Synopsis
As an anthology of Quaker women’s writings in the seventeenth century, Hidden in Plain Sight: Quaker Women’s Writings, 1650-1700 does an excellent job of illustrating the lives and theological perspectives of numerous women who joined what was for its time very much a radical sect. The writings are explained with a clarity that would allow even a beginner to Quakerism to understand very clearly the character of seventeenth century England.
Yet, at the same time many of the pitfalls undoubtedly present in modern Quakerism are utterly absent here. The theological reflection, the reflection of the presence of the sacred, is completely central throughout all these writings: this serves to ground them in a truly deep spirituality. The result is that we see exactly how the women felt they were being guided, rather than them being guided by outside sources.
