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American Saint: Francis Asbury and the Methodists
English-born Francis Asbury was one of the most important religious leaders in American history. Asbury single-handedly guided the creation of the American Methodist church, which became the largest Protestant denomination in nineteenth-century America, and laid the foundation of the Holiness and Pentecostal movements that flourish today. John Wigger has written the definitive biography of Asbury and, by extension, a revealing interpretation of the early years of the Methodist movement in America. Asbury emerges here as not merely an influential religious leader, but a fascinating character, who lived an extraordinary life. His cultural sensitivity was matched only by his ability to organize. His life of prayer and voluntary poverty were legendary, as was his generosity to the poor. He had a remarkable ability to connect with ordinary people, and he met with thousands of them as he crisscrossed the nation, riding more than one hundred and thirty thousand miles between his arrival
in America in 1771 and his death in 1816. Indeed Wigger notes that Asbury was more recognized face-to-face than any other American of his day, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
in America in 1771 and his death in 1816. Indeed Wigger notes that Asbury was more recognized face-to-face than any other American of his day, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 31, 2024
Although at times dense, this was a really well written history of Francis Asbury and the American Methodist movement. I have affection for Methodism as that was the first church I joined and served in as a new believer and the area I grew up in has many historic Methodist churches (my wife also lived on Asbury Road). Asbury was a remarkable man. He rode approximately 270,000 miles on horseback up and down the country, organized hundreds of young Ciruit Riders, and literally gave his all in service of the King. He never married and never gained wealth for himself. Some of my favorite details of his life were that John Wesley sent him to America because he was “dependable but expendable” (literally what the minutes say). “He had proven that he had the toughness and resourcefulness… but wasn’t important enough to warrant keeping in England.” Likewise, he was not the greatest preacher or orator. Instead, his “legacy is not in books and sermons, but in the thousands of preachers whose careers he shaped one conversation at a time, and in the tens of thousands of ordinary believers who saw him up close and took him as their guide.” What a testimony to the wisdom of God—who is pleased to use weak men to accomplish great things.
P.S.—“Against a dead orthodoxy, Pietism and Methodism, with their conventicles and revivals, always have a right to exist.” Herman Bavinck
P.S.—“Against a dead orthodoxy, Pietism and Methodism, with their conventicles and revivals, always have a right to exist.” Herman Bavinck
April 19, 2020
This book is about a forgotten hero who shaped much of the early religious landscape of Christianity in the US and is an incredible example of the power of godly organizational leadership. Though it felt a bit long at times, the author is well researched and I imagine communicates Asbury’s life in the way he himself would want it to be communicated. I recommend for anybody who has a strong interest in denominational history or currently identifies as a Methodist themselves. Organizational leaders can learn from Asbury’s example too, though it may be a bit long/academic for most casual readers. I read this for a class and enjoyed it but probably wouldn’t have taken the time otherwise.
September 29, 2021
Well written biography that left me respecting Asbury in a new way.
March 21, 2017
Was a bit of a slog in places but I finally finished. heard the author speak at Barratt's Chapel this past fall. as a Methodist who used to be a Congregationalist, it was fascinating to read that the challenges that faced Asbury with itinerancy and pastor appointments continues. it is my primary dislike of the UM church. but the rest was an encouragement of a man who put God first and worked to bring the church to the people. I'm currently teaching confirmation class and so found this book helpful in teaching the historical foundations of why Methodism functions the way it still does today.
August 9, 2020
I taught a church class once where I talked about Arminius and explained what he believed. But Arminius was not the greatest Arminian of them all, that would have been John Wesley, the founder of the Methodists. But Wesley was not the greatest Methodist of all time (he after all never left the Anglican church). The greatest Methodist, at least the greatest American Methodist, was Francis Asbury.
