Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Methodism'
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1
Cragwall, Jasper Albert. "Lake Methodism." 24-page ProQuest preview, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1335357971&SrchMode=1&sid=5&Fmt=14&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1220030683&clientId=10355.
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Mander, Mark R. "Methodist shillelaghs the role of the Irish in early American Methodism /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 2007. http://www.tren.com/search.cfm?p031-0170.
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Curtis, Jonathan Paul. "Methodism and abstinence : a history of the Methodist Church and teetotalism." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/25394.
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This thesis has two overarching aims. The first aim is to understand the origins and development of temperance and abstinence in British Methodism, particularly through the theology that informed what may broadly be called the Methodist teetotal movement in its period of greatest popularity from 1830 until 1919. The second is to consider the downfall of this movement in the period from 1945 until 1974, when the Methodist Connexion adopted the view that each Methodist “must consider his personal attitude to all drugs in relation to his Christian vocation”. The need for the study arises from the relative dearth of historical investigation regarding Methodism and abstinence. Representations of Methodism and abstinence tend either to be partisan or to lack wider understanding of the abstinence movement, or the theology of Methodism. Methodologically, this thesis attempts to hold together historical and theological considerations; it is important to consider both the socio-economic contexts in which diverse abstinence and teetotal movements arose and the theological motivations that drove British Methodist belief and practice. Regarding the origins and development of temperance and abstinence in British Methodism, it is proposed in this thesis that the Bible Christians were the first organised Methodist abstainers, and that their practice was likely to have been influenced by John Wesley's theologies of sanctification, holiness and Christian perfection. The thesis is an attempt to counter the Bible Christian’s diminished historical significance, as well as to investigate the likely impact of the theological underpinnings for their abstinence. Regarding the downfall of temperance and abstinence in British Methodism in the period from 1945 until 1974, this thesis will propose that a loss of focus upon holiness as a catalyst for abstinence was detrimental to the growth and continuation of the teetotal movement throughout Methodism after World War Two. It will highlight the general rejection of this focus on encouraged abstinence in the second half of the twentieth century, acknowledging the changes and disagreement within British Methodism to which this dismissal led. Concluding comments allude to the need for a renewed witness within British Methodism to societal and theological imperatives for both temperance and abstinence.
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Degei, Sekove Bigitibau. "The Challenge to Fijian Methodism - the vanua, identity, ethnicity and change." The University of Waikato, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2481.
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Christianity is the dominant religion in the Fiji islands today. However, this was not the case in the early eighteen hundreds. Back then, the Fijians had lived a life and culture of their own that was not known to the world. This all changed when different groups of Europeans started to arrive in the early eighteen hundreds. Of these, the group that had the most influence on the Fijians was the English Wesleyan missionaries. The result of their evangelism was the establishment of the Methodist church in 1835. This church is the dominant denomination in Christian Fiji and has been closely meshed with concepts of Fijian identity. However, the church's dominance is being challenged, partly because of the entwining of concepts of church and the vanua (land, people). Additionally the arrival of other, new denominations with their different ideologies has also affected the standing and influence of the Methodists. In this thesis the way in which the missionaries had introduced themselves to the Fijians and how they influenced and converted them to Christianity are outlined. This was not a one-way affair, where only the missionaries' ways of living and ideologies were involved. They first had to accept the structure and some of the customs of the vanua before their mission could proceed. It was found that the influence and ideologies brought by the missionaries was incorporated into the vanua ideologies and has formed the basis of what became the Fijian way of life. When Fiji became a colony of Britain in 1874, the incorporation of the vanua and Methodist Christian ideologies and structure was well established. However, all these views, and the previously accepted local views of Fijian culture, have changed in response to the challenges from the new denominations. The effect of these new approaches and ideologies on the vanua and the Methodists in Fiji is discussed. The outcome of this on-going situation is not yet clear.
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Stiles, Kenton M. "Feminism and Methodism a study of six Methodist women in eighteenth-century England /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1993. http://www.tren.com.
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Burfield, David R. "Identifying pastoral care in contemporary Methodism." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1995. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11416/.
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This study is concerned with the nature of pastoral care and its practice in contemporary British Methodism. Both aspects are explored by means of postal surveys of Methodist ministers, local preachers and other lay members, as well as case study interviews with circuit ministers. These explorations take place in the context of a brief historical overview of the roots of Methodism and a characterisation of the theological viewpoints and spirituality of respondents, which are correlated with the findings of an earlier Anglican study. At the same time a detailed portrait is painted of the biography and ministry of both ministers and local preachers as an aid to understanding their contribution to pastoral care. The nature of pastoral care is discussed and a working definition proposed which emphasises the importance of nurture rather than crisis-oriented care. The perceptions of ministers and local preachers regarding their understanding of the nature of pastoral care are examined, and the influence of theological viewpoint, gender and age is explored. Pastoral practice within Methodism is evaluated and some difficulties and areas of weakness are pin-pointed. Comparison of the perceptions and practice of pastoral care reveals that whereas ministers have a balanced view of pastoral care, frequently such care tends to be crisis-oriented and ministers driven rather than in control of the task: essentially reactive rather than pro-active. A weakness of pastoral care is that it tends to be centred on the full-time professional rather than involving the whole community of faith. It is argued that the divisions between lay and ordained members of the church need to be removed in order to permit effective pastoral care. A working model of pastoral care is proposed, within a Methodist context, which emphasises the functional nature of full-time personnel and the importance of local leadership.
