The Welsh Methodist Society

• A guide to understanding some of the aspects of modern Wales which obviously differ from England and other countries, including the singing of ‘Bread of Heaven’ at international rugby matches, as the legacy of the communal hymn singing which emerged as part of the eighteenth-century revival. • The only work in English to discuss in detail what sort of people were drawn to the early Welsh Methodist movement, in terms of social background, age and gender. This will give a broader readership access to what has been more frequently discussed through the medium of Welsh. • The focus on the grass-roots membership – most studies of Methodism in both Wales and England have tended to concentrate on the development of the movement largely from the perspective of the leadership. Although the influence of the leaders (Daniel Rowland, Howel Harris and William Williams) will be considered, the main focus is on the members and their social and economic background. • The focus on the internal life of the societies, which is often missing from studies of Methodism. The book includes a careful examination of the activities of the societies in an attempt to explain their appeal.

Methodism has been highly influential in Wales and in the wider world. This volume helps explain its appeal and influence by exploring the background and experiences of early members in south-west Wales, and what drew them to the movement.The evangelical or Methodist revival had a major impact on Welsh religion, society and culture, leading to the unprecedented growth of Nonconformity by the nineteenth century, which established a very clear difference between Wales and England in religious terms. Since the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist movement did not split from the Church to form a separate denomination until 1811, it existed in its early years solely as a collection of local society meetings. By focusing on the early societies in south-west Wales, this study examines the grass roots of the eighteenth-century Methodist movement, identifying the features that led to its subsequent remarkable success. At the heart of the book lie the experiences of the men and women who were members of the societies, along with their social and economic background and the factors that attracted them to the Methodist cause.