Born in England in 1745 he came to American in the early 1770s as a Methodist circuit riding preacher, a role he continued until his death in 1816. This book is his story, and the story of early American Methodism. Asbury never married. He never really owned anything. He never had any money to speak of. He was never really that healthy either. What he did have was a mission to preach the gospel and see it preached. He was one of the first two Methodist Bishops in the US. His role, his genius, was matching preachers to the various circuits. In some ways he sounds like the manager of a fast food restaurant who has to constantly deal with changing employees, some new, some old, some who are selective about showing up. He kept that job, despite various challenges along the way, pretty much his entire life. When he finally passed away, the Methodist church changed the process because no one could do it the way Asbury did.
At times the book gets bogged down in the names of preachers and their routes. The graphic description of some of Asbury's health issues and the medical "treatments" he endured is not for the squeamish. The book doesn't go into a lot of doctrine or teaching either. Don't go here looking to understand a lot about what the Methodists of that era believed. There is some of that, but this is not a book of theology.
In the end I can't help but admire the man for the way he stuck to his mission.
Born in England in 1745 he came to American in the early 1770s as a Methodist circuit riding preacher, a role he continued until his death in 1816. This book is his story, and the story of early American Methodism. Asbury never married. He never really owned anything. He never had any money to speak of. He was never really that healthy either. What he did have was a mission to preach the gospel and see it preached. He was one of the first two Methodist Bishops in the US. His role, his genius, was matching preachers to the various circuits. In some ways he sounds like the manager of a fast food restaurant who has to constantly deal with changing employees, some new, some old, some who are selective about showing up. He kept that job, despite various challenges along the way, pretty much his entire life. When he finally passed away, the Methodist church changed the process because no one could do it the way Asbury did.
At times the book gets bogged down in the names of preachers and their routes. The graphic description of some of Asbury's health issues and the medical "treatments" he endured is not for the squeamish. The book doesn't go into a lot of doctrine or teaching either. Don't go here looking to understand a lot about what the Methodists of that era believed. There is some of that, but this is not a book of theology.
In the end I can't help but admire the man for the way he stuck to his mission.
May 31, 2025
I really enjoyed this thorough biography of Asbury. A few decades back I'd read a much briefer biography which leant itself towards more hagiography. Wigger's work gets into the nitty gritty of the early days of Methodism - as well as Asbury's struggles.
I discovered how Methodism in its early days carved out it's own niche in the practice of the faith. A niche we've sadly abandoned. For instance, there was this one nugget. John Wesley's Salvation Plan: Prevenient Grace, Saving Grace, and Sanctifying Grace - meant that he felt he was "working out" his salvation every day. Now of course that runs into a bit of a problem in that some orthodoxies would argue that we are saved by grace alone. Wigger even had two conflicting statements on this from Paul, Philippians 2: 12-13 "working out your salvation with fear and trembling". So that's a scriptural mandate. The issue here is that the early Methodists with their class and band meetings were engaged in a much deeper practice of the faith than those who attend crusades in stadiums.
It gave me a great deal to think about. As I move into retirement from the institutional church I wonder if I can't do more for Methodism by promoting this in my day to day life once I've left the parish.
As an addition to this I thought that our whole free will approach (early methodism) is another aspect of faith which has been lost. So, I began to wonder if there wasn't a similar modern biography of one of the early Methodists -- specifically John Fletcher who was supposed to be John Wesley's successor and quite the theological heavy weight. He died before J. Wesley so that never happened. Surprise, surprise - there is
Reluctant Saint?: A Theological Biography of Fletcher of Madeley Paperback – April 1, 2001.
Well, I ordered it and that will be my next theological adventure.
by Patrick Streiff
I discovered how Methodism in its early days carved out it's own niche in the practice of the faith. A niche we've sadly abandoned. For instance, there was this one nugget. John Wesley's Salvation Plan: Prevenient Grace, Saving Grace, and Sanctifying Grace - meant that he felt he was "working out" his salvation every day. Now of course that runs into a bit of a problem in that some orthodoxies would argue that we are saved by grace alone. Wigger even had two conflicting statements on this from Paul, Philippians 2: 12-13 "working out your salvation with fear and trembling". So that's a scriptural mandate. The issue here is that the early Methodists with their class and band meetings were engaged in a much deeper practice of the faith than those who attend crusades in stadiums.
