Wesley Whitefield And The Free Grace Controversy

Author : Joel Houston
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2019-11-06
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780429848179

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Wesley, Whitefield and the 'Free Grace' Controversy by Joel Houston Pdf

When approaching the most public disagreement over predestination in the eighteenth century, the ‘Free Grace’ controversy between John Wesley and George Whitefield, the tendency can be to simply review the event as a row over the same old issues. This assumption pervades much of the scholarly literature that deals with early Methodism. Moreover, much of that same literature addresses the dispute from John Wesley’s vantage point, often harbouring a bias towards his Evangelical Arminianism. Yet the question must be asked: was there more to the ‘Free Grace’ controversy than a simple rehashing of old arguments? This book answers this complex question by setting out the definitive account of the ‘Free Grace’ controversy in first decade of the Evangelical Revival (1739-49). Centred around the key players in the fracas, John Wesley and George Whitefield, it is a close analysis of the way in which the doctrine of predestination was instrumental in differentiating the early Methodist societies from one another. It recounts the controversy through the lens of doctrinal analysis and from two distinct perspectives: the propositional content of a given doctrine and how that doctrine exerts formative pressure upon the assenting individual(s). What emerges from this study is a clearer picture of the formative years of early Methodism and the vital role that doctrinal pronouncement played in giving a shape to early Methodist identity. It will, therefore, be of great interest to scholars of Methodism, Evangelicalism, Theology and Church History.

Author : Geordan Hammond,William Gibson
Publisher : Clements Publishing Group
Page : 194 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2012-03
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781926798134

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Wesley and Methodist Studies by Geordan Hammond,William Gibson Pdf

Wesley and Methodist Studies (WMS) publishes peer-reviewed essays that examine the life and work of John and Charles Wesley, their contemporaries (proponents or opponents) in the eighteenth-century Evangelical Revival, their historical and theological antecedents, their successors in the Wesleyan tradition, and studies of the Wesleyan and Evangelical traditions today. Its primary historical scope is the eighteenth century to the present; however, WMS will publish essays that explore the historical and theological antecedents of the Wesleys (including work on Samuel and Susanna Wesley), Methodism, and the Evangelical Revival. WMS has a dual and broad focus on both history and theology. Its aim is to present significant scholarly contributions that shed light on historical and theological understandings of Methodism broadly conceived. Essays within the thematic scope of WMS from the disciplinary perspectives of literature, philosophy, education and cognate disciplines are welcome. WMS is a collaborative project of the Manchester Wesley Research Centre and The Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History, Oxford Brookes University.

Author : Brett McInelly
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 173 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2023-06-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781000888454

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Methodism and the Rise of Popular Literary Criticism by Brett McInelly Pdf

This book examines how Methodism and popular review criticism intersected with and informed each other in the eighteenth century. Methodism emerged at a time when the idea of a ‘public square’ was taking shape, a process facilitated by the periodical press. Perhaps more so than any previous religious movement, Methodism, and the publications associated with it, received greater scrutiny largely because of periodical literature and the emergence of popular review criticism. The book considers in particular how works addressing Methodism were discussed and critiqued in the era’s two leading literary periodicals – The Monthly Review and The Critical Review. Focusing on the period between 1749 and 1789, the study encompasses the formative years of popular review criticism and some of the more dramatic moments in the textual culture of early Methodism. The author illustrates some of the specific ways these review journals diverged in their critical approaches and sensibilities as well as their politics and religious opinions. The Monthly’s and the Critical’s responses to the Methodists’ own publishing efforts as well as the anti-Methodist critique are shown to be both multifaceted and complex. The book critically reflects on the pretended neutrality, reasonableness, and objectivity of reviewers, who at times found themselves negotiating between the desire to regulate literary tastes and the impulse to undermine the Methodist revival. It will be relevant to scholars of religion, history and literary studies with an interest in Methodism, print culture, and the eighteenth century.

