Charles Wesley and the Struggle for Methodist Identity

Abstract

Abstract Charles Wesley has been a problem figure for church historians. The great hymn‐writer's contribution to Methodism and the 18th century Evangelical Revival has frequently been seen primarily in terms of his poetic work. His vital role in other aspects has been undervalued and often seen through a filter imposed by denominational historians who have Charles's brother John Wesley as the main focus of attention. This book examines Charles's relationship with his brother and role in Methodist affairs. In particular, Charles has often been portrayed as being isolated and out of touch with the needs and wishes of the Methodist people during the last thirty years of his life. This book shows that this view is a distortion and that he was in fact representative of a considerable body of opinion within the Wesleyan societies. The Church‐Methodist viewpoint that he championed against those who wished to separate from the Anglican Church had as great an impact on Methodist evolution as the better‐known opinions of his opponents. Out of this struggle came a denomination with an identity that was rooted in its Anglican past but with an evangelical dynamic that produced one of the great success stories of the 19th century Christian Church. Extensive use is made of neglected primary sources to present a substantial reappraisal of Charles Wesley's ministry, which in turn permits a new interpretation of aspects of the history of early Methodism, the 18th century Church of England and the way that Methodists have viewed their Church's past.

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