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John Wesley : A Brand from the Burning
8vo. A good copy, virtually as new with minor creasing to top of dw and slight soiling to fore edge. Immediate delivery from the UK.
468 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2002
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Roy Hattersley
51 books13 followersRoy Sydney George Hattersley, British Politian and author.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 8, 2021
Ouch! I'm a Methodist Minister, so I have a bit of skin in the game so to speak! Hattersley really doesn't hold back and portrays Wesley in an unrelentingly negative light. Undoubtedly Wesley had his flaws, I concur with another reviewer who says they weren't sure whether they would have wanted to hang out with him!!
But there are no concessions here to Wesley being a man of his time, or the incredible pressures that he had to deal with; no acknowledgement of Wesley’s integrity in being true to the church he was ordained in whilst finding a way forward for the people called Methodist. The book only hints at the parlous state of the established church and the radical way in which Wesley determined to take the Gospel to those the church neglected. Yes, Wesley was human, he was intense, could be dogmatic, may well have been 'on the spectrum', but had he been a saint, Hattersley would have found fault with that!
As I neared the end of the book I was longing for a 'but' moment! But there wasn't one! However, Hattersley was good enough to write, "Had John Wesley done no more than found the Methodist Church, he would have deserved a place in the pantheon of great Englishmen." And, "...Wesley was one of the architects of modern England." Given the negative assessment of the previous 410 pages these 2 sentences came as quite a surprise.
Hymnody gets only one mention in a footnote. Finally one might have expected from a former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party a warmer endorsement of Wesley’s commitment to the working people of industrial England.
But there are no concessions here to Wesley being a man of his time, or the incredible pressures that he had to deal with; no acknowledgement of Wesley’s integrity in being true to the church he was ordained in whilst finding a way forward for the people called Methodist. The book only hints at the parlous state of the established church and the radical way in which Wesley determined to take the Gospel to those the church neglected. Yes, Wesley was human, he was intense, could be dogmatic, may well have been 'on the spectrum', but had he been a saint, Hattersley would have found fault with that!
As I neared the end of the book I was longing for a 'but' moment! But there wasn't one! However, Hattersley was good enough to write, "Had John Wesley done no more than found the Methodist Church, he would have deserved a place in the pantheon of great Englishmen." And, "...Wesley was one of the architects of modern England." Given the negative assessment of the previous 410 pages these 2 sentences came as quite a surprise.
Hymnody gets only one mention in a footnote. Finally one might have expected from a former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party a warmer endorsement of Wesley’s commitment to the working people of industrial England.
June 6, 2020
Admittedly, this biography describes a warts-and-all John Wesley. However, if you want to explore more of Wesley's motivations for mission - this is not recommended. This biographical description delves rather deeply - and in a convoluted way - into the machinations of the early birth of the Methodist Connexion. It is complete with all of Wesley' famous rants and ravings regarding doctrinal purity (frequently vaccillating in thought throughout his lifetime) and his feverish rumination around separation from the Church of England.
March 5, 2023
My father was an ordained Methodist minister, with a career as an administrator for the national church in the US. He said he didn't want to preach because he didn't want to tell other people how to live their lives. He was an intellectual who was Phi Beta Kappa at Duke, had two doctorates one from a scholarship to study at the University of Marburg in Germany. He was a Biblical scholar who knew Latin, Greek, Hebrew and German.
He died when I was 21, far too young to question or have meaningful intellectual interaction with a parent 52 years older who was held in awe. To top it off he never would voluntarily talk about himself. In my later life I have been intrigued by his situation: a man of the 20th century fully accepting of science yet born in the 19th century and obedient to the mythology of religion.
I read this book eager to find out about the foundation of Methodism and the philosophy in order to provide insight into the life my father lived. I was not disappointed. Roy Hattersley stands back from any reverence to look at the man who made the church.
At a time in England (18th century) when there was a variety of belief against the background of the protestant Church of England, John Wesley had the view, in keeping with Martin Luther's, that salvation was obtained solely through faith in God through Jesus. He was opposed to the Calvinist belief in predestination - that God decides about the salvation of each individual completely apart from what that individual does in life. For Wesley, one needed to live a moral life devoted to the community, believing in free will allowing a person to make the decision to seek salvation and find it through effort, even if after a life of sin. Seek and ye shall find.
