The Fall of 1740
In this episode, we track the work of John and Charles Wesley during the fall of 1740 as they deal with challenges from the Moravians, the Calvinists, the Church of England, and th…
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Charles Wesley in Bristol, Summer of 1740
In this episode, we follow Charles Wesley to Bristol in the summer of 1740. While John dealt with the crisis at Fetter Lane in London, Charles found renewal among the coal miners o…
The First Four Hymn Books
In this episode, we look at the first four hymn books published by John Wesley (with his brother, Charles, for three of them). These came out in 1737, 1738, 1739, and 1740. Each gi…
Farewell Fetter Lane, Hello Foundry
In this episode, we look at the founding of the Foundery Chapel and the separation of John and Charles Wesley from the Fetter Lane Society. These two nearly concurrent events shape…
Spring 1740
In this episode, we look at the early months of 1740 and how John Wesley dealt with the loss of his brother and the lingering tension at Fetter Lane. Please give us a rating and re…
The New Name of Methodism
In this episode, we look at the fall of 1739 and the different questions of ministry that John Wesley is asking and answering. This was a fecund time for Methodism with the beginni…
The Rise and Fall of the Fetter Lane Society
In this episode, we look at the founding of the Fetter Lane Society in London in 1738, and how John Wesley's leadership of Fetter Lane helped him to articulate his understanding of…
Samuel Wesley Junior
In this episode, we look at the life of the oldest brother, Samuel Wesley Junior, and how is rigor and early death made an impact on the Methodist Movement. Please give us a rating…
The Summer of '39
In this episode, we look at the pivotal summer of 1739, after the start of the Bristol Revival. After a week in London, John Wesley returns to Bristol. In both places, he begins to…
Day-to-Day Revival
In this episode, we look at what the Bristol Revival was like on the ground and what caused John Wesley to return to London. Please give us a rating and review wherever you get you…
Whitefield's Response to Free Grace
In this episode, we look at George Whitefield's response to John Wesley's sermon Free Grace, published more than a year later. It helps us to understand the differences between gro…
Free Grace
In this episode, we focus entirely upon John Wesley's sermon, Free Grace, which he preached at the end of his first month in Bristol. This sermon articulates John's distinction bet…
The Revival in Bristol
In this episode, we look the first month of John Wesley's participation in the Revival in Bristol, England, in 1739. This period is crucial for Wesley's understanding of revival. I…
Eve of Revival
In this episode, we look at the first few months of 1739 in the life of John Wesley and the choices that led him to go to Bristol at the end of March and start preaching in fields.…
Bristol
In this episode, we look at the history and geography of Bristol, England, in order to better understand the Methodist Revival that will start there in the Spring of 1739. Please g…
George Whitefield
In this episode, we look at the early life of George Whitefield in order to prepare for the revivals that will take place in 1739. Please give us a rating and review wherever you g…
Back to England (Fall 1738)
In this episode, we catch up with Charles Wesley while John was on the continent, as well as follow John through the rest of 1738 up until the momentous love feast on January 1, 17…
Jonathan Edwards
In this episode, we go back in time to look at the early life of the New England theologian, Jonathan Edwards, whose life doubled John Wesley's in many ways, save for Edwards's Cal…
Herrnhüt
In this episode, we look at John Wesley's two week visit to the home of the Moravians in Herrnhüt, in what is now Germany. We also discuss how this visit shaped the future movement…
European Interlude
In this episode, we look at John Wesley's journey from visiting his mother to visiting the Moravians at Herrnhut, in the heart of Saxony. We also look at his sermon, Salvation by F…
Revival on Hold
In this episode, we look at the days immediately after Aldersgate and the challenges John Wesley faced after his spiritual experience. Please give us a five star rating and subscri…
Aldersgate
In this episode, we focus in on the day of May 24, 1738, from start finish and read together the scriptures and prayers which John Wesley encountered before his Aldersgate Rd. expe…
The Road to Aldersgate
