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"Methodism, the most astonishing eruption in the eighteenth century history of religion, was an anomaly" (Smyth) Discuss.
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Anna Loughran Hertford "Methodism, the most astonishing eruption in the eighteenth century history of religion, was an anomaly." (Smyth) Discuss. The eighteenth century is commonly viewed by historians as a period of decline for the Anglican establishment which suffered increasing losses in its authority over local parishes and failing to respond adequately to the changing society of the early industrial age and challenges over the nature of religion and its role in the lives of individuals. In the 1740s, Samuel Wesley and his sons began to preach outside the confines of the Church, advocating a more voluntary approach to religious devotion and encouraging increased involvement of laymen in the work of the parish. Methodism was effectively born out of societies set up to integrate the church into the community, but in carrying voluntarism to its logical conclusion, argues Gilbert, such a movement would naturally come into conflict with the establishment by offering...
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