Description
Book SynopsisThe evangelical or Methodist revival had a major impact on Welsh religion, society and culture, leading to the unprecedented growth of Nonconformity by the nineteenth century, which established a very clear difference between Wales and England in religious terms. Since the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist movement did not split from the Church to form a separate denomination until 1811, it existed in its early years solely as a collection of local society meetings. By focusing on the early societies in south-west Wales, this study examines the grass roots of the eighteenth-century Methodist movement, identifying the features that led to its subsequent remarkable success. At the heart of the book lie the experiences of the men and women who were members of the societies, along with their social and economic background and the factors that attracted them to the Methodist cause.
Table of ContentsIntroduction 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
