The Welsh Methodist Society - The Early Societies in South-West 1737-1750

Author: Eryn M. White

ISBN: 9781786835796
Publication Date: 24 June 2020
Publisher: Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru / University of Wales Press, Cardiff
Format: Paperback, 216x138 mm, 358 pages
Language: English

Methodism has been highly influential in Wales and in the wider world. This volume helps explain its appeal and influence by exploring the background and experiences of early members in south-west Wales, and what drew them to the movement.

The following has been provided by the Publisher:
Table of Contents:

Introduction
Chapter 1: ‘No part of the Nation more inclin’d to be Religious’?: The Religious Context
Chapter 2: ‘The Young Striplings’: Leaders and Exhorters
Chapter 3: ‘The Lord’s Peculiar Dwelling Place’: The Location of the Societies
Chapter 4: ‘The Great Shepherd’s Little Flock’: The Membership of the Societies
Chapter 5: ‘Iron Sharpens Iron’: The Appeal of the Societies
Chapter 6: ‘The World, the Flesh and the Devil’: Order and Discipline
Chapter 7: ‘This Furnace of Affliction’: Trials and Tribulations
Conclusion
Appendix: List of societies
Bibliography

Author Biography:

Eryn M. White is Reader in Welsh History at Aberystwyth University. She has previously published The Welsh Bible (2007), and co-authored The Calendar of Trevecka Letters (2003).

Further Information:
• A guide to understanding some of the aspects of modern Wales which obviously differ from England and other countries, including the singing of ‘Bread of Heaven’ at international rugby matches, as the legacy of the communal hymn singing which emerged as part of the eighteenth-century revival.
• The only work in English to discuss in detail what sort of people were drawn to the early Welsh Methodist movement, in terms of social background, age and gender. This will give a broader readership access to what has been more frequently discussed through the medium of Welsh.
• The focus on the grass-roots membership – most studies of Methodism in both Wales and England have tended to concentrate on the development of the movement largely from the perspective of the leadership. Although the influence of the leaders (Daniel Rowland, Howel Harris and William Williams) will be considered, the main focus is on the members and their social and economic background.
• The focus on the internal life of the societies, which is often missing from studies of Methodism. The book includes a careful examination of the activities of the societies in an attempt to explain their appeal.