In this episode, we follow John Wesley during the time between his return to England in February of 1738, up to the moments before his Aldersgate conversion experience on Mary 24, …
King George II
In this episode, we give some context about the England to which John Wesley returns after his stint in Georgia, with a look at the life and reign of King George II. You can find u…
Theology in Georgia
In this episode, we look at some of the theological influences upon John Wesley during his stay in Georgia, especially the Moravians. We also include some background on the Moravia…
The Trial of John Wesley
In this episode, we continue the story of John Wesley's relationship with Sophy Hopkey beginning with her engagement to William Williamson up through John Wesley's Trial and final …
The Courtship of Sophy Hopkey
In this episode, we go in-depth into the relationship between John Wesley and Sophy Hopkey in Georgia up until he discovers her marriage to William Williamson. The relationship is …
Life in Savannah
In this episode, we arrive in Georgia and follow John to Savannah and Charles to St. Simon's Island as they begin their lives in the new world. You can find us online at www.histor…
The Voyage to Georgia
In this episode, we follow the journey of John and Charles Wesley from England to Georgia, looking at how they lived and grew and changed in the process. You can find us online at …
James Oglethorpe & the Founding of Georgia
In this episode, we look at the life of James Oglethrope, the founder of the Georgia Colony, and the events that led up to the 1735 trip the Wesleys took to Georgia. You can find u…
Opportunities in Mission
In this episode, we look at John Wesley's vocational transformation from Oxford professor to missionary to the New World. You can find us online at www.historyofmethodism.com. You …
Oxford Methodism Part 2
In this episode, we look at Oxford Methodism from the years 1732-1734 and the transformations that took place there among the students and John Wesley himself. You can find us onli…
Oxford Methodism Part 1
In this episode, we look at the history of Oxford Methodism from a scholarly perspective, honing in on the time between 1729-32. We discuss the members of the group, what they did,…
The Holy Club According to John Wesley
In this episode, we hear an account of the Holy Club from John Wesley's own words as he tells it in a letter to the father of his friend, Richard Morgan. You can find us online at …
Prelude to the Holy Club
In this episode, we look at the circumstances which brought John Wesley from his position as a curate in northern England back to Oxford and the early beginnings of the Oxford Holy…
A Not-So-Commonplace Book
In this episode, we look at the content of John Wesley's early diaries and what his life was like at Oxford and at Epworth before the Holy Club. You can find us online at www.histo…
The Oxford Diaries
In this episode, we step back from the story of Methodism to discuss the puzzle of John Wesley's diaries and how that puzzle was solved. You can find us online at www.historyofmeth…
John Wesley's Call to Ministry
In this episode, we look at John Wesley's call to ministry after he finished his undergraduate work at Oxford in 1724. That is, how he didn't take as direct a route into Holy Order…
The Wesleys Go To School
In this episode, we follow young John Wesley to Charterhouse and young Charles Wesley to Westminster before we give an overview of what Oxford University was like in the early 18th…
King George I
In this episode, we look at the reign of the first Hanover king of England, Scotland, and Ireland: George I. Who was he? Where did he come from? And what did John Wesley think of h…
Childhood in Epworth
In this episode, we take one last look at Epworth, and we have a wonderful host: Susannah Wesley. The episode mostly consists of a letter that Susanna later wrote John Wesley about…
Epworth
In this episode, we look at the town where John and Charles Wesley were born: Epworth. We cover the drainage of the swamps, the wildness of the land's character, as well as the Epw…
Samuel Wesley Part II
In this episode, we discuss two works of Samuel Wesley and how they offer John and Charles Wesley a way not to do theology. You can support us online at patreon.com/historyofmethod…
Samuel Wesley: A Letter from a Country Divine
Because of the denseness of Samuel Wesley's prose (in Latin and English), our episode on his theology has been delayed a month. For now, we have a reading of his anonymous pamphlet…
How Episode 25: Samuel Wesley Part 1
In this episode, we meet Samuel Wesley, learn about his family and various details about his life and poetry. You can support us online at patreon.com/historyofmethodism.
