A history of the New Room and of Methodism in Bristol and Kingswood in the time of John and Charles Wesley and the subsequent history of the building.The first full-scale history of the New Room, Bristol - the oldest Methodist Chapel in the world. It was built by John Wesley in 1739 and is the cradle of Methodism.

The life and work of John Wesley (1703-1791) have had an enormous influence on modern Christianity, including his role as founding father of the Methodists, now 33 million strong worldwide. In this lively new biography journalist Stephen Tomkins narrates the story of Wesley's colorful and dramatic life for a new generation.

Writing with verve and a light, sure touch, Tomkins follows Wesley from his childhood at Epworth rectory through his schooling and university career at Oxford to his mission to Georgia, his conversion in 1738, and finally his life as a religious leader in England. Preaching in numerous villages, towns, and cities, Wesley and his followers faced intense and savage persecution, but their missions were also accompanied by extraordinary phenomena such as convulsions, laughter, and healings. In the course of his compelling narrative Tomkins examines Wesley's relationships with key people in his life, including his powerful and austere mother, Susanna, and his hymn-writing brother, Charles. Tomkins also explores key issues in Wesley's life, such as his renunciation of wealth and his attitude toward women, concluding with an assessment of Wesley's ongoing influence both in his own country and abroad.

Superbly crafted, grounded in thorough research, and published in the 300th year of Wesley's birth, this book will appeal to students of Wesley, people from the Methodist tradition, and general readers interested in church history.

The theology of Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius has been misinterpreted and caricaturized in both Reformed and Wesleyan circles. By revisiting Arminius theology, the book hopes to be a constructive voice in the discourse between so-called Calvinists and Arminians. Traditionally, Arminius has been treated as a divisive figure in evangelical theology. Contributors: Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs Mark G. Bilby Oliver D. Crisp W. Stephen Gunter John Mark Hicks Mark H. Mann Thomas H. McCall Richard A. Muller Keith D. Stanglin E. Jerome Van Kuiken"

This is an introduction to the Methodist way and method of doing theology. This book is written to capture the imagination and engage the reader in conversation. Methodism is not a doctrinaire society, yet it is clear about what it believes. Methodists confidently develop their theology through conversation with the world of secular knowledge, with other Christian traditions and other religious faiths, drawing on contemporary biblical scholarship and with careful attention to the Christian tradition. Methodism is serious about worship, public and personal, since it wants to celebrate the reality of God's presence with God's people - that is, as Methodists understand it, with all God's people. Methodist theology is grounded in the grace of God that it proclaims to be free for all. Methodist theology is essentially Christological; it puts Christ at the centre of faith, but therefore, (not 'as well'!) is focused on God, the Holy Trinity. Methodism is one Society and is keen to draw others into its fellowship. Hence the Methodist Church does not have missionary societies; it is, properly understood, a Society organised for mission. "Doing Theology" introduces the major Christian traditions and their way of theological reflection. The volumes focus on the origins of a particular theological tradition, its foundations, key concepts, eminent thinkers and historical development. The series is aimed readers who want to learn more about their own theological heritage and identity: theology undergraduates, students in ministerial training and church study groups.

It is much harder to define a religious movement than it is to define a religion or denomination. That applies especially when that movement almost defies definition as the Holiness Movement does. The Holiness Movement is a Methodist religious renewal movement that has over 12 million adherents worldwide. Perhaps the most familiar public manifestation of the holiness movement has been its urban holiness missions, and the Salvation Army-noted for its service ministries among poor and people suffering the dislocations that accompany war and disaster-is the most notable example. The A to Z of the Holiness Movement relates important new developments in the Holiness Movement-such as the widely discussed "Holiness Manifesto"-are thoroughly discussed, and the content has also been expanded to include information on figures from Asia and Africa to reflect the continued growth of the Holiness Movement. With a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries, this reference has information that cannot be found elsewhere.

Pain, Passion and Faith: Revisiting the Place of Charles Wesley in Early Methodism is a significant study of the 18th-century poet and preacher Charles Wesley. Wesley was an influential figure in 18th-century English culture and society; he was co-founder of the Methodist revival movement and one of the most prolific hymn-writers in the English language. His hymns depict the Christian life as characterized by a range of intense emotions, from ecstatic joy to profound suffering. With this book, author Joanna Cruickshank examines the theme of suffering in Charles Wesley s hymns, to help us understand how early Methodist men and women made sense of the physical, emotional and spiritual pains they experienced. Cruickshank uncovers an area of significant disagreement within the Methodist leadership and illuminates Methodist culture more broadly, shedding light on early Methodist responses to contemporary social issues like charity, slavery, and capital punishment.

In 2003, Methodists celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of their founder, John Wesley. Today, there are more than 300 Methodist denominations in 140 nations. Covering the activities of this group that plays an important role in the ecumenical movement through its many social and charitable activities in world affairs, this book offers more than 400 entries that describe important events, doctrines, and the church founders, leaders, and other prominent figures who have made notable contributions. It also includes * a list of commonly used acronyms * chronology of historical events * introductory essay on the history of Methodism * bibliography * listing of important libraries and depositories of Methodist materials The impressive list of contributors includes more than 60 specialists who are academics, administrators, pastors, and theologians.