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Garratt, Delia. "Primitive Methodism in Shropshire, 1820-1900." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/4728.
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This thesis extends our understanding of the history of the Primitive Methodist Connexion by examining the denomination in a part of the country - Shropshire - in which it enjoyed considerable success during the nineteenth century, but on which there has been very little research. It takes as its starting point the relative lack of historical research on the Methodist circuit, a crucial innovation in religious provision, which gave Wesleyan Methodism and its subsequent offshoots considerable flexibility to coordinate their work in a highly effective way. To expand our understanding of Primitive Methodism in Shropshire, the structure and organisation of the Primitive Methodist circuit is outlined, and the nature of the experience provided for its followers is examined. The socio-economic profile of Primitive Methodist followers is explored and a close correlation between the social background of the preachers and their congregations is established. The factors underlying the denomination's success in the county are examined, and its progress in relation to other religious bodies is analysed. The effects of changing missionary tactics, internal dissension, sub-division and chapel building are investigated. Particular attention is paid to denominational administration, local governance, and changes in the spatial structures of circuits, as Primitive Methodism moved from early evangelistic enthusiasm towards consolidation as a major denomination.
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Kendall, Anthony Barrett. "Changing American minds : performances of evangelism in the early republic /." 24-page ProQuest preview, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1483474271&sid=4&Fmt=2&clientId=10355&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Alexander-Macquiban, Timothy Stuart. "British Methodism and the poor : 1785-1840." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.366844.
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Vickers, J. A. "Methodism and society in Central Southern England." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.374865.
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Luker, David. "Cornish Methodism, revivalism, and popular belief, c. 1780-1870." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1988. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:fe395cb7-7a81-40ee-9aaf-7cc8a5b5b593.
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In this regional study of Methodist development and societal influence throughout the period of industrialisation, recent trends in Methodist historiography at a national level are combined with the research and source material accumulated at a local level, to provide a detailed analysis of Methodist growth in Cornwall between the years 1780 and 1870. The thesis is divided loosely into three sections. In the first, four chapters outline the essential background to interpretative analysis by considering, in turn, recent historiographical developments in Methodist studies; social change in Cornwall during industrialisation; the performance of the Anglican Church in the county as represented in the Visitation Returns for 1779, (as well as historical and structural reasons for its 'failure'); and Methodist growth as expressed through available statistical indices, especially the date of formation of Methodist societies, and the 1851 Ecclesiastical Census. In the second section, one long chapter is devoted to an in-depth, county-wide analysis of Methodist growth, which considers the impact of external factors, particularly socio-economic, and internal circumstances, such as the degree of maturity of pastoral and administrative machinery, and the level of Connexional or lay control over chapel and circuit affairs, on the form and function of Methodism in nine distinct socioeconomic regions within the county. In the third section, four chapters concentrate on West Cornwall, where Methodism was strongest, in order to examine the roots of, and reasons for, the distinctively indigenous form of Methodism which developed there. On the one hand, the pastoral and administrative difficulties in exerting adequate Connexional control are considered; while on the other, an interpretation of the 'folk' functionality of revivals and of Methodism as a 'popular religion' is offered.
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Jones, Christopher C. ""We Latter-day Saints are Methodists" : the influence of Methodism on early Mormon religiosity /." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2009. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd3005.pdf.
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Shaver, Lisa J. "Turning From the Pulpit to the Pages of Periodicals: Women’s Rhetorical Roles in the Antebellum Methodist Church." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1152717773.
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Williams, Beverley Anne Harwood, and bevwilliams@bigpond com. "The Advent of Methodism and the I Taukei: The Methodist Church in Fijian Nation-making." La Trobe University. School of Social Sciences, Sociology and Anthropology Program, 2008. http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au./thesis/public/adt-LTU20091221.121517.
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This thesis is an historical anthropology of the role of the Methodist Church in Fiji, from the arrival of Methodist missionaries in 1830. At that time Fiji was a fragmented society. Fijians lived in villages on various islands, so there was no cohesion within the society. The insertion of Methodism into traditional Fijian society irreversibly changed the society, and this thesis traces the key changes that occurred. The rise to prominence of Chief Cakobau from Bau Island marks the beginning of unification of a fragmented Fiji. He formed the first Fijian government in 1871.The British Colonial authorities and the Methodists were also centrally involved in unification and the development of a national society as they set up structures to govern and evangelise the Fijians. However, the thesis argues that with the arrival of Indo-Fijians as indentured labourers to Fiji in 1879, the seeds of polarisation were planted and Indo-Fijians were left out of the frame of Fijian society. The thesis traces the involvement of Methodism, always in close relationship with the state in the twin processes of unification and polarisation.
