Epworth Press – förlag

This study of John Wesley offers a detailed, critical evaluation of his complex relationship with his Mother Church. The book covers his upbringing in Epworth Rectory to his old age, when he affirmed, "In the church I will live and die, unless I am thrust out."

This biography sets Wesley and his movement against the background of his time, so that we can see the political, social and religious influences on growing Methodism. Full attention is paid to contemporary figures: not only Charles Wesley and George Whitefield but also the Moravians and others whose movements influenced Methodism, both positively and negatively. John Wesley himself emerges as a truly human figure, with many weaknesses, not least where women are concerned; and we are left to wonder that his work created a movement which has lasted for more than 250 years. This new and updated edition incorporates an expanded and revised introduction which takes account of new developments in the field, while the original bibliography and supplement of the second edition have also been updated. A new preface is included, while in the main text of the book it is indicated where new work has filled gaps in the original coverage.

For the first time in history, this timely landmark volume brings together contributions from the leading scholars working on the life and work of Charles Wesley. Published in time for the 2007 tercentenary of Charles Wesley's birth, this volume celebrates the continuing importance of Charles Wesley as one of the major figures of 18th century Christian history, one of the most prominent hymn writers of the English speaking world and one of the founders of the worldwide Methodist movement. The contributors include: Jeremy Gregory, Geoffrey Wainwright, Henry Rack, Paul Chilcote, Anna Lawrence and Susan White.

Attention is given to the way in which Methodist scholars and ministers, ranging from A.S. Peake to Leslie Weatherhead and Donald Soper to Kenneth Greet, have sought to relate questions of war and peace to broader considerations of Christian faith and practice. Chapters focus on responses within British Methodism to the Boer War and its aftermath, the First World War, the inter-war years and the rise of fascism, the Second World War, the Cold War, debates about the relationship between economic justice and conflict in the post-1945 period, and the international situation since the end of the Cold War.Looking at official Conference documents and 'grass roots' material, the author shows how Methodists, alongside other Christians, have wrestled with questions such as whether it can ever be right for Christians to take up arms or support their country in times of war? Does the state have the right to conscript its citizens to fight in times of war, and should individuals have the right to object to military service on grounds of conscience? Is it ever morally acceptable to possess weapons of mass destructions or to target civilians in times of war? Is it possible to identify new ways of promoting global economic justice in order to reduce the incidence of war and conflict (debt relief, new trading patterns, etc.)?