Susanna Wesley Part 2
In this episode, we look in depth at the theology of Susanna Wesley as exhibited through a letter to her daughter Suky. Here is the full letter for those who want to spend a little…
Susanna Wesley Part 1
In this episode, we begin our look at the parents of John and Charles Wesley, starting with their mother, Susanna. We look at her family background, as well as some of the signific…
England in 1703
In this episode, we look at the political, economic, colonial factors (among others like race and gender) of the world John Wesley was born into. You can support us online at patre…
The Quest for the Primitive Church
In this episode, we look at some of the important figures in the 17th century study of the early church and how they shaped the thought of Methodism. You can support us online at p…
German Pietism
In this episode, we go back to the continent to cover the rise of German pietism as well as a brief history of the Moravian church and what the word Moravian even means. You can su…
English Spirituality
In this episode, we discuss pastors and writers who influenced the spirtuality of England during the latter half of the 17th century.
Nonconformists and Nonjurors
In this episode, we discuss the political struggles inside and outside the Church of England during the Civil War and the reigns of Charles II and James II. Specifically with regar…
The Glorious Revolution
In this episode, we follow the brief reign of King James II of England from his coronation to his abdication in 1688 following the invasion of William of Orange. This event transfo…
The Commonwealth and the Restoration
In this episode, we continue the story right after the death of King Charles I and look at the fallout of the regicide, the rise of Oliver Cromwell, and the restoration of the Stua…
The English Civil War
In this episode, we cover the major events of the English Civil War that shaped the England out of which Methodism was born and the major figures like Oliver Cromwell and Prince Ru…
The Road to Civil War
In this episode, we look at the roots of the English Civil War or the Wars of the Three Nations. It is a complicated period that is often brushed over in American History books, bu…
Richard Hooker
In this episode, we look on the life of Richard Hooker and the influence of his great work, The Lawes of Ecclesiastical Polity, on the Church of England and on John Wesley. As ment…
John Wesley's Preface to the New Testament
In this week's episode, I read John Wesley's preface his adapted translation of the New Testament from 1755. In this text, we get a sense of how Wesley understood the Bible and his…
The King James Version
On this month's episode, we look at the background of the King James Version as well John Wesley's specific use and updating of the translation. Support on us at https://www.patreo…
Dort and its Aftermath
In this episode, we move back across the English Channel to see what happened after the death of Jacob Arminius and its effects which ripple into Wesley's time and even into our ow…
From Elizabeth to James
In this episode, we return to England to look at the succession crises after the death of King Edward VI. If you are able to support us on patreon, the website is https://www.patre…
What is an Arminian?
This episode contains a reading of John Wesley's pamphlet, "What is an Arminian?" in order to help us better understand his views of Arminius and the heart of the Calvinist/ Armini…
Jacob Arminius
In this episode, we briefly look at the life and theology of Jacob Arminius in order to get a better sense about how Arminius influenced Wesley. The religious conflicts of Arminius…
Early Reformed Thought
This episode looks at the thought of John Calvin and his heir Theodore Beza and the two most important Reformed documents of the 16th century: the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belg…
A Counter to the Reformation
On today's episode we see how Rome responds to the Protestant Reformation and look at some of the complex ways that John Wesley responded to Catholics in his own day.
Cranmer's Legacy
We shift away from history writ large to the history of a single person, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and his textual legacy in the Book of Common Prayer and the Homil…
The Spread of Reform
We move on from Luther to some of the other early Reformers before making our first beachhead in the homeland of the Wesley brothers: England.
Martin Luther
We begin the story of Methodism with Martin Luther's break with Rome and the number of points of consonance which connect Luther and the Wesley brothers.
What is in a name?
The very first episode (a long teaser, of sorts) which includes a brief story about the history of the name, Methodist, about the host, and about why I'm making a podcast about suc…