The coups that have changed the political landscape of Fiji served to alter the relationship between the Methodist Church and the state. A schism occurred in the Methodist Church following the 1987 coup, where violence against some ministers occurred, and the Methodist constitution was suspended. Members belonging to i taukei Methodist hierarchy who insisted on Fijian paramountcy to the exclusion of Indo-Fijians have been separated irretrievably from members of the Methodist hierarchy who believe in an inclusive society irrespective of race. Increasing diversity of socio-economic status allied with hierarchical divides and different interpretations of the Church�s mission have generated conflict in the Church and society at large. Diminution of the power of the Methodist Church in Fiji has occurred since 1987, and there are both internal and external factors at work which continue this trend. The various factors influencing the Church in the present along with its future prospects are discussed.
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Williams, Beverley. "The advent of Methodism and the I Taukei the Methodist Church in Fijian nation-making /." Bundoora, Victoria : La Trobe University, 2008. http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/39301.
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Thesis (M.A.) -- La Trobe University, 2008.Description based on print version record. "A thesis in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology [to the] School of Social Sciences, Sociology and Anthropology Program, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora". Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-166)
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Yang, Jung. "The doctrine of God in the theology of John Wesley." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.274851.
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The primary purpose of this study is to investigate and systematically explicate the doctrine of God found in the writings of John Wesley. This thesis consists of seven chapters: the incomprehensible God, the revelation of God, the Trinity, the attributes of God, creation, the providence of God, and conclusion. Wesley was biblical and practical in explaining God. He also defended a holistic view of God: that the omnipotent and omniscient God is at the same time personal, just, and holy. However, in the historical background of the eighteenth century when the traditional doctrine of God was challenged, Wesley emphasised that God is a personal, holy, triune God. Wesley’s doctrine of God is the doctrine of “the old religion”, which wants to return to the root of the original Christianity of the Bible and “the primitive Church”. Thus, the root of this doctrine is in the Bible and “the primitive Church”. In this sense, this doctrine is orthodox and ecumenical. A characteristic feature of this doctrine is its emphasise on the harmony of God’s attributes and on the balanced activity of the three Persons of the triune God in the process of salvation. Thus, for example, while he stressed the moral attributes of God, he did not limit any natural attribute of God. Further, seeing salvation as a whole work of the triune God, Wesley did not fall into an unbalanced view of salvation that lays emphasis on one Person of the triune God in the process of salvation. Wesley characteristically understood God as personal. For him, the personal God means that he is relational and social interacting with intelligent beings. Thus he rejects God’s pantheistic and panentheistic relation to the world. This personal God enjoys having fellowship with human beings and working together with them. This determines how salvation is worked out and how the kingdom of grace on earth is established. In a word, the personal God desires synergism in salvation and his kingdom of grace. The dynamic of Wesley’s doctrine of God was in his spirituality and his vision for establishing ‘the kingdom of holiness and happiness on earth’. In sharing this spirituality and vision, his doctrine of God can be a new challenge today and can radically transform the world.
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Batty, Margaret. "Stages in the development and control of Wesleyan lay leadership 1791-1878." Thesis, University of London, 1988. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.283871.
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Shier-Jones, Angela. "Methodist dogmatics : a theology implicit in the kerygma of the Methodist Church?" Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.288563.
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Lloyd, Gareth. "Charles Wesley : a new evaluation of his life and ministry." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.246814.
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Griffiths, Leslie John. "A history of Methodism in Haiti 1817-1916." Thesis, SOAS, University of London, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.602447.
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Robinson, Mary Angela. "Eighteenth-century Newfoundland Methodism as a Revitalization movement." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq23172.pdf.
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Aikens, Alden Warren. "Christian perfection in central Canadian Methodism 1828-1884." Thesis, McGill University, 1989. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=75889.
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The thesis indicates how central Canadian Methodists came to terms with Christian perfection in the years 1828-1884. It demonstrates that the concept was a matter of constant and considerable concern, and that the primary force in determining how it was attended to was the influence of John Wesley. The main elements of the concept are set out--an experience possible through momentary faith and resulting in cleansing from sin and the ability to love God with pure love. Influences upon Canadian Methodism are probed and, in particular, the thought of John Wesley on the subject is investigated. Lines of influence from Wesley to Canadian Methodism are traced. The thesis sketches the importance of the concept as seen in attempts to define it, to bring it to personal experience, to urge others to seek and find it. In the concluding remarks, some of the writer's observations are reflected.