Author : Ian J. Maddock
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2018-02-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781498290678

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Wesley and Whitefield? Wesley versus Whitefield? by Ian J. Maddock Pdf

John Wesley and George Whitefield were in many ways larger-than-life figures during their own lifetimes and continue to be so today. Yet our ability to appreciate their abiding influence on contemporary Evangelical theology and practice is lacking if we consider them in isolation from one another. Our understanding of Wesley and the legacy of his public ministry is impoverished apart from considering Whitefield (and vice versa). This collection of essays explores the complex dynamics at work in the Wesley-Whitefield relationship, spanning a variety of theological, historical, and pastoral facets of their full-orbed public ministries. They serve as an invitation to grow in our awareness of their undoubted affinities and significant differences, all the while resisting the potential allure of either uncritically ecumenical “Wesley and” or uncharitably partisan “Whitefield versus” narratives.

Author : Mark. K. Olson
Publisher : Abingdon Press
Page : 129 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2024-01-16
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781791031275

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John Wesley's Doctrine of Justification by Mark. K. Olson Pdf

John Wesley’s Doctrine of Justification provides updated scholarship on this pivotal doctrine of Methodism, providing a deeper understanding of a major tenet of the Christian faith. Mark Olson offers a comprehensive treatment of the development and exposition of Wesley’s doctrine of justification and how it changed throughout Wesley’s life, including his early views rooted in Anglican heritage, the significant developments in Wesley’s career, and contributions from notable figures like John Fletcher to his doctrine of general justification. The doctrine of justification was pivotal to John Wesley’s understanding of a person’s relationship with God. In Wesley’s view, it defined one of the two general parts of salvation. It touched every aspect of the spiritual journey from birth (general justification) to conversion (present justification) to final judgment and glory (final justification). To properly understand Wesley’s via salutis and theology, one needs to grasp the particulars of his doctrine of justification. The best way to do this is to tell the story of how he came to understand the doctrine over the course of his life. It is a complex story, with many twists and turns, that deserves to be fully told.

Author : Kelly Diehl Yates
Publisher : Lutterworth Press
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2023-06-29
Category : History
ISBN : 9780718896591

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The Limits of a Catholic Spirit by Kelly Diehl Yates Pdf

The Limits of a Catholic Spirit presents an extraordinary, in-depth study of John Wesley's relationship with Catholicism, examining the limits to which Wesley, as an evangelical Protestant, practiced his ideal of a Catholic spirit. Through the use of rare primary sources from the National Archives, Kelly Diehl Yates provides a refreshing investigation of Wesley's interaction and strained relationship with Catholicism, taking the path less trodden in studies of his theology. While revisionist scholars argue that Wesley proposed principles of religious tolerance in his sermon, Catholic Spirit, Yates argues that he did not expect unity between Protestants and Catholics, remaining wedded to anti-Catholic beliefs himself. By paying attention to this previously unfilled gap in Wesley studies, Yates' exemplary historical and critical study tackles questions which have beset Wesley scholars for decades, including Wesley's relationship with the Jesuits, Jacobitism, the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780, and his time in Ireland. Grounded in historical case studies, Yates explores these questions from a fresh perspective, providing answers to these questions, and more.

Author : Jonathan Yeager
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 681 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2022
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780190863319

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The Oxford Handbook of Early Evangelicalism by Jonathan Yeager Pdf

Evangelicalism, a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity, is one of the most popular and diverse religious movements in the world today. Evangelicals maintain the belief that the essence of the Gospel consists of the doctrine of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus' atonement. Evangelicals can be found on every continent and among nearly all Christian denominations. The origin of this group of people has been traced to the turn of the eighteenth century, with roots in the Puritan and Pietist movements in England and Germany. The earliest evangelicals could be found among Anglicans, Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Moravians, and Presbyterians throughout North America, Britain, and Western Europe, and included some of the foremost names of the age, such as Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, and George Whitefield. Early evangelicals were abolitionists, historians, hymn writers, missionaries, philanthropists, poets, preachers, and theologians. They participated in the major cultural and intellectual currents of the day, and founded institutions of higher education not limited to Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Princeton University. The Oxford Handbook of Early Evangelicalism provides the most authoritative and comprehensive overview of the significant figures and religious communities associated with early evangelicalism within the contextual and cultural environment of the long eighteenth century, with essays written by the world's leading experts in the field of eighteenth-century studies.