Early in life he traveled to the New World, to Georgia, where he tried for a short time to convert the Indians, with little success. Escaping back to England he began the itinerant preaching that continued for the rest of his long life of 86 years. Holding open air services that found him at times in Ireland and Scotland, an audience of 2 or 3 thousand was not unusual nor were multiple sermons given in a single day. A vegetarian who spent most of each day outside and usually in the saddle, he enjoyed good health.
Admittedly attracted to women, he kept his relationships with them platonic, joining with one woman in an unhappy marriage from which he was delivered by her death ten years later. His brother, Charles, was equally enthusiastic about Methodism, but felt free to disagree with John over the theology while they retained fraternal affection for life.
Methodism began as communities united in what was called the connexion (not sp) and there was always the issue of whether to separate or remain within the Anglican Church. John Wesley to his dying day refused to countenance a separation. Though it will seem strange to modern readers, the principle issue was the frequency of communion. The Church gave this ritual sharing of the body of Christ infrequently while Wesley and his followers wanted it done often. Then there was the issue of who could give the sacraments (marriage is a sacrament). The Church insisted it be done only by ordained clergy and Wesley would not allow ordination apart from the Church.
Above all, John Wesley demanded control of the movement he had started. He kept a tight watch on the communities in his travels. He appealed primarily to the working men of England and Ireland. The enclosure of public spaces made into private property kept the public in turmoil with many forced off the land and into the cities. Mob violence on occasion would cause Wesley problems including a short captivity. It was not uncommon for him to be the target of thrown produce and sometimes of rocks. Not surprisingly, he did not have a fondness for wealth though he did not deny that even the wealthy could be saved if they allowed Jesus into their hearts.
Methodism came to represent protestants who cherished community, who wished to model their lives on that of Jesus, who highly regarded being respectable and responsible, who felt a duty to the poor and to the financial support of the church while avoiding any profligacy or ostentation, who wanted each individual to support the moral strength of his co-religionists and believed so completely in the possibility of salvation that death would be greeted with, if not joy, then indifference. Underlying it all was a belief that Jesus was a personal savior. Even in the 1700's the phrase "born again" was well known.
And so it was with my father, though he faced along with my mother an unexpected challenge in the death of my brother at age 11 (polio) and WW2 during which he was a conscientious objector whose qualifying essay I greatly regret was not saved.
Though I am here because of my brother's death in 1949, my parents wanting to try again, his demise shattered both of their lives. This came after WW2 challenged my father's cherished memories of living and bicycling in 1928 Germany, staying overnight in private homes and coming to love the German people, speaking to them in their native tongue. Though he never spoke about himself, I have no doubt that the horrors of Nazism and the genuine popularity of Hitler in the land of Martin Luther undermined my father's belief in good people working for the betterment of all. Both of these events would cause anyone to question a religion positing a loving God.
This book confirmed my observation that my father was a true Christian and a devoted Methodist who would have comfortably conversed with John Wesley were a time machine available. But at the same time it also confirmed my feeling that his life of complete devotion and dedication, put to the test by tragedy, ended in tragedy.
Within a few months of his death, alone with me in a car, he broke into tears, something I had never seen before, and told me that he could not believe he would not be reunited with my brother in heaven. This was far from the confidence of salvation that Methodism held out. The conflict between his intelligence and his faith was won by his intelligence at the end.
Though I had been an obedient son attending church and becoming confirmed in Methodism, religion never held the slightest appeal and I am an atheist without regret. Religion seemed completely removed from reality. I loved my father as the gentle man he was and regret he faced so much sorrow that he folded inside himself. Yet I can't but feel that he was deceived by a faith that while sustaining him through tragedy, let him down in the end. Methodism peaked in the United States at the time of his death and has been steadily declining in the decades since. At least he was spared that knowledge.
One brief excerpt from the book, quoting Jesus, spoke to me about Dad. Jesus said - If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
He died when I was 21, far too young to question or have meaningful intellectual interaction with a parent 52 years older who was held in awe. To top it off he never would voluntarily talk about himself. In my later life I have been intrigued by his situation: a man of the 20th century fully accepting of science yet born in the 19th century and obedient to the mythology of religion.
I read this book eager to find out about the foundation of Methodism and the philosophy in order to provide insight into the life my father lived. I was not disappointed. Roy Hattersley stands back from any reverence to look at the man who made the church.
At a time in England (18th century) when there was a variety of belief against the background of the protestant Church of England, John Wesley had the view, in keeping with Martin Luther's, that salvation was obtained solely through faith in God through Jesus. He was opposed to the Calvinist belief in predestination - that God decides about the salvation of each individual completely apart from what that individual does in life. For Wesley, one needed to live a moral life devoted to the community, believing in free will allowing a person to make the decision to seek salvation and find it through effort, even if after a life of sin. Seek and ye shall find.
Early in life he traveled to the New World, to Georgia, where he tried for a short time to convert the Indians, with little success. Escaping back to England he began the itinerant preaching that continued for the rest of his long life of 86 years. Holding open air services that found him at times in Ireland and Scotland, an audience of 2 or 3 thousand was not unusual nor were multiple sermons given in a single day. A vegetarian who spent most of each day outside and usually in the saddle, he enjoyed good health.
Admittedly attracted to women, he kept his relationships with them platonic, joining with one woman in an unhappy marriage from which he was delivered by her death ten years later. His brother, Charles, was equally enthusiastic about Methodism, but felt free to disagree with John over the theology while they retained fraternal affection for life.
Methodism began as communities united in what was called the connexion (not sp) and there was always the issue of whether to separate or remain within the Anglican Church. John Wesley to his dying day refused to countenance a separation. Though it will seem strange to modern readers, the principle issue was the frequency of communion. The Church gave this ritual sharing of the body of Christ infrequently while Wesley and his followers wanted it done often. Then there was the issue of who could give the sacraments (marriage is a sacrament). The Church insisted it be done only by ordained clergy and Wesley would not allow ordination apart from the Church.
Above all, John Wesley demanded control of the movement he had started. He kept a tight watch on the communities in his travels. He appealed primarily to the working men of England and Ireland. The enclosure of public spaces made into private property kept the public in turmoil with many forced off the land and into the cities. Mob violence on occasion would cause Wesley problems including a short captivity. It was not uncommon for him to be the target of thrown produce and sometimes of rocks. Not surprisingly, he did not have a fondness for wealth though he did not deny that even the wealthy could be saved if they allowed Jesus into their hearts.
Methodism came to represent protestants who cherished community, who wished to model their lives on that of Jesus, who highly regarded being respectable and responsible, who felt a duty to the poor and to the financial support of the church while avoiding any profligacy or ostentation, who wanted each individual to support the moral strength of his co-religionists and believed so completely in the possibility of salvation that death would be greeted with, if not joy, then indifference. Underlying it all was a belief that Jesus was a personal savior. Even in the 1700's the phrase "born again" was well known.
And so it was with my father, though he faced along with my mother an unexpected challenge in the death of my brother at age 11 (polio) and WW2 during which he was a conscientious objector whose qualifying essay I greatly regret was not saved.
Though I am here because of my brother's death in 1949, my parents wanting to try again, his demise shattered both of their lives. This came after WW2 challenged my father's cherished memories of living and bicycling in 1928 Germany, staying overnight in private homes and coming to love the German people, speaking to them in their native tongue. Though he never spoke about himself, I have no doubt that the horrors of Nazism and the genuine popularity of Hitler in the land of Martin Luther undermined my father's belief in good people working for the betterment of all. Both of these events would cause anyone to question a religion positing a loving God.
This book confirmed my observation that my father was a true Christian and a devoted Methodist who would have comfortably conversed with John Wesley were a time machine available. But at the same time it also confirmed my feeling that his life of complete devotion and dedication, put to the test by tragedy, ended in tragedy.
Within a few months of his death, alone with me in a car, he broke into tears, something I had never seen before, and told me that he could not believe he would not be reunited with my brother in heaven. This was far from the confidence of salvation that Methodism held out. The conflict between his intelligence and his faith was won by his intelligence at the end.
