British Methodist Revivalism and the Eclipse of Ecclesiology

James E Pedlar author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:12th Dec '23

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

British Methodist Revivalism and the Eclipse of Ecclesiology cover

Revivalism was one of the main causes of division in nineteenth-century British Methodism, but the role of revivalist theology in these splits has received scant scholarly attention. In this book, James E. Pedlar demonstrates how the revivalist variant of Methodist spirituality and theology empowered its adherents and helped foster new movements, even as it undermined the Spirit’s work through the structures of the church. Beginning with an examination of unresolved issues in John Wesley’s ecclesiology, Pedlar identifies a trend of increasing marginalisation of the church among revivalists, via an examination of three key figures: Hugh Bourne (1772–1852), James Caughey (1810–1891), and William Booth (1860–1932). He concludes by examining the more catholic and irenic theology of Samuel Chadwick (1860–1932), the leading Methodist revivalist of the early twentieth century who became a strong advocate of Methodist Union. Pedlar shows that these theological differences must be considered, alongside social and political factors, in any well-rounded assessment of the division and eventual reunification of British Methodism.

ISBN: 9781032111476

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 517g

184 pages