Pain, Passion and Faith: Revisiting the Place of Charles Wesley in Early Methodism [Paperback]

Pain, Passion and Faith: Revisiting the Place of Charles Wesley in Early Methodismis a significant study of the 18th-century poet and preacher Charles Wesley. Wesley was an influential figure in 18th-century English culture and society; he was co-founder of the Methodist revival movement and one of the most prolific hymn-writers in the English language. His hymns depict the Christian life as characterized by a range of intense emotions, from ecstatic joy to profound suffering.

With this book, author Joanna Cruickshank examines the theme of suffering in Charles Wesley's hymns, to help us understand how early Methodist men and women made sense of the physical, emotional and spiritual pains they experienced. Cruickshank uncovers an area of significant disagreement within the Methodist leadership and illuminates Methodist culture more broadly, shedding light on early Methodist responses to contemporary social issues like charity, slavery, and capital punishment.

By opening up the largely unexplored treasury of Wesley's hymns, as well as offering edifying discussion of what is found therein,Pain, Passion, and Faithmakes for compelling reading. Books and Culture: A Christian Review

The success of Cruickshank's volume hinges on how skillfully she quotes Wesley's hymns to build her argument&.Cruickshank's main argument is convincing because of how well her quotations support what she wants to say. Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney, Univeristy of Notre Dame,Wesley and Methodist Studies