ABSTRACT
The author was a thin, unconfident child frequently bullied at school. Every bedtime involved a ritualized kneeling and praying to God for some relief from the pain of a hostile world. Following Church of England Confirmation classes, and choir practice three times a week, the author entered the world of cubs and scouts. He also attended the lectures given by the historian Larry Ingle, who, with a different perspective from that of the theologian, allowed him to indulge in a form of cynicism, questioning what was religious and what was politically motivated in the development of early Quakers. Gnosis is an individual’s discovery through revelation and baptism that they are divine, with a part of their body (soul, seed, light) being consubstantial to the redeemer figure of Christ. Owen is essentially accusing Quakers, amongst others, of devaluing the historic and eternal Christ, by the emphasis placed solely upon revelatory Light as Christ.
