Wesleyan and Methodist Studies Unit

 “Methodism before the Wesleys.”

John and Charles Wesley saw the eighteenth-century Wesleyan revival as a restoration of primitive Christianity, as well as ‘true Christianity’ throughout the ages. If Methodism is viewed within the context of such continuity, there is a sense in which the Wesleys are not the sole founders of Wesleyan Methodism. This session invites scholarly analyses of where "Methodism" can be perceived in the history of Christianity before the Wesleys. Where can we see "Methodism" in the global history of the church prior to the eighteenth century, even if no direct genealogical connection can be drawn? This question can be explored in particular movements or churches, the lives, ministries, and writings of Christians, and in devotional practices. The question can be framed as an exercise in ressourcement—a return to the varied sources of Methodism—with the goal of renewal of the tradition today.

We welcome historical and theological and other disciplinary and methodological approaches to this topic. 

The unit is particularly interested in proposals that provide global perspectives on the theme.

This session is linked to our unit’s session on “The Reception History of the Wesleys,” which will examine how their ministries and writings have been received in the Wesleyan/Methodist traditions and beyond.

“The Reception History of the Wesleys.” The unit is interested in papers that explore:

• how ministries and writings of John and Charles Wesley have been received in the Wesleyan/Methodist traditions and beyond.
• how the Wesleys have been received in different parts of the world and different denominations.
• evidence of Charles Wesleys' influence on liturgical theology of other traditions.
• various ways in which the Wesleys’ celebrity shows up and is shaped by various artistic media.
• how different traditions, Pan-Methodists and Non-Methodists, have interpreted and employed the Wesleys' practical theology.

We welcome theological and historical, as well as other disciplinary and methodological approaches to this topic.

The unit is particularly interested in proposals that provide global perspectives on the theme, including postcolonial and anti-colonial emphases.

This session is linked to our unit’s session on “Methodism before the Wesleys,” which will explore where we can see Methodism in the global history of the church prior to the eighteenth century, even if no direct genealogical connection can be drawn.