ABSTRACT

Studies of seventeenth-century Britain have increasingly recognised a multiplicity of centrifugal and centripetal identities at play. The early Quaker movement witnessed a dramatic convergence of such factors. Its founders came predominantly from the north and midlands of England, and they initially asserted themselves as such. This seemed to bely their theological universalism, and threaten national disintegration. Members appeared revulsed by London upon spreading south, but displayed a more accommodating attitude upon settling, and relaxed their former attitudes regarding region. Such a movement highlights the evolving relationship between religious thought and regional identity. Early Quakerism moved from provincial attachment to an increasingly national and universal register, but the relationship between these modes was continually negotiated throughout the century, and it provides a valuable case study for both historians of regional, religious, and political identity.

摘要

对 17 世纪英国的研究越来越认识到存在多种离心和向心身份。早期的贵格会运动见证了这些因素的剧烈融合。它的创始人主要来自英格兰北部和中部地区，他们最初也是如此。这似乎违背了他们的神学普遍主义，并威胁到国家的解体。成员们在南下时似乎对伦敦感到反感，但在定居时表现出更加包容的态度，并放松了他们以前对地区的态度。这样的运动凸显了宗教思想与地区认同之间不断演变的关系。早期的贵格会从省级附属机构转移到越来越全国性和普遍性的登记处，