2. Supporting background stimuli

‘Supporting background stimuli’ explains how John Wesley’s connections with the Moravians, which had such a dramatic impact upon him when he was a young missionary, reveal that he was part of an international network of revival and awakening that stretched from Germany to England and into the New World. There was a shift from Christianity as a mere system of orthodox beliefs, to Christianity as a living relationship with God that leads to love of God and neighbour. The great themes of this form of Christianity were new birth and sanctification. John Wesley’s job as the Methodists’ leader was to reform the nation, especially the church, and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.

8. The decline of Methodism

A report, Statistics in Mission, issued in 2014 tracked the decline of Methodists in Britain over a ten-year period. It showed a 3.7 per cent year-on-year decline and a reduction of 29.35 per cent overall. This decline is part of the wider decline of Christianity in the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic world. Although not as bad, a similar story is seen in the United States. ‘The decline of Methodism’ considers the various theories for this decline—including the increased secularization in the West and the intellectual changes in British culture with the rise of science—and some of the solutions proposed by the Methodist church to resolve the problem.

7. The impact of Methodism

‘The impact of Methodism’ considers Methodism’s impact on and contribution to social movements, politics, education, and healthcare. Social movements that were deeply influenced by Methodism include the abolition of slavery in the 19th century and the Temperance Movement in the 20th century. The Methodist tradition has always encouraged diversity of judgement in the political arena and Methodists can be found on both the conservative and progressive wings of politics. One of the most important expressions of social holiness in Methodism shows up in its role in education. Methodists founded numerous successful schools and universities around the world. Methodism has also had an impact on popular and high culture.

9. Future prospects of Methodism

‘Future prospects of Methodism’ considers the main options currently in play for the survival of Methodism. If Methodism is to have a future, there needs to be a recovery of nerve about its origins, its message, its practices, and its mission. Equally there needs to be a fresh way of thinking about Methodism as a full-scale church in the history of Christianity. The present prospects of fresh division open up the way for a new conversation about Methodist identity that can shape what it will become in the future. One thing is sure: Methodism will survive.

6. The practices of Methodism

Methodists operate with the classical means of grace represented by baptism and the Lord’s Supper, supplemented by a host of prudential means of grace that serve multiple purposes. These means of grace teach the faith, give occasion for repentance, make possible fresh commitment to God, provide encouraging forms of fellowship, and the like. ‘The practices of Methodism’ considers these practices and how the system has been updated over time with various experiments. The difficulty in the present situation is that there is no theological consensus on what to teach and what to do in order to make disciples who make a real difference in the world.

5. The search for credible alternatives

The search for a viable alternative to classical Methodist teaching was taken up in earnest in the first half of the 20th century. If there was a failure of nerve in the effort to sustain the riches of the tradition, there was no lack of confidence in pursuing the quest for a better future intellectually. The basic strategy was to reach outside the boundaries of Methodism and find fitting materials that would replace the earlier orthodoxy. ‘The search for credible alternatives’ describes the work and impact of Albert Outler in the 1960s, new developments over the last fifty years, and present-day disputes and problems within Methodism.

4. The message of Methodism

‘The message of Methodism’ refers to the complex network of doctrines that became essential to the teachings and identity of Methodism and considers its canonical sermons and crucial elements. Methodism is not a cult of John Wesley; it is a whole new vision of Christianity. While it clearly bears the imprint of John Wesley and the early leaders, it had to develop the doctrinal and intellectual resources to carry it across space and time. Its initial message was certainly furnished by Wesley, but it was not limited to Wesley. Moreover, given its mission to spread Christianity near and far, it necessarily made adjustments as best it could as it spread across the world.

1. John Wesley and the origins of Methodism

‘John Wesley and the origins of Methodism’ explains that John Wesley never had any intention to form a movement or church. The early life of John Wesley and his brother Charles is described. In the 1730s, his life was redirected from academia in a series of developments that led him to become an extraordinary evangelist and spiritual director. Preaching in the open air was the first of many innovations for Wesley and was pivotal in the spread of Methodism. By the early 1750s, Methodism had become an evangelical order within the Church of England. The severe challenges faced by Methodism and the spread of Methodism to North America are also described.

3. The people called Methodists

The initial agenda of Methodism as a renewal movement in the Church of England was ‘to reform England, especially the church, and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land’. Like most renewal movements in the history of Christianity, it did not succeed. Instead it morphed into a network of Methodist denominations across the world. ‘The people called Methodists’ outlines John Wesley’s new version of Christianity and its separation from the mother church. It describes the search for succession, the process of ordination, and the core elements of Methodism. Methodists insist on the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist, and on orderly ordination for their clergy. But beyond that there is flexibility, innovation, and adaptability.