Abstract
William Penn (1644-1718) needs little introduction among Quakers. After his convincement in the mid-1660s Penn quickly rose through the Quaker ranks as a prolific author, capable debater, and a staunch advocate for religious freedom. Beginning in 1681, he became a colonizer and traveled widely to recruit emigrants to his colony. While Penn is often touted among Friends, and sometimes reviled for his slave-owning and colonialism, Andrew R. Murphy does a great service in producing a comprehensive biography of Penn that is free from both the ahistorical anxieties and accolades Quakers sometimes resort to when considering this controversial figure. Indeed, Murphy’s book, William Penn, A Life, shows how controversial Penn was among the Quakers of his own day and in British society in general.
Recommended Citation
Kershner, Jon R.
(2019)
"Book Review: Andrew R. Murphy, William Penn, A Life (New York: Oxford Universit Press, 2019),"
Quaker Religious Thought: Vol. 133, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/qrt/vol133/iss1/6