Everything about Philadelphians totally explained
The Philadelphians, or the
Philadelphian Society, were a
Protestant 17th century religious group in
England. They were organized around
John Pordage (
1607 -
1681), an
Anglican priest from
Bradfield, Berkshire, who had been ejected from his
parish in
1655 because of differing views, but then reinstated in
1660 during the
English Restoration. Pordage was attracted to the ideas of
Jakob Böhme, a
Lutheran theosophist and
Christian mystic.
A group of followers came to Pordage, led by Mrs.
Jane Leade (
1624 -
1704), who experienced a number of
visions and later published them in her book
A Fountain of Gardens. The group incorporated as The Philadelphian Society for the Advancement of Piety and Divine Philosophy in
1694. They rejected the idea of being a church, preferring the term society, and none of the members ceased their memberships in existing churches. Together, the group held views that were somewhat similar to
Transcendentalism and
Pantheism, regarding the belief in the presence of
God in all things, and with a
Gnostic and/or
Nondualist component, in that they also believed the presence of the
Holy Spirit exists in each and everyone's
soul, and that one can become enlightened and illuminated by living a virtuous life and seeking truth through the
wisdom of God.
Mrs. Leade's visions were a central part of the group. The group's views were spread to continental
Europe by Francis Lee, a
non-juror at the accession of
William III. The group drew up a formal confession of beliefs in
1703. However, after the death of Mrs. Leade in
1704, the group's numbers dwindled quickly.
In later years, although no longer officially a functioning group, many of the Philadelphian Society's views and writings, particularly those by
Jane Leade, remained influential among certain groups of
Behmenists,
Pietists,
Radical Pietists,
Christian mystics, and
Esoteric Christians, such as the Society of the Woman in the Wilderness (lead by
Johannes Kelpius), the
Ephrata Cloister, and the
Harmony Society, among others.
Notable Philadelphians and others associated with them
Further Information
Get more info on 'Philadelphians'.
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