It gave me a great deal to think about. As I move into retirement from the institutional church I wonder if I can't do more for Methodism by promoting this in my day to day life once I've left the parish.
As an addition to this I thought that our whole free will approach (early methodism) is another aspect of faith which has been lost. So, I began to wonder if there wasn't a similar modern biography of one of the early Methodists -- specifically John Fletcher who was supposed to be John Wesley's successor and quite the theological heavy weight. He died before J. Wesley so that never happened. Surprise, surprise - there is
Reluctant Saint?: A Theological Biography of Fletcher of Madeley Paperback – April 1, 2001.
Well, I ordered it and that will be my next theological adventure.
by Patrick Streiff
June 27, 2023
This book is a thorough biography of both Francis Asbury and the early American Methodist, as Wigger is right to assess that they are both hopefully and hopelessly intertwined. I walk away from this read feeling as if I have had a comprehensive exposure to the many issues and realities facing the birth of the North American branch of the Wesleyan tree. Wigger's account of Asbury is sympathetic without being hagiography. We see a man who is pushed to the limits of his convictions in a way that is both admirable, but at times from the vantage point of history, absurdly intractable. As someone who has been active in a North American Methodist tradition for nearly two decades, it is curious to see that while some of the 'presenting issues' have changed some of the initial tensions of the movement remain: rural and urban divide, episcopacy versus more democratic governance structures, separation from versus engagement with the world, etc. I also appreciated Wigger's insertion of historiography on Asbury and the Methodist movement as it is always telling how interpretations vary with time. Ultimately I conclude with Wigger that given all that early Methodism had to contend with, the fact that the movement held fast through it's infancy without serious fracture is a testimony to the work of this man and we of Wesleyan faith in North America today owe much to the way this man helped lay the cornerstone of the work in this place in the world.
September 25, 2023
Enlightening read on a great man’s divine mission.
This was an incredibly eye opening journey through the life of a man I knew nothing about except from history markers at camp meetings. To read about his humble beginnings, conversion under Methodist preaching, and then a life devoted to an apostolic church of itinerants in America - it was wonderful. As a minister myself I see the challenges he faced in the church today and we can learn from his leadership successes and his mistakes. Well worth the read.
This was an incredibly eye opening journey through the life of a man I knew nothing about except from history markers at camp meetings. To read about his humble beginnings, conversion under Methodist preaching, and then a life devoted to an apostolic church of itinerants in America - it was wonderful. As a minister myself I see the challenges he faced in the church today and we can learn from his leadership successes and his mistakes. Well worth the read.
December 25, 2023
Really appreciated this book. Sweeping history of early Methodism through the prism of one critical, foundational leader. Wigger is particularly good on the development of American Methodism, as distinct from British, the struggles over authority and democracy, and the struggles involved in developing an itinerant system.
October 10, 2023
We have forgotten Francis Asbury and what he did for American Methodism. The book does not give the picture of a perfect man but one who was imperfect. Asbury sought to do the Lord’s work and he formed the American Methodist Church.
March 12, 2024
Great History Of Methodism
This is a great book packed with rich history of the Methodist movement and its impact in America. Really enjoyed it.
This is a great book packed with rich history of the Methodist movement and its impact in America. Really enjoyed it.
November 27, 2024
Incredibly insightful overview of Francis Asbury’s life - worth the read
January 16, 2025
If you haven't read about Francis Asbury, you are missing THE essential history of Methodism..
January 27, 2013
Not long ago, a Methodist pastor friend suggested I check out this bio. by John Wigger. Having now finished it, I consider this the best Christian biography I’ve read since Geroge Marsden's Jonathan Edwards.
Wigger’s American Saint tells the story of early American Methodism with an amazing level of clarity and insight. We learn just how difficult it was to be a circuit rider in those days, especially if one was named Francis Asbury. Obstacles involving personal illness, political challenges, physical safety, uneven roads, and prickly personalities are all detailed here. Methodist stories of personal conversion (including those of minorities), faithful colleagues, vast numerical growth, and personal integrity, piety, and perseverance are described thoroughly as well. In the end, though he is not discussed much today, one cannot help but conclude that Francis Asbury’s efforts paid great dividends.