Though I had been an obedient son attending church and becoming confirmed in Methodism, religion never held the slightest appeal and I am an atheist without regret. Religion seemed completely removed from reality. I loved my father as the gentle man he was and regret he faced so much sorrow that he folded inside himself. Yet I can't but feel that he was deceived by a faith that while sustaining him through tragedy, let him down in the end. Methodism peaked in the United States at the time of his death and has been steadily declining in the decades since. At least he was spared that knowledge.
One brief excerpt from the book, quoting Jesus, spoke to me about Dad. Jesus said - If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Read
June 11, 2015Y'all. Oh, y'all.
If your eyes glaze over at the mere mention of words like antinomianism, then this isn't the book for you. While the book does trace the life of John Wesley, it also goes in depth into the history of Methodism which kinda makes sense because Wesley and Methodism are so completely intertwined.
I asked the lady at Epworth about this book, and she hesitated. I think she thought I was looking for a "Wesley is the bestest!" sort of autobiography, but I wanted something down the middle. If anything, I think Hattersley was more critical than kind. Of course, Wesley wasn't a saint, and he wasn't touchy feely. Perhaps, the most difficult aspect of this book for any Methodist is that Wesley is incredibly mortal, often making mistakes and often shifting his theological beliefs. I have a feeling this is a pretty solid portrayal of the man behind the myth.
Next step, a history of Methodism AFTER Wesley...
If your eyes glaze over at the mere mention of words like antinomianism, then this isn't the book for you. While the book does trace the life of John Wesley, it also goes in depth into the history of Methodism which kinda makes sense because Wesley and Methodism are so completely intertwined.
I asked the lady at Epworth about this book, and she hesitated. I think she thought I was looking for a "Wesley is the bestest!" sort of autobiography, but I wanted something down the middle. If anything, I think Hattersley was more critical than kind. Of course, Wesley wasn't a saint, and he wasn't touchy feely. Perhaps, the most difficult aspect of this book for any Methodist is that Wesley is incredibly mortal, often making mistakes and often shifting his theological beliefs. I have a feeling this is a pretty solid portrayal of the man behind the myth.
Next step, a history of Methodism AFTER Wesley...
April 26, 2017
A very thorough, perhaps too exhaustive account of John Wesley's life. It has a more negative slant than Wesley deserves, in all probability, but for that reason it can be a useful corrective to other, hagiographical biographies of Wesley.
This book is full of important and telling details, and I read the whole thing, even after I had finished my research for an article, which is an indication of how readable it is, albeit in a fairly high-brow way. However, sometimes Hattersley didn't seem to to have a good enough understanding of reformed Christianity, pointing to things in Wesley's belief that seem extraordinary to him, but are really quite normal. (Unfortunately I can't remember any specific examples, but I remember noticing this a few times.)
A readable, in-depth examination of one very influential man's life, belief and psychology, that also gives a clear picture of the times in which he lived.
This book is full of important and telling details, and I read the whole thing, even after I had finished my research for an article, which is an indication of how readable it is, albeit in a fairly high-brow way. However, sometimes Hattersley didn't seem to to have a good enough understanding of reformed Christianity, pointing to things in Wesley's belief that seem extraordinary to him, but are really quite normal. (Unfortunately I can't remember any specific examples, but I remember noticing this a few times.)
A readable, in-depth examination of one very influential man's life, belief and psychology, that also gives a clear picture of the times in which he lived.
January 7, 2019
It is surprising that Hattersley, a British Labour Party politician, spends so much time on the fairly arcane details of the theological disputes that Wesley had with his opponents. This makes the book something of a hard slog at times.
Wesley comes across as a driven man with boundless energy, walking or riding from place to place, and preaching three or four times a day into his 80s. He was surprisingly inconsistent in the details of his beliefs, but firm in the bedrock of 'faith alone'.
Interesting were Wesley's autocratic approach to controlling the network of societies he formed, but also the role of the American War of Independence in pushing Methodism over the edge into eventual separation from the Church of England,, against his wishes. He always wanted to stay an Anglican.
Wesley comes across as a driven man with boundless energy, walking or riding from place to place, and preaching three or four times a day into his 80s. He was surprisingly inconsistent in the details of his beliefs, but firm in the bedrock of 'faith alone'.