Author : Robert Edmund Cotter
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 267 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2022-04-19
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781000571950

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John Cennick (1718-1755) by Robert Edmund Cotter Pdf

This book explores the life and spirituality of John Cennick (1718–1755) and argues for a new appreciation of the contradictions and complexities in early evangelicalism. It explores Cennick’s evangelistic work in Ireland, his relationship with Count Zinzendorf and the creative tension between the Moravian and Methodist elements of his participation in the eighteenth-century revivals. The chapters draw on extensive unpublished correspondence between Cennick and Zinzendorf, as well as Cennick’s unique diary of his first stay in the continental Moravian centres of Marienborn, Herrnhaag and Lindheim. A maverick personality, John Cennick is seen at the centre of some of the principal controversies of the time. The trajectory of his emergence as a prominent figure in the revivals is remarkable in its intensity and hybridity and brings into focus a number of themes in the landscape of early evangelicalism: the eclectic nature of its inspirations, the religious enthusiasm nurtured in Anglican societies, the expansion of the pool of preaching talent, the social tensions unleashed by religious innovations, and the particular nature of the Moravian contribution during the 1740s and 1750s. Offering a major re-evaluation of Cennick’s spirituality, the book will be of interest to scholars of evangelical and church history.

Author : Geordan Hammond,David Ceri Jones
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780198747079

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George Whitefield by Geordan Hammond,David Ceri Jones Pdf

George Whitefield (1714-70) was one of the best known and most widely traveled evangelical revivalist in the eighteenth century. This collection offers a major reassessment of Whitefield's life, context, and legacy, bringing together a distinguished interdisciplinary team of scholars from both sides of the Atlantic. In chapters that cover historical, theological, and literary themes, many addressed for the first time, the volume suggests that Whitefield was a highly complex figure who has been much misunderstood.

Author : Rhyne R. Putman
Publisher : Crossway
Page : 350 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2020-04-22
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781433567902

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When Doctrine Divides the People of God by Rhyne R. Putman Pdf

An Excellent Study on Christian Unity and Doctrinal Diversity "This helpful book will encourage Christians to hold their convictions with greater irenicism, humility, awareness, and wisdom." — Gavin Ortlund, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Ojai; author, Finding the Right Hills to Die On As evangelicals, we desire to be biblical—we want our doctrine to be rooted in the Bible, our lives to be guided by the Bible, and our disagreements to be resolved by the Bible. And yet, conflicts within our church communities continue to appear and seemingly multiply with time. Interpretations of the Bible and deeply held convictions often put Christians at odds. Encouraging us toward grace in disagreement and firmness in truth, Rhyne Putman reflects on how Christians can maintain the biblical call for unity despite having genuine disagreements.

Author : John Wesley,George Whitefield
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 74 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2015-11-26
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1519516517

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Wesley and Whitefield on Election by John Wesley,George Whitefield Pdf

The most common New Testament reference to election deals with God's eternal decrees of certain humans to salvation in Christ Jesus. This is seen most vividly in the writings of Paul in his letters to the churches at Ephesus and Rome. While no Christian can deny the Bible teaches the doctrine of election, many remain divided over the basis of divine election, the cause of God choosing certain individuals unto salvation over against others. Faithful Christians have remain divided over this issue with some insisting God elects, or chooses, certain people on the basis of a foreseen faith in him, while others maintain God's election has nothing to do with foreknowledge of faith but rather resides in his own good pleasure for reasons known only to him. This small book on election presents John Wesley's sermon entitled "Free Grace" that he preached in 1740 in which he argued God's election is based on his own knowledge of those who would exercise faith in Jesus. Part 2 presents a response to Wesley's sermon by long-time friend and co-founder of Methodism, George Whitefield, who penned a letter in fierce opposition to Wesley's view that election is rooted in anything other than God's own sovereign and unknowable decrees. Read for yourself two views on divine election from two of Christianity's greatest leaders of the eighteenth century.