Dr. Wigger should be thanked for making Francis Asbury a real figure who’s more than just the namesake for a statue in DC or a college in Kentucky. His text shows readers that Asbury, though not perfect, was an individual who personified the standard set forth in Philippians 1:27. I found Wigger’s use of original sources, especially letters and official denominational records, particularly helpful in understanding how Asbury and colleagues responded to a plethora of situations that led to the establishment of the American Methodist church. It is my hope that this work will be read and examined for generations to come.
Wigger’s American Saint tells the story of early American Methodism with an amazing level of clarity and insight. We learn just how difficult it was to be a circuit rider in those days, especially if one was named Francis Asbury. Obstacles involving personal illness, political challenges, physical safety, uneven roads, and prickly personalities are all detailed here. Methodist stories of personal conversion (including those of minorities), faithful colleagues, vast numerical growth, and personal integrity, piety, and perseverance are described thoroughly as well. In the end, though he is not discussed much today, one cannot help but conclude that Francis Asbury’s efforts paid great dividends.
Dr. Wigger should be thanked for making Francis Asbury a real figure who’s more than just the namesake for a statue in DC or a college in Kentucky. His text shows readers that Asbury, though not perfect, was an individual who personified the standard set forth in Philippians 1:27. I found Wigger’s use of original sources, especially letters and official denominational records, particularly helpful in understanding how Asbury and colleagues responded to a plethora of situations that led to the establishment of the American Methodist church. It is my hope that this work will be read and examined for generations to come.
December 20, 2012
A great overview of the life and thought of Francis Asbury, the founder of American Methodism. I have now come to admire him in an entirely new way with his some of his strengths as well as flaws that I felt the author, John Wigger, did a nice job portraying his life. As a young man, he grew up in a dysfunctional home with an overbearing Mother and most likely alcoholic father. After his conversion he became a circuit-riding preacher--there was nothing really remarkable about him. When Wesley appealed for missionaries to America Asbury was two of the five who volunteered and then chosen. Asbury had both potential but at the same time was dispensable. In the end, he was just what America needed for Methodism to thrive--he took Methodism to the common person and spent his life traveling, preaching, and ultimately by the time of the American Revolution (when Wesley recalled the other British born Methodist preachers) the de facto head of American Methodism. Despite some incredible challenges (most notably the perennially thorny question of ordination and then also the scourge of slavery) he managed to oversee Methodism so that by the time of his death it was the largest religious movement in America and continued to remain in that elevated status for most of the 19th-century. Anyone who wants to understand the spirit of Methodism will do well to begin by reading about its founder, Francis Asbury.
June 18, 2016
Well researched and thoughtfully written, Wigger has given us a beautiful biography of Francis Asbury. The story of the early years of American Methodism has given me a greater appreciation for how the Methodist church functions in the present, particularly in regard to the work of the bishops. Beyond this, there is the figure of Asbury, a man tirelessly devoted to his cause and unswayed by diversions that sidelined so many of his contemporaries. Asbury's integrity is a key component in the story of Christianity in the early United States. If you're thinking of reading a biography of Asbury, choose this one!
January 4, 2016
Interested because my daughter is going to Asbury University next year. Just got finished reading Hamilton by Ron Chernow, so this was an interesting bio about someone building a different sort of career and reputation at about the same time. Scholarly and well-done.
August 3, 2011
Well done! Church History "geeks" will love this book. I really learned alot about asbury and the early Methodist movement.
May 25, 2016
It gave me an new found respect for Francis Asbury. I'm not naturally a big lover of historic accounts, so this was a great surprise. Would highly recommend!
August 15, 2010
One of the better biographies I've read in awhile. Entertaining as well as informative.
August 19, 2012
Excellent scholarship and a very compelling story.
Read
December 7, 2017An excellent account. Wigger interweaves the life of Asbury and the influence of the Methodism into a compelling account that shaped the American Christian heritage, thus leaving an influential impact that can not be missed in retrospect.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews