persecution

The theme of persecution has been pervasive in this examination. Within each chapter, we saw that persecution (or, often, an individual or group response to it) has an important role in both defining and directing religious groups deemed heretical by those who persecute them.

Chapter 1 illustrated that one of the characteristics most often drawn upon by Shaker theologians was the quality of "patiently enduring persecution." The central theme in theologically-motivated Shaker historical writing was the presence of the "light" of "witnesses" to the truth, who were persecuted by "Antichrist" (the traditional Catholic Church).

In Chapter 2, we saw how medieval heresy suffered the obvious persecutions of the Inquisition; we saw also how even before the Inquisition, persecuted religious groups tended to appear and disappear much as the Shaker writings depict them -- different from one another in structure but similar in essence.

The exploration of the French Prophets and of the Quakers in Chapter 3 demonstrated that both of these Shaker formative groups were themselves persecuted religious minorities, born of the age of Reformation.

Finally, Chapter 4 described how it was only against serious persecution that the English Shakers and their direct predecessors, the members of the Wardley Society, achieved a strong identity.

• communism

• notion

• cohesive factor

• sect and religion

• Medieval heresy

• Although

• basis

• Introduction

• Most modern

• conclusions