Tom Hamm and the Public Ministers Series: George Fox

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George Fox, a founder of Quakerism, experiences many openings as a public minister...

George Fox Was Not Boring: Lessons in Public Ministry from a Founder of Quakerism

When people think of George Fox, they often picture the founder of a 17th-century religious movement that eventually settled into quiet, orderly meetinghouses as being representative of the kind of peaceful countenance many Quakers today aspire to have. But Fox himself? He was anything but quiet and orderly. In fact, he might best be described, as we hear in this short lecture with Quaker historian Tom Hamm, as a "tough old guy" with a fiery spirit and a stubborn conviction that God was still speaking—and that anyone, male or female, rich or poor, educated or not, could be called to preach that truth aloud.

Fox emerged in the 1640s, during a time of massive social upheaval in England. With civil war raging and traditional religious authority breaking down, Fox began sharing powerful revelations—or "openings"—that would shape the heart of what became the Religious Society of Friends.

What Did Fox Believe?

According to Quaker historian Tom Hamm, Fox believed that everyone carried within them the Inward Light of Christ—a divine presence that could guide and convict. This wasn’t always a comforting experience. Sometimes the Light revealed your own shortcomings in ways that were deeply unsettling. But Fox believed that if you followed that Light faithfully, it would show you the path God intended for your life.

He also rejected the idea that divine revelation had ended with the Bible. "The same spirit that gave forth the scriptures," he said, "continues to be with us today." That meant true ministry didn’t depend on formal training—it came from a heart tuned to the Spirit.

A Life of Public Ministry

Fox lived this belief with remarkable boldness. His public ministry had three main ingredients: preaching, travel, and writing.

Preaching

Fox was a preacher in the fullest—and most fearless—sense of the word. He didn’t wait for an invitation or a pulpit. He preached wherever there were people to hear: in the fields, in town squares, even inside parish churches. One of the most powerful stories comes from Margaret Fell, later a leader in the Quaker movement (and the spouse of George Fox), who heard him preach in her local church in 1652.

After her priest’s sermon, Fox stood up and quoted scripture, then challenged the congregation directly: "What canst thou say? Art thou a Child of Light and has walked in the light, and what thou speakest—is it inwardly from God?" Fell was stunned. "It cut me to the heart," she wrote. She sat back down in tears, realizing, “We are all thieves. We have taken the scriptures in words and know nothing of them in ourselves.”

Fox’s words weren’t always gentle—but they were deeply authentic. And they opened people up.

He also insisted that anyone could be called to ministry—including women. This was radical in 17th-century England, where the idea of a woman preaching was nearly unthinkable. But for Fox, spiritual authority came from God, not from gender or social roles.

Travel

Fox didn’t stay in one place for long. He traveled constantly—throughout England, Wales, Scotland, America, and Europe. Given the conditions of the time, it’s astonishing that he lived to 67. But his commitment to sharing his message carried him far, often at great personal cost.

Writing

He also wrote—a lot. Fox published hundreds of pamphlets and several major works, often with delightfully combative titles. One of his books was called The Great Mystery of the Great Whore Unfolded and Antichrist Kingdom Revealed Unto Destruction. He wasn’t out to make friends—he was out to speak truth.

And people listened. By 1660, the Quaker movement had grown to between 50,000 and 100,000 followers in England. But this came with consequences: Fox spent nearly eight years in prison over the course of his life, often for charges like blasphemy or disturbing the peace.

What Can Modern Public Ministers Learn from Fox?

Fox’s legacy isn’t just about Quaker history—it’s a living resource for anyone engaged in public ministry today. Here are a few lessons worth carrying forward:

Follow the Leadings of the Spirit: Fox didn’t rely on titles or degrees. He relied on spiritual guidance. Today’s ministers can learn to trust the inward Light, even when it defies convention.
Be Unapologetically Authentic: Fox’s ministry wasn’t polished or polite. It was raw, direct, and transformative. When led by Spirit, truth-telling doesn’t need to be anything we might expect to be holy.
Challenge the Norms: Fox wasn’t afraid to disrupt societal expectations. His support for women ministers was revolutionary. Public ministers today may also be called to speak uncomfortable truths and disrupt entrenched systems.
Stay Resilient: Fox endured prison, public criticism, and constant travel—all while remaining faithful to his call. His perseverance is a model for spiritual toughness in hard times.
Invite Deep Reflection: Perhaps Fox’s most enduring gift was his ability to cut through surface-level faith and ask, “What canst thou say?” He pushed people toward inward, personal experience of God’s truth—an approach that still resonates.

Some have been known to remark that Fox was “a mentally ill man who changed society.” That may not be the whole story—but it’s a reminder that transformation often comes from unexpected, unsettling places.

As William Penn once said, “George Fox was no man’s copy.” He followed the Spirit with intensity, creativity, and courage. And he left behind a ministry that, centuries later, still challenges us to listen more deeply, live more honestly, and speak more boldly.

In this portrait, Tom stands with the symbols of the Friends Incubator: ravens and wildflowers (Luke 12: 24-28)

Tom is Emeritus Professor of History and Quaker Scholar in Residence at Earlham College. He is the presenter in an ongoing series of short lectures for Friends Incubator on his personal favorite public ministers in Quaker history. Later this month he will share about Priscilla Hunt Cadwalader, a divorced woman traveling in the Quaker ministry in the 19th century.

If you enjoyed this lecture and want to support the series and our new work to support public ministry in the Religious Society of Friends, please consider a gift: here.

Audio for this series edited by Martin Oliver (Baltimore Yearly Meeting and Northern Yearly Meeting).