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Johnson, Melvin. "The national politics and politicians of Primitive Methodism." Thesis, University of Hull, 2016. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:15456.
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This thesis, which assists our understanding of the interaction between religious belief and political activity, presents a study of the politics of the Primitive Methodist Church and the MPs associated with it between 1886 and 1922. This was the zenith of the Church’s political activism. It traces Primitive Methodism’s evolution from an apolitical body, preaching individual salvation and with a particular mission to the working classes, to one that also promoted social salvation through progressive politics. The Church’s emphasis on individual moral improvement during its early decades receded and it increasingly advocated collectivist solutions to social ills, eventually espousing a balanced and synergetic combination of the two principles. This increasing engagement with progressive national politics manifested itself in the election of December 1885. In the wake of the franchise extension of 1884, 12 working-class MPs were elected, five of whom were closely associated with the Church. Although two working men, including Thomas Burt, the son of a Primitive Methodist local preacher, had preceded them in 1874, this influx of plebeian MPs was an event unprecedented in parliamentary history. The proportion drawn from a minor religious denomination was also notable. All told, my research has identified 44 MPs associated with Primitive Methodism between its foundation in the first decade of the nineteenth century and 1932, when the Church merged with other Methodist denominations. Although it frequently asserted that it was not wedded to any one political party, the reality was different. Initially, the Church and its MPs were firmly Liberal. However, the Liberal allegiance gradually diminished and an increasing number of Primitives supported other political parties, particularly the emergent Labour Party. Historians have often focused on the importance of Primitive Methodists in the foundation and leadership of a number of early trade unions, particularly those for coal miners and agricultural labourers. The historian Eric Hobsbawm deduced from this that the Church experienced a ‘partial transformation … into a labour sect’: mutating from a purely religious organization into one that provided the Labour Movement with leaders. However, he lamented the lack of detailed inquiry into the religious background of the early generation of working-class MPs. This thesis remedies that deficiency in relation to the Primitive MPs, within the context of the Church’s own parliamentary agenda. The core of this study begins in 1886 with the election of the group of Primitive MPs and ends in 1922 as the Church’s leadership began to realise that political activism was no longer a harmonising force for its members. It explores the Church’s official parliamentary aims and priorities as expressed at its Annual Conferences and District Meetings, the spectrum of members’ views articulated in Church publications, and the activities of its MPs in and out of Parliament. These are considered in the context of Primitive Methodism’s social and occupational composition, its geographical distribution, and theological foundations. Although necessary to understanding the Church’s political trajectory, lack of space has restricted discussion of the Church’s political activism from 1923 to 1932 to a brief overview.
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Maunder, Stephen John. "Leadership and oversight in British Methodism : whither episcope?" Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2014. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/leadership-and-oversight-in-british-methodism--whither-episcope(add94a25-13de-49c7-8bdf-d8996a344abb).html.
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The dissertation has at its heart the key question of whether the current form of episcope - i.e. leadership and oversight structures - within British Methodism continue to be appropriate in the contemporary church, or whether the Church is held by past models which are no longer effective. This question is explored through three distinct sections: • historical research examines the origins of leadership structures within Methodism in Britain. These structures are compared with those which developed contemporaneously in the United States, and which were different in form. This section then traces the development of British Methodism’s leadership structures up to the present day, notes changes which have taken place, and the debates over episcopacy. •Empirical research forms the second part of the thesis. Quantative research utilising congregational questionnaires are used to explore the views of lay Methodists on issues relating to leadership, such as their knowledge of those in positions of leadership within the Church, their views regarding the influence of structures upon their worshipping lives at local church level, and the possibility of episcopacy being introduced. A qualitative approach is used in detailed interviews carried out with Methodist presbyters in key leadership roles. The interviews are wide-ranging in their exploration of current models of leadership, including areas where significant change might be desirable. • Proposals for change from a range of sources are then considered. These include the views of contemporary writers on Methodism, and different modes of church leadership in other denominations as well as within the newly formed Methodist Church in the Gambia. It is argued that history and context are key elements within the formation of church leadership, and critical when change is considered. The research leads into a final section which offers proposals for the development of leadership within contemporary British Methodism both at local (Circuit), and national (Connexional) level. These proposals include consideration being given to the possible introduction of an episcopate as a means of offering an improved system of leadership for the Methodist people.
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Easton, David Peter. "'Gathered into one' : the reunion of British Methodism, 1860-1960, with particular reference to Cornwall." Thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.683271.
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Edwards, Graham M. "Telling our stories : towards an understanding of lived Methodism." Thesis, University of Chester, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/621795.