As anyone familiar with both the stereotypes and the scholarship related to Wesley knows, tricky interpretive questions abound: was Wesley a conservative, high church Tory or a revolutionary protodemocrat or proto-Marxist? Was he a modern rationalist obsessed with the epistemology of religious belief or a late medieval style thinker who believed in demonic possession and supernatural healing? Was Wesley primarily a pragmatic evangelist or a serious theologian committed to the long-haul work of catechesis, initiation, and formation? "Wesley: A Guide for the Perplexed "sheds new light on Wesley's life and teaching, and aims to help students understand this enigmatic figure.

The Korean Holiness Church originated as an evangelical holiness movement through indigenous work and the American holiness mission. From its inception, the Korean Holiness Church believed that its primary task was not only to promote "scriptural holiness," as John Wesley and primitive Methodism had preached, but also to preach the "fourfold gospel," which may be summarized as regeneration, sanctification, divine healing, and the premillennial second coming of Christ. The Rise of the Korean Holiness Church in Relation to the American Holiness Movement argues that the theological foundation of the Korean Holiness Church can best be understood by analyzing the fourfold gospel in the history of the Korean Holiness Church and its internationally connected holiness movement. The brief, though rich, biographical accounts of the Korean Christians and American and British Missionaries woven into this book finally give these great men and women their due.

The relationship between John Wesley and George Whitefield has often been viewed as suffering from irreconcilable theological differences. In fact, for several years, the relationship between these two leaders of the revival of the Christian faith in eighteenth-century England was strained almost to the breaking point. Whitefield, a Calvinist, believed that each individual who ever lived was either destined for the glories of heaven or the horrors of hell due to an irrevocable decree of God. Wesley on the other hand argued that each person has placed before them two options: either to accept God's forgiveness or to reject it in favor of following one's own way. Most books in the past have focused on these John Wesley's and George Whitefield's differences, but what has been overlooked is the lasting friendship between these two men, which, after a brief period of separation, was restored for the sake of the continuation of the revival movement on two continents. Catholic Spirit: Wesley, Whitefield, and the Quest for Evangelical Unity in Eighteenth-Century British Methodism focuses on the key themes upon which both men agreed. It stresses the commonalties between the two leaders of British Methodism and illustrates the great lengths both went to in order to further the revival of the Christian religion in England and North America. Both Wesley and Whitefield claim to possess "Catholic spirits," that is, they both believed the importance of working with other like-minded individuals to spread the message of salvation through Christ. Author James Schwenk argues that they were successful in promoting that spirit of cooperation, even as some of their followers failed to understand how hard they worked at making "molehills out of mountains."

John Wesley's Ecclesiology: A Study in Its Sources and Development looks at the major traditions and sources that shaped Wesley's study of church doctrine. Wesley's ecclesiology is best understood in light of the sources and background that contributed to his own theological formation, as well as the events that he faced in the course of his endeavors in the Wesleyan Revival. Therefore, this study first examines the possible sources for Wesley's doctrine of the church and then moves to the investigation of the development of his ecclesiology in the course of his ministry. In doing so, this study looks at the large number of works written by John Wesley and the primary sources of the various traditions that influenced Wesley. John Wesley's rich legacy was inherited from several traditions including primitivism, Anglicanism, Puritanism, Pietism, and to a lesser extent, Roman Catholicism and these sources were instrumental in shaping his ecclesiology. Anyone interested in reading Wesley in the Christian tradition would want to read this book. Wesley's ecclesiology will provide Wesleyan Churches with a renewed understanding of their origins and a model for moving toward truly catholic, thoroughly evangelical, and continually reformed church.

A Will to Choose traces the history of African-American Methodism beginning with their emergence in the fledgling American Methodist movement in the 1760s. Responding to Methodism's anti-slavery stance, African-Americans joined the new movement in large numbers and by the end of the eighteenth century, had made up the largest minority in the Methodist church, filling positions of authority as class leaders, exhorters, and preachers. Through the first half of the nineteenth century, African Americans used the resources of the church in their struggle for liberation from slavery and racism in the secular culture.

John Wesley Redfield (1810-1863), controversial "lay" evangelist in the Methodist Episcopal and later Free Methodist churches, was the cofounder of the Free Methodist Church and in the 1840s and 50s had a broad ministry in the M.E. Church and beyond. An outspoken abolitionist, Redfield was controversial among Methodist leaders and in the M.E. press as his revivals typically were marked by dramatic emotional manifestations, including people being slain in the Spirit and dramatic conversions. This book makes available for the first time his autobiography, a 425-page handwritten manuscript Redfield wrote shortly before he died. Redfield's manuscript details (briefly) his early life; his conversion; his brief stormy marriage and divorce; his abolitionist activities; his contacts with Phoebe Palmer, one of the founders of the Holiness Movement; his occasional practice of medicine; and his remarkable revivals, which are further clarified and documented by the author's footnotes. This book presents Redfield's manuscript in its entirety-with critical and contextual notes-and serves as an important primary source for the study of the Wesleyan Holiness tradition, American Methodism, revivalism, and abolitionism.

