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Head, JM (2017) Anne Conway and George Keith on the ‘Christ Within’. Quaker Studies, 29 (2). pp. 277-295. ISSN 2397-1770
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Abstract
This paper explores the influence of early Quaker theology on the philosophy of Anne Conway, as presented in her The Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy (1690). We begin by exploring Conway’s rejection of the remnants of Cartesianism in the Neoplatonic philosophy of her mentor, Henry More, leading her to posit a monistic ontology of spirit. Following this, I argue that Conway’s Christology and religious epistemology can be understood as inspired by George Keith’s account of the ‘Christ Within’ and the manner in which the historical Christ is construed as a manifestation of a metaphysical principle, ‘Christ’. We can understand Conway’s notion of ‘adoption’ by Christ as becoming qualitatively identical with Him as part of the process towards moral perfection, in which we come to embody the ‘Christ Within’.
Item Type: | Article |
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Additional Information: | The final published version of this article can be found online at: https://www.pdcnet.org//pdc/bvdb.nsf/purchase?openform&fp=philtheol&id=philtheol_2017_0999_8_14_80&onlyautologin=true |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Anne Conway; George Keith; Henry More; Christology; inner light; Cartesianism |
Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity |
Divisions: | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Politics, Philosophy, International Relations and Environment |
Depositing User: | Symplectic |
Date Deposited: | 05 Jan 2018 11:55 |
Last Modified: | 10 Feb 2021 15:55 |
URI: | https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/4332 |