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This thesis argues that a thorough understanding of Methodism must attend to the lived experience of Methodist people, expressed within Methodist church communities. I use narrative research methods to show the nature of local Methodist identity. This research was conducted using group interviews with participants from three Methodist churches in West Yorkshire. In analysis of these interviews, a 'narrative of place' is revealed: this is how participants talk about the experience of their church's 'space' and make sense of their belonging. It communicates a shared sense of identity in each context. Through the narrative of place, I identify the shared experience of 'lived Methodism' that reflects my participants' belonging within a Methodist church and within that tradition. In 1932, three independent Methodist church groups, each with their own practical and theological emphases, united to form The Methodist Church of Great Britain. The contemporary Methodist Church claims and cherishes its place as a 'wide' church, accepts a diversity of practice. Therefore, attempting to define Methodist identity can be problematic. This thesis argues that Methodist identity is not merely given to the church by the Methodist Connexion, or as a function of meeting in a Methodist building, instead it is appropriated and lived locally. A series of two group interviews in three Methodist communities generates the data recorded in the form of transcripts. Using a narrative research methodology to interrogate this data, I expose the narrative of place and its three core emphases, these show how lived Methodism is revealed in my work. Initially, place and community demonstrates how community is formed locally. Using Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus, I argue that the language of place and community functions in setting the boundaries of that particular group in both conscious and unconscious ways. The community thus governs its practice and ecclesial identity. Secondly, place and memory is outlined. In the three church narratives, memory is used to claim validity for the current expression of the community, and to articulate the values the community wishes to highlight. These two areas highlight how the local churches own and understand their identity, leading finally to an analysis of place and tradition. This demonstrates an understanding of what it means to be a Methodist church. There exists a local tradition focussed on 'being the church here and now', which is fed by a received tradition mediated by those who are part of a broader Methodist narrative. The interface of these two modes of tradition creates a contextual Methodist tradition in each setting. I argue that it is here that a rich understanding of Methodism exists. Methodism is not a gift offered to a community, but a lived reality, claimed and valued by those who tell its story. The local narrative of place allows the lived experience of Methodism, in local church communities, to be heard and understood.
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Salgård, Cunha Emma Claire. "Methodist literary culture : John Wesley's practical divinity." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.648510.
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Grassow, Peter. "John Wesley and revolution." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14241.
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Bibliography: leaves 96-100.In 1988 Methodist people throughout the world were encouraged to commemorate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the evangelical ·conversion of John Wesley. This thesis arises from a questioning of the exclusive emphasis placed by so many upon Wesley's Aldersgate experience. The question asked is whether Wesley's heart-warming experience was indeed the turning point of his theology and practice, or whether there were other equally important (or even more important) moments in his life. A fresh reading of Wesley has shown that the promotion of this one event in his life has led to a narrow focus which is not born out by his faith and practice. Not only were there many moments of decision in his life, such as the 1725 discovery of Jeremy Taylor's Rules and Exercises of Holy Living and Holy Dying, his submission· to become "more vile" through field preaching in 1739, or his 1784 decision to ordain priests, but each of such moments signified a change in the direction of his life. One such moment was Wesley's decision to respond to the American Revolution. This decision to enter the world of politics proved to be a turning point in his thought and practice, which holds unexplored potential for the political practice of the people called Methodist. It is therefore appropriate that during the anniversary celebrations of Aldersgate, Wesley's thought should be explored beyond the narrow confines imposed by this Aldersgate mania.
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Woolley, Timothy Robert. "A new appearance on the face of things : retelling the Primitive Methodist creation narrative." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/a-new-appearance-on-the-face-of-thingsretelling-the-primitive-methodist-creation-narrative(53002c5d-316b-4b81-8285-d308c747acf9).html.
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This research looks at the emergence of the Primitive Methodist Connexion in the period 1800-1812, from a revival at Harriseahead, Staffordshire. It examines the ‘creation narrative’ the Connexion told about its beginnings, posing two questions: How influential was the first chronicler and founder of the community, Hugh Bourne, on subsequent accounts? Can a fuller story be told which places Primitive Methodist origins and Bourne’s early influences in a wider context? Use is made of contemporaneous material published by Bourne and William Clowes, the Connexion’s other recognised founder, their surviving MSS, extant records of the Burslem Wesleyan Circuit and Chester District, New Connexion, Wesleyan and Independent Methodist connexional records, as well as parish registers and later published accounts. An outline of Primitive Methodist historiography is given in the introductory chapter. Primitive Methodist origins are then re-examined in four phases. In the years 1797-1800, a context is set of division in Burslem Wesleyanism brought about by the emergence of the Methodist New Connexion. The formative years of Lorenzo Dow, John Riles and William Edward Miller are surveyed, and the influences they brought to bear on later events identified. In 1800-1804, when the revival gathered pace, the role of Daniel Shubotham, Bourne’s cousin, is re-assessed. Changes in the Burslem Wesleyan Circuit in 1805-1807 included the arrival of Miller and Riles, and the visit of American maverick evangelist Dow, and the impact on the revival of the resultant changing dynamics are explored. The aftermath of the revivalists holding a camp meeting on 31 May 1807 was a Wesleyan ban and a circuit dispute, causing rifts between Bourne, Shubotham and Clowes. This delicate subject for Primitive Methodist historiography is re-examined, as is the likely role of Superintendent John Riles, and the question of whether in 1808-1812 a linking of the camp meeting Methodists with the New Connexion was ever likely. In conclusion, three key influences upon Hugh Bourne in the emergence of Primitive Methodism are identified. Firstly the Methodist New Connexion gave a context for Bourne’s early ministry in a weakened circuit, and for the emergence later of a separate revivalist community. Secondly, Shubotham’s spirituality was influential for Bourne despite the fissure between them. Lastly, the ‘self-superintending’ ministry of Dow inspired Bourne to continue to hold camp meetings and divided him from Shubotham and Clowes. These second two factors are to be found in Bourne’s writings, but the dominance of his first full-length published account led to the forging of the Primitive Methodist creation narrative at an early stage. Attention to all three factors enables a contextually richer story to emerge.
