Daughters of Light - by Rebecca Larson (Paperback)

About the Book

Daughters of Light: Quaker Women Preaching and Prophesying in the Colonies and Abroad, 1700-1775

Book Synopsis

More than a thousand Quaker female ministers were active in the Anglo-American world before the Revolutionary War, when the Society of Friends constituted the colonies' third-largest religious group. Some of these women circulated throughout British North America; others crossed the Atlantic to deliver their inspired messages. In this public role, they preached in courthouses, meeting houses, and private homes, to audiences of men and women, to Quakers and to those of other faiths, to Native Americans and to slaves.

Utilizing the Quakers' rich archival sources, as well as colonial newspapers and diaries, Rebecca Larson reconstructs the activities of these women. She offers striking insights into the ways their public, authoritative role affected the formation of their identities, their families, and their society. Extensively researched and compellingly written, Daughters of Light enriches our understanding of religion and women's lives in colonial America.

Review Quotes

[Larson] has given us the stories of thousands of women whose words and courageous deportment forced large numbers of British North Americans to admit female competence. ("Women s Review of Books")

"Larson] provides a welcome corrective to popular historical accounts that underestimate the roles of women and religious diversity in early American history. ("Booklist")

"Larson¨ provides a welcome corrective to popular historical accounts that underestimate the roles of women and religious diversity in early American history. ("Booklist")

ÝLarson¨ has given us the stories of thousands of women whose words and courageous deportment forced large numbers of British North Americans to admit female competence. ("Womens Review of Books")

"""Larson] provides a welcome corrective to popular historical accounts that underestimate the roles of women and religious diversity in early American history. ("Booklist")"

"Daughters of Light" should be required reading for everyone engaged by present-day debates about whether the clergy should be open to women. ("Philadelphia Inquirer")

Larson has written the first comprehensive account of the role of 18th-century Quaker women ministers. ("Choice")

Rebecca Larson offers a deeper and more daring probe into colonial religious life. ("New Republic")

Larson] provides a welcome corrective to popular historical accounts that underestimate the roles of women and religious diversity in early American history. ("Booklist)