during his worship services if he didn’t feel prompted by God to speak.  He felt his calling was to be steadfast in his religious conviction and to lead others to this pure knowledge of God.

The Quakers differed from the Catholics and Protestants in several ways.  They believed women had the same right to speak as men, and this allowed women a place of spiritual authority within the church.  They didn’t practice baptism or communion because they felt that such practices would distract from scripture.  Within church meetings, all votes had to be unanimous.  The Quakers had no regard for class or station and didn’t apologize for breaking social norms, and they refused to pick up weapons to defend themselves.  The reaction from Fox’s contemporaries was often violent.  Quakers were often beaten and imprisoned, including Fox himself and his wife.  Even these events did not shake their faith.

In his journal letters, Fox describes his mystical experiences in an almost arrogant way, claiming that he became like Adam before he fell (27).  This lofty claim in addition to the visions of seeing the purpose in creation led Fox to believe it was his role to “direct people to the Spirit” (34) in order to come to God.  He further claims his authority by being crowned with glory that allowed him to speak Truth (47-48).  Fox believed his sense of power came from God and this motivated him in his church leadership role.  Not all appreciated the Quaker beliefs and, again, there was often violence.  Fox and his followers didn’t believe that one man was superior to another, so they often broke social norms by refusing to remove their hats in front of men of class or station.  These breaches brought physical abuse, robbery, and imprisonment upon the Quakers.  Yet again, in reaction to these abuses the Quakers did not lift a hand in return but merely turned the other cheek.

These steadfast beliefs are reflected in The Epistles where Fox urges the Quakers to quietly “wait to hear the voice of the Lord” (5, 162).  He reminds his followers to be faithful and remember that actions speak louder than words (13).  He further reminds worshipers to meet together often in order to keep the spiritual light burning to stay close to God (149).  By doing so, “prisons, fetters, dungeons, and sufferings [mean nothing since you are] gathered into the fold of Christ Jesus” (206).  In the face of such persecutions Fox comforts them, “I say the Lord can sanctify such places” (398).  He reminds the Quakers to stay close to God and He will provide sanctuary from the oppressors (398).