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Truss, Priscilla Mary. "Primitive Methodism in the Yorkshire Wolds c.1820-1932." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2016. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14384/.
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This thesis concerns the establishment and development of Primitive Methodism on the Yorkshire Wolds from the arrival of missionaries in Hull in 1820 to the Connexion's final sublimation into the wider Methodist Church in 1932. In its nineteenth century heyday Primitive Methodism was a vibrant, evangelistic faith which enhanced the lives of many working people. It gave them purpose, conviviality and a shared spirituality which few had experienced before. In the later nineteenth century it became a cohesive force in village life through its services, Sunday Schools and links with the Friendly Societies. This thesis examines why Primitive Methodism put down such powerful roots in the Wolds, a relatively isolated area with no industrial development and compares its progress there to that in other areas where it was equally strong - Durham, North Lincolnshire and Norfolk - and to those where it had a firm foothold - Shropshire, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire. Primitive Methodism was religiously radical: it believed in the priesthood of all believers and in the capacity of all to embrace the word of God and communicate it to others through preaching and extempore prayer. Its religious radicalism sometimes led on to political radicalism, to links with Chartism, trade unions, and the nascent Labour Party. Much recent historical writing has concentrated on this aspect of its past while neglecting its religious impact and the fact that it remained - as did all branches of Methodism - socially conservative. This thesis will consider Wolds Primitive Methodism in the context of the general historiography of the Connexion and assess the contribution it made.
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Lander, John Kenneth. "Tent Methodism : 1814-1832; 'one soweth, and another reapeth'." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.313068.
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Watson, Kevin. "Primitive Methodism in the United States : a transatlantic perspective." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.427440.
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Rodell, Jonathan Michael. "The appeal of Methodism(s) in Bedfordshire 1736-1851." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609028.
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Sandford, Chad. "Practicing Piety: Sarah Jones and Methodism in 1790s Virginia." W&M ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626462.
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Goodwin, Charles H. "A system of aggression : motives, methods and margins of Methodist growth with special reference to the growth of Methodism on Cannock Chase 1776-1893." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/89101.
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Lane, Hannah M. "Re-numbering souls, lay Methodism and church growth in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, 1861-1881." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1993. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq23854.pdf.
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Clement, Mark. "Sifting science : methodism and natural knowledge in Britain 1815-70." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.320889.
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Jackson, Susan Irene. "Methodism in Gibraltar and its mission in Spain, 1769-1842." Thesis, Durham University, 2000. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4242/.
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In the context of Gibraltar's own history a description is given of how Methodism was taken to Gibraltar by soldiers who met together in small groups and founded the first Methodist Society there in 1769. After meeting with considerable opposition and persecution from the Established Church and others, the Methodist Conference decided to support the work by providing missionary ministers. The early work of building a chapel, fighting for their rights and gaining a degree of official sanction and protection is part of the story. The purpose of the church was always evangelism and a ministry to soldiers was justified because the soldiers and sailors travelled around the world and took the gospel message with them. Links with the British and Foreign Bible Society were established in 1807 as Bible distribution was seen to be an important goal and a useful means of evangelism. There was always an interest too in converting the local inhabitants of Gibraltar and this aim was furthered by the appointment of William Barber in 1824, as a second missionary, solely to work with them. This work was later developed by William Harris Rule who founded the first Mission schools in Gibraltar, which led to considerable opposition from the Roman Catholic population. In the 1830's Rule also attempted to establish Missions in Spain itself This was the time when George Borrow and James Graydon were also working in Spain for the Bible Society. A brief account is given of the work of all three, in the context of the political and religious situation in Spain, thus exploring the reasons why they were all eventually forced to leave the country and why a permanent Protestant foothold was not established in Spain at this time.
