In this careful, informative, and highly readable study, Rosemary Moore traces the life, thought, and legacy of early Quaker leader George Whitehead. Such an examination is overdue: Whitehead was present and leading at many of the formative episodes in the initial development of the movement but has often remained in the shadows of Quaker history. His writing is perceived as “monumentally dull” (5), yet he was often the example of choice and was quoted by both Friends and their opponents. As Moore notes, “It could be argued that he was the most important figure after George Fox in the development of English Quakerism in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries” (4)—yet he has attracted no dedicated major study of his own.
Moore's own analysis is divided into five main sections, moving through Whitehead's life, writings, and legacy. In section one, Moore traces his early life and convincement, and the beginnings of his public Quaker career to 1662—including his first imprisonments and ministry in East Anglia, and his lobbying in defiance of the Quaker Act. Whitehead's influence grew over this period as other key figures either died or were disgraced, culminating with the death of Edward Burrough in prison in 1663, at which point Whitehead found himself the “leading Quaker minister at liberty” (24). Section two moves from Burrough's death to the end of the reign of Charles II—a period during which Moore notes Quakers “began to adapt their faith” (25) and Whitehead personally grew in stature as a lobbyist and controversialist, becoming the de facto Quaker leader in London. He was involved in some of the highest-profile Quaker disputations of the time, including personally lobbying the king on several occasions, and apparently took on a mediating role in internal disputes. Section three continues to trace Whitehead's rise through his petitioning of James II, political negotiations to secure toleration and the right to affirm, presentation of the address to George I on his accession in 1714, and continued theological defence of Quakers’ Christian faith to his death in 1723. Through these biographical sections, Moore convincingly demonstrates that Whitehead took a leading role in most (if not all) of the key political negotiations and theological skirmishes that established Quakerism as a viable continued feature in the (global) religious landscape.
In section four, Moore moves from a study of Whitehead's life to an account of his writings, noting that he was “by a long way the most prolific” Quaker controversialist of his day (62) and had a “particular skill” for “dissecting the views of theological opponents” (71). Here, Whitehead is presented as distinctive for using New Testament imagery of Christ more extensively than many of his peers and for pioneering “the first serious attempt to relate the Quaker experience to the faith of the generality of English people of the time” (67) with Seeds of Israel's redemption in 1659. Moore generally describes the main themes of Whitehead's writings rather than unpacking the structure or development of his theology in detail; indeed, she consciously submits to Robynne Rogers Healey's recent chapter on Whitehead's theology for further detail (87). This allows the discussion to provide an adroit overview of the Quakers’ public concerns more generally throughout this period, though there is undoubtedly more that could be said in a longer examination of Whitehead's theological life.
Part five (which also functions as a conclusion) considers the precise nature of Whitehead's legacy as a whole. Here, Moore focuses on a comparison of his contribution with those of other Quaker leaders at the time, and the reader senses that this is the ultimate concern underlying the investigation as a whole; as above, it is a concern that guides not only the analysis, but also the periodization, of Moore's work. Whitehead is portrayed as the leading “[man] at headquarters,” lobbying Parliament and leading on doctrinal disputes while Fox travelled the country and wrote epistles, “each according to his particular talent” (83). When compared to William Penn, “Penn's writings publicised the desirability of toleration, but it was Whitehead who actually did the hard work of liaising with government officials and implementing relief granted” (84). Even into the eighteenth century, Whitehead was normally one of the senior Quakers chosen to address the king directly, and his continued influence is confirmed by the regular citations of his work in anti-Quaker literature. Theologically, Moore broadly places Whitehead within the wider sweep of religious changes affecting Quakerism over this period, rather than assigning him a specific role in shaping them. Nonetheless, she concludes there is “no reason to dissent from previous judgements that Whitehead was a key figure, one might well say the key figure, in the transition of Quakerism from early charismatic enthusiasm to settled respectability” (92).
Taken as a whole, this is an insightful and grounded account of George Whitehead's life and significance, deeply rooted in Moore's broader mastery of early Quaker history. This reviewer noticed some minor typological errors, and Moore is also somewhat cautious in her final conclusions—particularly regarding Whitehead's theological contribution. However, this caution is generally accompanied by considered reflections on potential avenues for further study, reflecting Moore's clear concern for her readers and the research community as a whole. Along the same lines, a meticulous and extremely helpful catalogue of Whitehead's works is appended to the main discussion; this stands alone as an impressive resource for future research in this area. So too, Moore begins by explaining her audience—that is, scholars of Quaker studies across its disciplines, not all of whom will be historians. The study is therefore consciously written, first and foremost, as a resource for a research community. As such, it will undoubtedly stand as the indispensable foundation to any future scholarly work on the topic.
