The Sermons of Charles Wesley
A Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
Charles Wesley author Kenneth G C Newport editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:13th Sep '01
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) is widely recognized as one of the greatest writers of the English hymn. The importance of Charles, however, extends well beyond his undoubted poetic abilities, for he is a figure of central importance in the context of the birth and early growth of Methodism, a movement which today has a worldwide presence. It was Charles and not John who first started the Oxford 'Holy Club' from which the ethos and structures of organised Methodism were eventually to emerge. It was Charles rather than John who first experienced the 'strange warming of the heart' that characterised the experience of many eighteenth-century evangelicals; and in the early years it was Charles no less than John who sought to spread, mainly through his preaching, the evangelical message across England, Wales, and Ireland. Eye witness testimony suggests that Charles was a powerful and effective preacher whose homiletic work and skill did much to establish and further the early Methodist cause. In this book this other side of Charles Wesley is brought clearly into focus through the publication, for the first time, of all of the known Charles Wesley sermon texts. In the four substantial introductory chapters a case is made for the inclusion of the 23 sermons here presented and there is discussion also of the significant text-critical problems that have been negotiated in the production of this volume. Other chapters present a summary of Charles's life and preaching career and seek to show by example how the sermons, no less than the hymns, are significant vehicles for the transmission of Charles's message. This book hence makes a plea for a reassessment of the place of Charles Wesley in English Church history and argues that he deserves to be recognised as more than just 'The Sweet Singer of Methodism'.
In a meticulous piece of scholarship, Kenneth Newport edits the sermons with a clear survey of Charles Wesley's life and theology. Wesley 'buffs' will fall on it with delight ... a hearty welcome to this splendidly produced book. * Epworth Review *
Kenneth Newport's first, and exemplary, critical edition of Charles's sermons is particularly welcome ... although fuller reassessment of Charles's career and significance must await further work on the sources, this edition of the sermons and accompanying commentary is a significant step forward and sets a formidable standard for editions of his other writings. * The Journal of Ecclesiastical History *
This is a major contribution to Wesley studies by (for once) a British academic, demonstrating that an interest in such studies is alive and able to challenge and extend the findings of American scholars, such as Albin, Langford, and Tyson, who have worked in this field. * Journal of Theological Studies *
Dr Newport's work is the outcome of careful and scholarly research using all the critical textual apparatus available. This book will be a vital tool for all those who wishing to trace the development of the Methodist movement and the impact of its theological ideas. * Journal of Theological Studies *
Scholars of Methodist history and theology are greatly in debt to Dr Newport for the published outcome of his research project as are those who seek to assess the contribution of the Wesley brothers to the Evangelical Revival of the eighteenth century. * Journal of Theological Studies *
Painstakingly accurate textual analysis and comprehensive footnotes. The extensive introduction is deserving of particular praise as it constitutes one of the best critical evaluations of Charles Wesley's life and ministry written in recent years ... this work is long overdue and has set a standard against which works on Charles Wesley should be judged. * tbr (theological book review, Feed The Minds) *
Scholars of Methodist history and theology are greatly in debt to Dr Newport for the published outcome of his research project ... Dr Newport's work is the outcome of careful and scholarly research ... This book will be a vital tool for all those wishing to trace the development of the Methodist movement and the impact of its theological ideas ... this is a major contribution to Wesley studies. * Wesley and Methodist Studies Centre Newsletter *
ISBN: 9780198269496
Dimensions: 243mm x 163mm x 27mm
Weight: 744g
422 pages