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Graham, E. Dorothy. "Chosen by God : the female itinerants of early primitive Methodism." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 1986. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4557/.
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Present day Methodists are often surprised to learn that ‘women in the Ministry’ is not a twentieth century phenomenon; that the Bible Christians and Primitive Methodists had the flexibility and foresight to make valuable use of female preaching talents. This research has concentrated on the women travelling preachers of Primitive Methodism, starting from the premise that there were doubtless far more than was immediately apparent; searching them out; looking at their life and work; their value and influence within the context of the movement itself and in relation to the strata of society to which it chiefly appealed. I have sought to weigh the contemporary arguments about the merits and demerits of female preaching; to look at the gradual decline and ultimate demise of the female itinerant; to see if an explanation for their disappearance could be found in the prevailing social conditions or if the answer lay within Primitive Methodism itself. As Primitive Methodism moved from enthusiastic evangelism towards consolidation so its emphasis shifted and its attitudes developed and changed. The female travelling preachers played a vital, though often little acknowledged, role in the Connexional evolution and it is this role which I have tried to explore and evaluate.
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Price, Matthew Hunter. "Methodism and Social Capital on the Southern Frontier, 1760-1830." The Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1408796401.
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Jones, Christopher Cannon. "Methodism, Slavery, and Freedom in the Revolutionary Atlantic, 1770-1820." W&M ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1477068530.
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From its quit arrival in the British colonies of North America in the 1760s, Methodism unexpectedly grew to become America's largest Protestant denomination by the early nineteenth century. But its rapid growth was not limited to the early United States. Methodist missionaries attracted large numbers of converts in Britain's remaining North American and Caribbean colonies. This dissertation analyzes the connections that linked and ultimately divided Methodists across political, social, and racial lines throughout the Atlantic world, arguing that the movement’s rapid expansion amidst revolutionary change led to the fracturing of the transatlantic ties that united its adherents. This project thus expands the geographical borders of early American Methodism to include regions beyond the United States, including Britain’s Maritime, Canadian, and Caribbean colonies, and even venturing across the Atlantic Ocean to the West African community of Sierra Leone, where a large number of former slaves from the American South resettled following the American Revolution. Methodists spoke of themselves as a connection, a term that signified both their adherence to the teachings and theology of John Wesley and their attachment to other Wesleyan Methodists across the globe. The events of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, including political revolutions in North America and the Caribbean, slave rebellions, and growth of the abolitionist movement exposed strains within the Methodist connection, as adherents divided over national allegiance and race. “Methodism, Slavery, and Freedom” is organized into six broadly thematic chapters covering the period from 1770-1820. The first chapter sets the stage for those that follow, tracing the migrations of several groups of Methodists in the wake of the American Revolution. Methodists found themselves on all sides of the conflict, and participated in both the Loyalist diaspora and the republican march westward. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 propose a reexamination of Methodist attitudes toward slavery and antislavery, examining the impact of Methodist connections between the United States and the Caribbean on institutional policies and individual activities. Chapter 5 shifts attention the impact of revolutionary events and racial tensions on the ecclesiastical politics of Methodism, comparing and contrasting the first independent black Methodist churches in the United States and West Africa. The sixth and final chapter returns to some of the themes explored in chapter 1, analyzing the experience of Methodists in the United States-Canadian borderlands from the American Revolution through the War of 1812.
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Glasson, Barbara. "Bastards and nonconformists : changes in lone parenting since 1900 and the response of the Methodist Church in theology and practice." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.364402.
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Webster, Robert. "Methodism and the miraculous : John Wesley's contribution to the Historia Miraculorum." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.439687.
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Norris, Clive Murray. "Prophets and profits : the financing of Wesleyan Methodism, c.1740-1800." Thesis, Oxford Brookes University, 2015. https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/items/2d87dd16-59d2-4fce-92ea-a62b007371a4/1/.
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This thesis attempts a comprehensive account of the financing of eighteenth century Wesleyan Methodism, based mainly on primary sources such as Methodist account books. In the late 1730s John and Charles Wesley launched a movement to reform the Church of England, preaching throughout the British Isles, and creating a network of supporters who met in local societies. In time this ‘Connexion’ deployed full-time preachers, paying them stipends and allowances, funded by regular contributions from members. Chapels were built to house preaching services, partially financed by debt underwritten by John Wesley and other preachers. By 1766 25,000 members employed some 100 preachers, and occupied 100 chapels; a commercial publishing operation produced 60,000 books and pamphlets a year, distributed by the preachers; and the Connexion ran a boarding school and various local welfare activities. As its chapel debts became unsustainable, the leadership launched an intensive fund-raising campaign, and decentralised financial responsibility for them to the local preaching ‘circuits’, though with continuing central oversight of chapel debt. Now the costs of supporting preachers put pressure on local society funds, especially because more preachers acquired families. By 1780 the Connexion’s finances were again stretched; a complex system of cross-subsidies developed, for example from richer areas to poorer, and the movement became increasingly dependent on the financial commitment of its wealthier supporters. New educational, welfare and missionary initiatives emerged, often funded independently of the Connexion. On John Wesley’s 1791 death, neither burgeoning Book Room profits nor increasing revenue from voluntary collections could prevent renewed resource pressures, which fuelled a series of disputes over governance and practice, leading in the mid 1790s to the emergence of the Wesleyan Methodist denomination, outside the established Church. While Wesleyans viewed their movement as inspired by Heaven, they worked with the market to ensure that their ambitions were financially achievable on Earth.
