Synopsis: What part did religion play in late eighteenth- and early
nineteenth-century Britain? How did the local situation differ from
the national picture? What was the role of women in society and the
church? And how did the emerging centers of industrial activity
interact with the places in which they sprung up? These are wide
questions, but they can be seen in microcosm in one small area of
the English midlands: the parish of Madeley, Shropshire, in which
was the "birthplace of the industrial revolution," Coalbrookdale.
Here, the evangelical Methodist clergyman John Fletcher ministered
between 1760 and 1785, among a population including Catholics and
Quakers as well people indifferent to religion. Then, for nearly
sixty years after his death, two women, Fletcher's widow and later
her protege, had virtual charge of the parish, which became one of
the last examples of Methodism remaining within the Church of
England. Through examining this specific locality, these essays
engage particularly with areas of broader significance, including:
Methodism's roots and growth in relation to the Church of England,
religion and gender in eighteenth-century Britain, and religion and
emerging industrial society. The last decade has seen substantial
growth in studies of John and Mary Fletcher, early Methodism, and
its relationship to the Church of England. Religion, Gender, and
Industry offers a contribution to this developing area of research.
The groundbreaking essays in this volume are written by an
international group of scholars and present the latest research in
this field. The contributions in this volume, originally presented
at a conference in Shropshire in 2009, address these themes from
multidisciplinary perspectives, including history, theology, gender
studies, and industry. In addition to furthering knowledge of
Madeley parish and its relation to larger themes in
eighteenth-century Britain, the impact of the Fletchers in
nineteenth-century American Methodism is examined. Endorsements:
"Local studies sometimes paint richly textured portraits of people
and places that reveal the complex matrix of real life. This is one
of those studies. A collection of essays on church and Methodism in
the parish of Madeley in Shropshire, this book offers a model of
interdisciplinary collaboration at its best. If you love to see how
faith, work, and life connect for real people in an ever-changing
world, this book is for you." -Paul W. Chilcote Professor of
Historical Theology and Wesleyan Studies Ashland Theological
Seminary "This valuable volume is to be welcomed for bringing the
Fletchers further out from Wesley's shadow. It is instructive to
see them expertly assessed from the perspective of recent
historiography: John as model Evangelical pastor of an
industrializing parish and as a theologian whose insights into
holiness, mysticism, and charismatic piety continue to engage
transatlantic attention; Mary as an enduring inspiration to women
preachers and leaders." -John Walsh Emeritus Fellow Jesus College,
Oxford Editor Biography: Geordan Hammond is Lecturer in Church
History and Wesley Studies, Nazarene Theological College and
Director of the Manchester Wesley Research Centre, UK. Peter S.
Forsaith is Research Fellow at The Oxford Centre for Methodism and
Church History, Oxford Brookes University, UK.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!