The practical and theological development of eighteenth-century Methodism.

The year 2003 marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley. Wesley did not originate the Evangelical Revival, which was transatlantic in its origins, but became the most energetic, original and pragmatic of the evangelical leaders, founding - even if it was not his intention - a world-wide Protestant Communion. This text seeks to set Wesley firmly in his historical context, analyzing his life, practice and theology. It shows that while there were many Methodisms, there was a central core of spirituality and style which had a great influence on the artisan groups of men (and women), providing stability, purpose and meaning, and enabling nobodies to become somebodies.

Methodism began as renewal movement within Anglicanism in the eighteenth century, dominated the Protestant landscape of the USA in the nineteenth, and continues to be one of the most vibrant forms of Christianity worldwide today. William J Abraham traces its history, describes its particular identity and emphases, and looks to its future prospects.

John Wesley was an eighteenth-century Anglican priest and Oxford tutor. He and George Whitefield were the primary leaders of the Evangelical Awakening which had a profound effect on the spiritual, social, and political life of both England and colonial America. Wesley gathered converts into a network of small groups for personal accountability, behavioral change, leadership training, and the transformation of their communities. Central to his system was the "class meeting," which proved to be one of the most effective tools for making disciples ever developed. This study examines the historical development, the theological foundation, and the social outcomes of John Wesley's class meeting.