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JUN 9

The Inner Worlds of George Fox and William Blake

9 - 16 June 2025, Online

This two-part course places the mystical experiences of Fox and Blake in creative dialogue. The object of this pairing is to deepen participants' understanding of both figures and in so doing, recover the visionary character of the Quaker Way.

Part of a drawing by William Blake

The first session of the course reflects on Fox and Blake's understanding of the imagination. By delving into early Quaker and Blakean symbolism, learners will be introduced to a stunning vision of the spiritual world, which, if acted upon, revolutionises the relationship between minds and bodies, human beings and nature.

The second session considers Fox and Blake in the role of radical religious critics. By drawing out the similarities between Fox and Blake's attacks on priesthood, ritualism and traditional hierarchy, participants will be introduced to a radical vision of Christianity, which valorises immediate experience and inner prompting over stale outward conformity. In both sessions, participants will have the opportunity to consider their own understanding and experience of the inner world. Themes across the two sessions will include:

  • Reading the Bible like Blake and Fox
  • Imagination, faculty of perception or deception
  • Nature and Revelation
  • Spiritual authority and rebellion

  • This course will appeal to those who want to go deeper into the writings and thought of either Blake or Fox, alongside those who want to deepen their understanding of traditions of radical Christianity in the early modern period. This short course is intended as a blend of historical exploration and spiritual questing, to enrich participants' appreciation of the visionary dynamics of the Quaker Way.

    The live sessions will take place at 19:00-20:30 (UK time) on Mondays 9 and 16 June.

    More information

    For more information contact:

    Woodbrooke

    Telephone: 0121 7282360

    Supporting documents

    Related events

    Date & time

    Start: 23:00 on 9 June 2025

    Finish: 23:00 on 16 June 2025

    Location

    Online
    United Kingdom

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