British Methodism is reshaping itself. At a time of uncertainty about the future, owing to declining numbers and an ever-closer relationship with the Church of England, a collection of the liveliest theological minds in contemporary Methodism have written a book which shows how recent theology can be a resource for the future. Methodism has always had an active concern with both evangelism and social welfare and by means of its central organization it is able to coordinate efforts in these areas. The book asks challenging questions about how this may develop in the complex post-modern secular world.

Korean version of the original text by Richard Heitzenrater.

A weekly 'class meeting' among Methodists in early 19th-century New York formed the basis for growth and unity in the small Christian sect. Author Rev. Dr. Philip F. Hardt describes these meetings as a means to close personal relationships among class members. They also provided a place in which lay leadership could emerge and monitor behavior among members. Hardt connects the decline in Methodist membership over the years with the dissolution of the weekly meeting. This book advocates a return to the meetings as a means to increase church membership. It is Rev. Hardt's belief that a weekly meeting can revitalize the church's efforts to initiate people into the faith and assimilate them into the body of Christ.

Is There a Way to Heaven? The great evangelist John Wesley believed there is, and he developed his theology to help people make the journey from sin to salvation. In Wesley's "order of salvation," God's grace is the keynote from start to finish. The Way to Heaven is a twentieth-anniversary revision of John Wesley's Message for Today. Dr. Steve Harper presents Wesley's writings and the ideas of Wesley scholars in language that is clear and accessible but never simplistic. Written in the spirit of Wesley, here are "plain words for plain people." The heart of this book is a thoughtful and inspiring look at Wesley's theology of grace and its power to transform. Included are two new chapters. "Vision and Means" explores Wesley's mission and methods, and "To Serve the Present Age" considers the impact and relevance of his message today. In addition, an updated reading list facilitates further study, and questions at the end of each chapter stimulate personal reflection and small group discussion. Ideal as a textbook or for personal study and reflection, this book will advance your knowledge and piety as you travel "the way to heaven."

Engendering Church explores the power, processes, and circumstances that brought about the new gender relations in the African Methodist Church one of the largest African American denominations in the U.S. Dodson tells the heroic stories of women like Sara Hatcher who rose from behind the scenes to confront the hierarchy of male clergy. Dodson's historical account of the church and its many changes show that unless women hold church positions, they are overlooked as proactive agents of organizational power. She also links the church to broader social change. When women began to function in key leadership roles in African American churches, they also contributed to more rapid improvement in the living conditions for blacks in the United States.

A major new biography of the 'mother in Israel' so greatly admired by King George III, George Whitefield and all the leaders of the Evangelical Revival, rescuing the Countess from undeserved obscurity and misrepresentation.

A study of skilled artisans in the 1820s and 1830s whose evangelical faith raised suspicions toward capitalist innovations.

When industrialization swept through American society in the nineteenth century, it brought with it turmoil for skilled artisans. Changes in technology and work offered unprecedented opportunity for some, but the deskilling of craft and the rise of factory work meant dislocation for others. Journeymen for Jesus explores how the artisan community in one city, Baltimore, responded to these life-changing developments during the years of the early republic.

Baltimore in the Jacksonian years (1820s and 1830s) was America's third largest city. Its unions rivaled those of New York and Philadelphia in organization and militancy, and it was also a stronghold of evangelical Methodism. These circumstances created a powerful mix at a time when workers were confronting the negative effects of industrialism. Many of them found within Methodism and its populist spirituality an empowering force that inspired their refusal to accept dependency and second-class citizenship.

Historians often portray evangelical Protestantism as either a top-down means of social control or as a bottom-up process that created passive workers. Sutton, however, reveals a populist evangelicalism that undergirded the producer tradition dominant among those supportive of trade union goals. Producers were not socialists or social democrats, but they were anticapitalist and reform-minded. In populist evangelicalism they discovered a potent language and ethic for their discontent.

Journeymen for Jesus presents a rich and unromanticized portrait of artisan culture in early America. In the process, itadds to our understanding of the class tensions present in Jacksonian America.

This biography tells the story of John Wesley's colourful and dramatic life, beginning with his childhood and his family background, looking especially at the influence of his powerful and austere mother, Susannah. The author then goes on to examine Wesley's school and university careers (including the Holy Club), his mission to Georgia and finally his "conversion" and mission to England - including the organisation of methodist societies. Key issues in Wesley's life, such as his renunciation of wealth and the role of women, are given prominent treatment as is an assessment of Wesley's long-term impact both in this country and abroad.

Presenta la historia del movimiento wesleyano en el siglo XVII como mas que simple descripcion de la extension de la organizacion, desarrollo teologico y ampliacion misionera; pero tambien la historia del pueblo llamado metodista con el cual y por el cual Wesley consumio su tiempo y energia. Presents the history of the 17th century Wesleyan movement, not only as a description of a spreading organization, a developing theology, and a widening mission, but also the story of the people called Methodists and with whom wesley spent his time and energy.