🌐 Guest Link: https://www.stuartkmasters.com/

In 17th-century England, women weren’t meant to preach, write, or speak in public. And yet, in the chaotic swirl of civil war, collapsing institutions, and religious upheaval, early Quaker women did exactly that. Women Who Refused to Be Silent spoke, they travelled, they wrote, and they claimed spiritual authority—risking imprisonment, public flogging, and social humiliation. This was The Real Quaker Beginning.

In this episode, Stuart Masters joins host Philipp Kobald to discuss the radical faith that made this possible. The early Quaker movement empowered ordinary people—women and men alike—to experience a direct, inward connection to the Holy Spirit. This faith encouraged personal transformation, bold public action, and a spiritual agency previously denied to most, particularly women.

You will learn how the social, political, and religious turmoil of the time created the perfect conditions for a revolutionary movement to emerge. The episode also traces the charismatic lives of early Quaker leaders like George Fox, James Naylor, and Margaret Fell, whose courage, vision, and devotion shaped the movement’s enduring principles.

📌 Key Takeaways

• How early Quaker women defied societal limits to speak, travel, and preach
• The ways social and political upheaval created space for radical spiritual movements
• The embodied, transformative power of faith in action
• How Quaker principles of truthfulness, peace, and equality were forged under persecution
• Why their courage and radical inclusivity still resonate in a modern context

💬 Quotes from the Episode

• “Women preached in public, travelled, wrote, and confronted authority—and society treated it as a direct attack.” —Stuart Masters
• “Only an Englishman can stay this calm while talking about flogging.” —Philipp Kobald

👤 Guest Bio

Stuart Masters is a researcher, writer, and teacher who has spent nearly twenty years with Woodbrooke, an international Quaker research and learning centre.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction to True Faith
• 00:30 Welcome to Holistic Circle Podcast
• 00:35 Meet Stuart Masters
• 03:15 Historical Context of Quakerism
• 05:24 Emergence of Quakerism
• 06:52 Quaker Beliefs and Practices
• 11:00 Quakerism's Radical Social Impact
• 21:57 Persecution and Suffering of Early Quakers
• 26:58 George Fox and the Early Quaker Movement
• 27:28 James Nailer: A Charismatic Leader
• 28:01 Margaret Fell: The Organizer and Advocate
• 29:47 Dramatic Public Signs and Persecution
• 31:17 Survival and Adaptation of the Quakers
• 34:21 Women's Role in the Quaker Movement
• 36:50 Core Beliefs and Practices of Quakers
• 43:36 Challenges and Reflections on Quaker Life

#holisticcircle #philippkobald #quaker #womeninhistory #spiritualconversation #radicalfaith
#historypodcast #englishcivilwar #religionandpower

P 82/25 (E 0101) - Nov 27, 2025