This study is an attempt to place John and Charles Wesley and their Methodist organization with the general context of the eighteenth century book trade in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and parts of British North America. John Wesley proposed to spread his evangelical message through the sale and distribution of books such as Book Stock, and the income from the sale of these books allowed for the mission's operation and conduct.
The dominant activities of the eighteenth century Wesleyan Methodist Connexion, in terms of expenditure, were the support of itinerant preaching, and the construction and maintenance of preaching houses. These were supported by a range of both regular and occasional flows of funds, primarily from members' contributions, gifts from supporters, various forms of debt finance, and profits from the Book Room. Three other areas of action also had significant financial implications for the movement: education, welfare, and missions. The Financing of John Wesley's Methodism c.1740-1800 describes what these activities cost, and how the money required was raised and managed. Though much of the discussion is informed by financial and other quantitative data, Clive Norris examines a myriad of human struggles, and the conflict experienced by many early Wesleyan Methodists between their desire to spread the Gospel and the limitations of their personal and collective resources. He describes the struggle between what Methodists saw as the promptings of Holy Spirit and their daily confrontation with reality, not least the financial constraints which they faced.
As a religious and social phenomenon Methodism engages with a number of disciplines including history, sociology, gender studies and theology. Methodist energy and vitality have intrigued, and continue to fascinate scholars. This Companion brings together a team of respected international scholars writing on key themes in World Methodism to produce an authoritative and state-of-the-art review of current scholarship, mapping the territory for future research. Leading scholars examine a range of themes including: the origins and genesis of Methodism; the role and significance of John Wesley; Methodism’s emergence within the international and transatlantic evangelical revival of the Eighteenth-Century; the evolution and growth of Methodism as a separate denomination in Britain; its expansion and influence in the early years of the United States of America; Methodists’ roles in a range of philanthropic and social movements including the abolition of slavery, education and temperance; the character of Methodism as both conservative and radical; its growth in other cultures and societies; the role of women as leaders in Methodism, both acknowledged and resisted; the worldwide spread of Methodism and its enculturation in America, Asia and Africa; the development of distinctive Methodist theologies in the last three centuries; its role as a progenitor of the Holiness and Pentecostal movements, and the engagement of Methodists with other denominations and faiths across the world. This major companion presents an invaluable resource for scholars worldwide; particularly those in the UK, North America, Asia and Latin America.
John Wesley published three tune books in two-decade intervals for the evangelical British Methodist movement within the Church of England with its varied audiences and diverse musical tastes. S T Kimbrough, Jr. and Carlton R. Young have published the only facsimile reprints, with critical introductions and notes, of the first two collections (1742 and 1761). Wesley intended his third collection, Sacred Harmony, or a choice Collection of Psalms and Hymns, Set to Music in two or three parts for the Voice, Harpsichord & Organ (1780), henceforth SH 1780, as a musical companion to his monumental A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780). This edition of SH 1780 provides the ecclesial, cultural, and musical contexts of the volume; traces the sources of each tune and text (with textual variants), provides indexes of texts and tunes, and appropriate appendices. The copy used for this facsimile includes the autograph of John Wesley and the date of January 10, 1780, on an opening flyleaf, his marginal notes, and is housed in the archives of Old St. George's United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each page of this facsimile edition of SH 1780 has been thoroughly cleaned of bleedthrough and blotches.
