William Penn

While many recognize William Penn as the founder of Pennsylvania and a defender of religious liberty, much less is known about Penn as a man of faith. This wide-ranging history examines Penn as a deeply religious man who experienced personal triumph and success as well as tragedy and failure.

After an introduction to Penn and his times, J. William Frost explores various aspects of Penn’s faith, including his conversion, service within the Society of Friends, moral teachings, and advocacy for toleration in England and religious freedom in Pennsylvania. He examines Penn as a figure whose contradictions reflect, at least in part, his turbulent times. Penn was a radical who converted to an outlawed religion and sought to transform English society, but he was also a conservative who supported monarchical authority in England and demanded deference in Pennsylvania. Penn was born under Puritanism and lived through three revolutions, five wars, and decades of religious turmoil. He died in the Age of Enlightenment, having gone from leader and shaper of the Society of Friends to king’s courtier to a prisoner accused of treason (though he was eventually exonerated).

This intriguing history fills significant gaps in writings about Penn—particularly concerning Penn’s faith and its intersection with his work as a statesman and politician. It will be of interest to those interested in William Penn, the history of Quakerism, and the history of religion in America.