Author : Thomas S. Kidd
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2014-10-28
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780300182125

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George Whitefield by Thomas S. Kidd Pdf

In the years prior to the American Revolution, George Whitefield was the most famous man in the colonies. Thomas Kidd’s fascinating new biography explores the extraordinary career of the most influential figure in the first generation of Anglo-American evangelical Christianity, examining his sometimes troubling stands on the pressing issues of the day, both secular and spiritual, and his relationships with such famous contemporaries as Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley. Based on the author’s comprehensive studies of Whitefield’s original sermons, journals, and letters, this excellent history chronicles the phenomenal rise of the trailblazer of the Great Awakening. Whitefield’s leadership role among the new evangelicals of the eighteenth century and his many religious disputes are meticulously covered, as are his major legacies and the permanent marks he left on evangelical Christian faith. It is arguably the most balanced biography to date of a controversial religious leader who, though relatively unknown three hundred years after his birth, was a true giant in his day and remains an important figure in America’s history.

Author : Simon Lewis
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2022-01-27
Category : History
ISBN : 9780192855756

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Anti-Methodism and Theological Controversy in Eighteenth-Century England by Simon Lewis Pdf

John Wesley and George Whitefield are remembered as founders of Methodism, one of the most influential movements in the history of modern Christianity. Characterized by open-air and itinerant preaching, eighteenth-century Methodism was a divisive phenomenon, which attracted a torrent of printed opposition, especially from Anglican clergymen. Yet, most of these opponents have been virtually forgotten. Anti-Methodism and Theological Controversy in Eighteenth-Century England is the first large-scale examination of the theological ideas of early anti-Methodist authors. By illuminating a very different perspective on Methodism, Simon Lewis provides a fundamental reappraisal of the eighteenth-century Church of England and its doctrinal priorities. For anti-Methodist authors, attacking Wesley and Whitefield was part of a wider defence of 'true religion', which demonstrates the theological vitality of the much-derided Georgian Church. This book, therefore, places Methodism firmly in its contemporary theological context, as part of the Church of England's continuing struggle to define itself theologically.

Author : George Whitefield
Publisher : CCEL
Page : 1006 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 1992
Category : Presbyterian Church
ISBN : 9781610252188

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Selected Sermons of George Whitefield by George Whitefield Pdf

Author : Brett C. McInelly
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2014-05-15
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780191019128

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Textual Warfare and the Making of Methodism by Brett C. McInelly Pdf

Textual Warfare and the Making of Methodism argues that the eighteenth-century Methodist revival participated in and was produced by a rich textual culture that includes both pro- and anti-Methodist texts; and that Methodism be understood and approached as a rhetorical problem-as a point of contestation and debate resolved through discourse. Methodist belief and practice attracted its share of negative press, and Methodists eagerly (and publically) responded to their critics; and the controversy generated by the revival ensured that Methodism would be conditioned by textual and rhetorical processes, whether in published polemic and apologia, or in private diaries and letters as Methodists navigated the complexities of their spiritual lives and anti-Methodist efforts to undermine their faith. While it may seem obvious to conclude that a controversial movement would be shaped by controversy, Textual Warfare examines the specific ways Methodist belief, practice, and self-understanding were filtered through the anti-Methodist critique; the particular historic and cultural conditions that informed this process; and the overwhelming extent to which Methodism in the eighteenth century was mediated by texts and rhetorical exchange. The proliferation of print media and the relative freedom of the press in the eighteenth century; the extent to which society generally and Methodism specifically promoted literacy; and a cultural sensibility predisposed to open debate on matters of public interest, ensured the development of a public sphere in which individuals came together to deliberate, in conversation and in print, on a range of issues relevant to the larger community. It was within this sphere that Methodist religiosity, including the intensely private nature of spiritual conversion, became matters of civic concern on an unprecedented scale and that Methodism ultimately took its form.