Abstract

John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, dedicated his life to his mission of revitalizing religion in the British Isles and beyond. He claimed not to be an innovator, but to be simply seeking to bring the Church back to the vigour and clarity of purpose of the early Christian era. He saw himself as a prophet, preaching against the contemporary obsession with money, consumption, and social status. However, his movement was born and developed in the vibrant market economy of eighteenth-century Britain. In fact, Wesley and his followers did not stand aside from that economy: they engaged actively with it, in many different ways. Wesley created social enterprises to meet the needs of the poor and sick; he established a highly profitable publishing company; he found a range of ways to encourage businessmen and businesswomen to become financial supporters of Methodism; and in some ways, his whole movement can be seen as a large and successful religious enterprise, competing in a religious marketplace. This chapter explores how Wesley and his associates sought to maintain the integrity of this prophetic vision, while yet working closely with the beneficiaries as well as the victims of the Industrial and Consumer Revolutions and the many social changes associated with them. It discusses, for example, both the spiritual and the economic aspects of core Methodist practices, such as running chapels and Sunday schools; some of the distinctive institutions of Methodism, including its collective model of leadership; and some of its core theological concepts. In doing so, it considers whether the Methodists went too far in accommodating the pressures of a society motivated by profit; and whether there are lessons for present-day Christians, who face the same challenges even more acutely.