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Smith, John Q. "The origins and development of the Keighley Methodist Circuit : a study of Methodism in a Yorkshire textile community, 1748-1850 /." The Ohio State University, 1985. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu148726460321656.
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Lewis, Simon. "Early anti-Methodism as an aspect of theological controversy in England, c.1738-c.1770." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:8da41b0f-6aeb-4497-9d7d-f9634f3a4a06.
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This thesis provides the first large-scale reintegration of anti-Methodism into the wider theological controversies of the eighteenth century. It argues that there was a close connection - and in many cases, a direct link - between anti-Methodist writers and those involved in other theological controversies. Moreover, it shows that anti-Methodist polemics interacted with and were informed by contemporary debates on such issues as Deism, miracles, and the afterlife. This study also explores authors who used anti-Methodism as a forum to voice heterodox views. The fact that these heterodox ideas were often disagreeable to both evangelicals and High Churchmen is significant because it suggests that - on various points of theology - John Wesley and George Whitefield differed little from their âorthodox' Anglican opponents. By highlighting these theological similarities between evangelicals and High Churchmen, this thesis challenges the traditional stereotype that the eighteenth-century Church of England had become indifferent to theology. Chapter One introduces Wesley and Whitefield's key Anglican opponents, and discusses the print culture of early anti-Methodist literature. Chapter Two locates the soteriological disputes between Methodist and anti-Methodist divines as part of a long-standing debate on faith and works, which can be traced back to earlier clashes between Reformed and Arminian divines during the Restoration period. Chapter Three analyses Methodist teachings on self-denial, and considers the ways in which anti-Methodist clergymen reconciled their attacks on evangelical asceticism with their seemingly contradictory charges of antinomianism. Chapter Four explores how anti-Methodism was used as a platform to voice heterodox views on original sin and the afterlife. Chapters Five and Six provide a fundamental reappraisal of the relationship (and perceived relationship) between evangelicalism and irreligion by showing that anti-Methodism overlapped with anti-Deism and the eighteenth-century miracles debate. The final chapter shows that anti-Methodist authors often adopted a decidedly partisan approach to historical writing, which was modelled on seventeenth-century polemical historiography.
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Turberfield, Alan. "A critical appraisal of the Rev. Dr. John Lidgett CH., 1854-1953, theologian, educationalist and ecclesiastical statesman between 1890 and 1920." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.244241.
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Topham, Roberta Ruth. "Making ministers, making Methodism : an anthropological study of an English religious denomination." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2000. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/251748.
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This study employs the methods of social anthropology to analyse the social and cultural dynamics of contemporary English Methodism. My initial premise is that a key aspect of Methodism is the holding together of the conflicting values of egalitarianism and hierarchy. By focusing on the making of Methodist ministers, I explore the different ways in which these values are held in creative tension across the institution. The thesis follows the life-cycle of the minister from the local Methodist church, through the ministerial selection procedures, training and probation and back into the local church. The national arena of the church is also examined. I draw specifically on fieldwork conducted in the Methodist churches of north Bedford, in two theological colleges in southern England and in the national church offices in London. Methodism is considered here in terms of practice. By employing Pierre Bourdieu's tool of habitus, I depict the core values which Methodists come to embody and outline how these values shape actions and attitudes across the institution. In addition, I argue that, through the ministerial selection and training processes, the Methodist habitus is modified in candidates into a distinct ministerial habitus. Another main focus is on the nature of power within Methodism. I analyse how ministers come to dominate at local and national levels, arguing that lay people collaborate in the creation of this domination and in turn are often benefited themselves. I also explore the way in which ministry is negotiated in relationships between lay and ordained people. In particular, I propose that the figure of the minister can helpfully be considered as a symbol, which is often differently understood by individuals, but which nonetheless plays an important part in uniting Methodist groups and thereby facilitating coherence and continuity. Thus it becomes evident that, in contributing to the making of ministers, Methodists are contributing to the making of Methodism, and engaging in a sometimes highly generative cycle of cultural reproduction.
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White, James W. "The doctrine of Christian perfection its historic and contemporary relevance for Methodism /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1997. http://www.tren.com.
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Hughes, M. "Studies in Calvinistic Methodist Welsh literature 1790-1825." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.384712.
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