John Wesley 1703-1791
John and Charles are considered the primary founders of Methodism, which today in its various traditions number around 75 million. The second son of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, John was educated at Oxford and ordained priest in the Anglican Church. As one of the central leaders of Oxford Methodism in the 1730s, he served as a missionary to Georgia before experiencing evangelical conversion at a religious society meeting in Aldersgate Street, London, on May 24, 1738. After this Wesley became one of the main leaders in the burgeoning evangelical revival and oversaw the growth of Methodist societies till his death in 1791.
John’s room at Lincoln College, Oxford.
John’s life became legendary. Over the course of his ministry, he traveled 250,000 miles (largely on horseback), preached over 40,000 sermons, and along with his brother Charles published over 400 works on nearly every conceivable subject. Though only five feet three inches in height, his stature as an evangelist, organizer, theologian, and spiritual father is widely recognized today across the theological spectrum. In 2002 he was placed at number 50 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
Religiously, John was a high church Anglican committed to Arminian principles. He emphasized the love of God in human salvation, the Protestant message of justification by faith alone, the Pietist experience of salvation assurance through the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the possibility of attaining “perfect love” in one’s devotion to God. In regard to discipleship, John taught that spiritual disciplines serve as means of grace for spiritual growth. He therefore stressed synergism in our relationship with God. As a theologian, he was the primary founder of the theological tradition known today as Wesleyanism. On social issues, he opposed slavery, promoted prison reform, encouraged thrift and the value of work. He was active in helping the poor and supported education for all classes of people.
Christ Church & Saint Mary’s Oxford where John preached his University sermons.
In February 1751 John married Mary (Molly) Vazeille. The marriage did not go well and they later separated.
John Wesley’s evangelical conversion on May 24, 1738, is one of the most famous conversion stories in church history. Watch the following podcast to learn more about it.
Podcast: John Wesley and Aldersgate – What Happened?
Two of the best contemporary biographies on JW is Henry Rack’s Reasonable Enthusiast (3rd ed 2002) and Richard Heitzenrater’s Wesley and the People Called Methodists (2nd ed 2013). The early biographies are important to ascertain JW’s influence on his generation and the one that followed. For those wanting to research the early biographies, wesleyscholar provides the major ones:
Hampson Memoirs of JW vol 1 1791
Hampson Memoirs of JW vol 2 1791
Hampson Memoirs of JW vol 3 1791
Coke & Moore The Life of John Wesley 1 1792
Coke & Moore The Life of John Wesley 2 1792
Coke & Moore The Life of John Wesley 3 1792
Whitehead Life of John Wesley 3 vols. 1793, 1796
Southey The Life of Wesley vol 1 1820
Southey The Life of Wesley vol 2 1820
Moore The Life of John Wesley Vol 1 1824
Moore The Life of John Wesley Vol 2 1825
Watson Life of John Wesley 1835
Luke Tyerman’s biographies set the standard for 19th century scholarship on Wesley and early Methodism and remain valuable to our day:
Tyerman Life of Samuel Wesley, Sr 1866
Tyerman Life of Wesley Vol I 1870
Tyerman Life of Wesley Vol II 1870
Tyerman Life of Wesley Vol III 1871
Tyerman The Oxford Methodists 1873
Tyerman Life of G. Whitefield Vol I 1877
Tyerman Life of G. Whitefield Vol II 1877
Tyerman JWs Designated Successor-Fletcher 1882
Below are other bios you might be interested in:
Wedgewood JW & Evangelical Reaction 1870
Clarke Susanna Wesley 1886
Butler Wesley & Whitefield in Scotland 1899
Simon JW & Religious Societies 1921
Simon JW & Advance of Methodism 1925
Simon JW Master Builder 1927
Charles Wesley 1707-1788
Charles is mostly remembered as the poet-laureate of early Methodism. Like his older brother, Charles was educated at Oxford, ordained priest in the Church of England, and was the original founder of Oxford Methodism in 1729. He later traveled with John as missionaries to America in the mid-1730s. Over his lifetime Charles authored more than 6,000 hymns, including the Christmas classic “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” His hymns are noted for their theological depth and their exposition of the Gospel in all its fullness.
Epworth Old Rectory website.
Charles was also an effective evangelist having experienced evangelical conversion on Pentecost Sunday in May 1738. In this capacity he served until the mid-1760s. Besides an evangelist, he collected early accounts of conversion by Methodists and wrote numerous tracts, journals, and sermons. Theologically, he was a high church Anglican who strongly advocated for Methodists to remain loyal to the Church of England. Though his theology largely lined up with his brother’s, Charles took an interest in premillennialism while John remained a postmillennialist, and he later developed his own views on Christian perfection in contrast to his brother’s.
Charles Wesley House, Bristol.
In 1749 Charles married Sarah Gwynne and together they had seven children, some of whom were gifted musicians.
To research the early biographies of Charles, wesleyscholar provides the following:
Whitehead Account of Rev Charles Wesley 1793
Whitehead Account of Rev Charles Wesley 2nd expanded ed 1805
Jackson Life of Charles Wesley vol 1 1841
Jackson Life of Charles Wesley vol 2 1841