Interesting were Wesley's autocratic approach to controlling the network of societies he formed, but also the role of the American War of Independence in pushing Methodism over the edge into eventual separation from the Church of England,, against his wishes. He always wanted to stay an Anglican.
February 5, 2020
Solid, if stodgily written, account of the man who co-founded the Methodist church and, through that, was an important shaping influence on Victorian Britain. A towering figure though not, by the sound of it, a very easy or pleasant person to work with or know. And, to a secular modern reader, however sympathetic, it's weakened by concentrating heavily on Church politics and doctrinal disputes (as it must). For many pages it felt as though the main players were disputing whether B+A is the same as A+B and arguing, when the answers turned out the same, that they were in fact subtly different and incompatible.
May 12, 2018
A thorough and intriguing biography that paints a wonderful picture of a remarkable man. All his adult life, Wesley walked a tightrope between creating a new church, which he vowed not to do, and remaining loyal to the Church of England which ordained him.
March 8, 2019
A serious biography of John Wesley the founder of Methodism. Heavy going at times this volume is a realistic assessment of the man who lead a religious revival with autocracy and piety believing he was at all times led by God.
March 10, 2018
Thorough!
May 22, 2018
Thorough, well-documented. Doesn't shrink from criticism of Wesley when needed (inconsistency, weakness for women, imprecision) but well-rendered life of an astonishing man.
August 9, 2020
An interesting, complex and flawed life.
July 19, 2025
Have had this biography on my shelf for years and was only put off by its heft, but I shouldn't have been as it was a comparatively easy read. It is certainly not a hagiography, pointing out Wesley's many flaws, not least his poor judgement when it came to women (I remember this was the aspect that got most coverage when the book first came out), but also his autocracy and vacillation with regard to actions that effectively made for separation from the established church. He also criticises his reasoning on some theological matters, not least "perfection" and whilst some of that is warranted, and was criticised by his contemporary opponents, I suspect that Hattersley is judging his train of thought and use of language against modern standards rather than in the context of debate to that date. This excepted it is probably this Wesleyan preacher's favourite biography of the the founder of our movement, not least because he briefly traces the subsequent development of 19th century Methodism, with its divisions and social conservatism directly to the contradictions within Wesley himself, something that many other biographies and histories of early Methodism gloss over.
February 25, 2012
Not your average Wesley biography. Hattersley gives a view of Wesley that doesn't have the Methodist apologist's slant. My favorite quote (paraphrasing): Wesley's theology was whatever book he had just read. An in-depth and revealing portrait of this great person in the history of the church and English history as well.
February 7, 2015
Over all I enjoyed learning more about John Wesley. He is an interesting character even if I am not sure I would have wanted to hang out with him. The book was more thematic then chronological so occasionally things were reintroduced and felt repetitive. But over all good.
October 10, 2015
This book is an in-depth look at John Wesley that informs as to Wesley's positive attributes, but does not skirt around Wesley's flaws. It provides a thorough picture of the development of the Methodist movement.
September 10, 2015
Hattersley seeks to take a bit of the shine off of Wesley's reputation with this biography. He succeeds to some extent in this but nothing can truly tarnish the reputation of the founder of Methodism.
February 11, 2012
Good and fair biography of a towering figure.
I hope every Methodist reads this book.
I hope every Methodist reads this book.
Want to read
May 11, 2016Started - made it to page 51. Gonna save this for Lent next year to finish.
December 7, 2017
This is a very interesting book but not an easy read.it has a lot to say about how Methodism started and how it went on to change the following era.
Read
April 1, 2019Hard to rate this one. It is one of the least flattering bios I've ever read - second only to Issacson's bio on Steve Jobs. Therefore, it left me wondering about the author's partiality.
I do feel like I learned a lot about the man and the era, and the book is obviously well researched. Just left me with a few big questions. Namely, Wesley, with obvious flaws, began a worldwide protestant denomination within a society exhibiting spiritual amnesia. How?
I do feel like I learned a lot about the man and the era, and the book is obviously well researched. Just left me with a few big questions. Namely, Wesley, with obvious flaws, began a worldwide protestant denomination within a society exhibiting spiritual amnesia. How?
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews