This work examines the construction of suffering in the hymns of Charles Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist movement. Wesley wrote thousands of hymns, many of which focus on the experience of overwhelming pain. As eighteenth-century men and women sang or read Wesley's hymns, they were encouraged to adopt a distinctive approach to suffering, one which drew on long-standing elen1ents within Christian tradition as well as new patterns in eighteenth-century English culture. Identifying the construction of suffering in the hymns illuminates the culture of early Methodism and its complex relationship to its eighteenth century English context. / My analysis places the hymns within the broader ‘narrative culture’ of early Methodism, which encouraged individuals to interpret their lives and experiences within a story of great spiritual significance. The hymns engaged men and women with a spiritual drama of conviction, conversion, sanctification and heavenly reward. I argue that suffering was central to Wesley's depiction of this drama. I examine his construction of the suffering of Christ, the suffering of Christians and of Christian responses to the suffering of others, den10nstrating that each of these had an important place in his depiction of the normative Christian experience. Those who read or sang the hymns were exhorted to embrace and endure suffering as an experience that offered opportunities for intill1acy with, and imitation of, Christ. / Recognising Wesley's construction of suffering does not explain exactly how Methodist men and Women responded to affliction, but it does illuminate their responses. I explore the implications of Wesley's construction of suffering for early Methodist understandings of the self, spirituality, charity and gender, as well as specific kinds of pain such as childbirth and bereavement. These understandings contributed to a Methodist identity that was both related to, and distinct from, the eighteenth-century English culture in which the hymns were written.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:18:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nicanor Lopes.pdf: 2491061 bytes, checksum: 56e8cc35a4b9967d0633d38c61695b7e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-08 / The aim of the present research, Social Responsibility, Preaching and Education: missiological tensions in the Missionary Project of the Methodist Church on Brazilian soil, is to examine the missionary action of the Methodist Church, since its implementation up to the period referring to the 18th General Conference (2006 2011). The study rescued that the triad of Social Responsibility, Preaching and Education represents a distinct identity of the Wesleyan Movement, and that such a missionary principle has not been closely followed by the Brazilian Methodism. It is noteworthy that the triad was especially significant in the missionary project, which is particularly noticeable during its implementation, as well as in the constitution of the so-called Plano para Vida e Missão (PVM). Once assumed that the missionary action in the Brazilian Methodism has not fully been characterized by systematic theological reflections, the triad of Social Responsibility, Preaching and Education has always played a prominent role in the mission. In many instances, a considerable strain was put on the Methodist missionary project. The intense focus on the number of followers and geographic expansion did not contribute to maintain great fidelity to the triad and its ideals. Along the way research is built in four chapters, in which one seeks refine a historical understanding of the process unfolded in this study, it is crucial that the essential regulatory framework of the triad as the Methodist mission. The research highlights the importance of further studies so that Methodism can take on a fundamental role in the Missio Dei, enlightened by the triad of Social Responsibility, Preaching and Education. / Esta pesquisa, Responsabilidade Social, Pregação e Educação: tensões missiológicas no projeto missionário da Igreja Metodista em terras brasileiras, tem como objetivo analisar as ações missionárias da Igreja Metodista do período de sua implantação até o final do período referente ao 18° Concílio Geral (2006-2011). A análise resgatou a tríade Responsabilidade Social, Pregação e Educação como uma marca identitária do movimento wesleyano e que esse princípio missionário nem sempre foi seguido pelo metodismo brasileiro. Notou-se também que a tríade serviu, em momentos decisivos, como elemento norteador do projeto missionário. Isso é percebido no período da implantação, bem como na constituição do Plano para Vida e Missão (PVM). Em que pese que as ações missionárias no metodismo brasileiro nem sempre foram providas de uma reflexão teológica sistemática, a tríade Responsabilidade Social, Pregação e Educação sempre funcionou como eixos essenciais da missão e de forma indissociável. Não foram poucos os momentos em que o projeto missionário metodista enfrentou tensões na sua execução. O ímpeto pelo crescimento numérico e expansão geográfica, muitas vezes, ofuscou a fidelidade à tríade. Nessa trajetória de pesquisa está construída em quatro capítulos, nos quais se busca a superação de uma compreensão histórica equivocada e faz-se necessário que o projeto missionário assuma os elementos essenciais da tríade como marco regulatório da missão metodista. As repetitivas opções equivocadas não colaboram com a nova compreensão de missão. O resultado da pesquisa encoraja futuras análises para que o metodismo assuma o papel de agente de Deus na missio Dei e para que o seu envolvimento missionário mantenha fidelidade à tríade Responsabilidade Social, Pregação e Educação.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:20:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Margarida Ribeiro.pdf: 1918514 bytes, checksum: 8449554e44042e9cc3eb6a076fd17be6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-09-29 / This research deals with women who are active in so-called historical Protestantism, principally related to the Methodist Church of Brazil. The work intends to make visible lay women and their networks, generally informal, of articulation, and call to attention their role in the constitution of these communities of faith. It deals with an aspect little explored in investigations regarding Protestantism in Brazil that, when dealt with, is often restricted to certain feminine icons. The principle focus of the work is restricted to the period from 1930, the year in which the Methodist Church in Brazil became an independent institution and formally separated itself from its historical beginning point in the EUA, until 1970/71, when Methodist women were first admitted as clergy, or, in other words, the ordination of women as pastors. Beyond discussing bibliographic production, principally in the area of the history of Protestantism, the research is based in primary sources such as bulletins, denominational journals, reports of events, correspondence, and information contained in a variety of sources. The primary theoretical reference is the micro-history, as a search for highlighting the forgotten characters and revealing the narratives that had been hidden by the official history. Beyond making more visible the actuation of women in Brazilian Protestantism, silenced both in institutional memory and in historiography in its various expressions, the research intends to contribute to a critical evaluation of the mentality of women regarding their action in the religious field, between adaptation to dominant cultural standards and traces of autonomous thought in the light of specific demands.(AU) / Esta pesquisa abrange mulheres atuantes no chamado protestantismo histórico, principalmente vinculadas à Igreja Metodista do Brasil. O trabalho pretende visibilizar especialmente mulheres leigas e suas redes, geralmente informais, de articulação e chamar a atenção para seu papel na constituição destas comunidades de fé. Trata-se de um aspecto pouco explorado nas investigações sobre o protestantismo no Brasil que, quando abordado, se restringe a alguns ícones femininos. O foco principal do trabalho se restringe ao período de 1930, ano em que a Igreja Metodista do Brasil se constituiu como instituição autônoma, desvinculando-se formalmente de sua congênere nos EUA, até 1970/71, quando mulheres metodistas passam a ser admitidas no presbiterato, ou seja, podem solicitar a ordenação ao pastorado. Além de discutir a produção bibliográfica principalmente no âmbito da história do protestantismo, a pesquisa se baseia em fontes primárias, como boletins e jornais denominacionais, relatórios de eventos, correspondências e informações dispersas em diferentes materiais. Como referencial teórico a pesquisa se valeu da micro-história, procurando assim dar vida a personagens esquecidos e desvelar enredos ocultados pela história oficial. Portanto, além de demonstrar aspectos da atuação de mulheres no protestantismo brasileiro, silenciados tanto na memória institucional como na historiografia em suas diferentes matizes, a pesquisa pretende contribuir para uma avaliação crítica da mentalidade de mulheres sobre sua atuação no campo religioso, entre a adequação aos padrões culturais dominantes e os indícios de autonomia de pensamento diante de demandas específicas.(AU)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:21:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eber Borges da Costal.pdf: 1182361 bytes, checksum: a2a199c4b46ecfb95b9caddfdd1db7c5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-08 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A presente dissertação analisa a prática missionária do pastor metodista Scilla Franco desenvolvida entre os índios Kaiowá e Terena no MS, nos anos de 1972 e 1979. Apresenta os principais traços da cultura e religião desses povos; os efeitos negativos da colonização européia e de outros movimentos de exploração econômica das áreas onde viviam e o lugar que religião cristã ocupou neste processo através de missionários católicos e protestantes, destacando a atuação dos metodistas no Mato Grosso do Sul. Num segundo momento, descreve a trajetória pessoal e ministerial de Scilla Franco analisando a criação da Missão Tapeporã, a formação do GTME e a natureza do trabalho que desenvolveu, a partir de uma pastoral de convivência. Por fim, a partir da análise do desenvolvimento do trabalho de Scilla Franco, apresenta temas importantes para uma práxis missionária na atualidade e que podem ser vistos na sua ação, como a contextualização e a convivência numa perspectiva ecumênica.

Few people know that the first sessions of the General Assembly of the UN in 1946 were held in a place of worship - Westminster Central Hall. It was part of an ambitious construction programme, initiated by the Wesleyan Methodists, which resulted in Central Halls in most British cities. They were, and in some cases still are, flexible, multi-functional spaces used on a daily basis for a wide range of purposes. They are widely perceived as public space but they are also sacred - camouflaged churches, created as sites for missionary activity and social outreach by a faith which from its origins has challenged the dichotomy between sacred and secular space. They have never been systematically studied – even their number and locations were unknown. This thesis tells their story by presenting them as an undocumented building type of social and cultural significance. It explores the concept of building type and the dimensions of social and cultural analysis that may be explored with the method. The typological approach is then demonstrated with a specific monographic focus on Methodist Central Halls from the 1880s to the present. Using a combination of visual methods, archival research and personal testimony, the analysis offers insights into the many aspects of Methodism through the long twentieth century – the church’s spatial distribution, its modes of mission and worship, its cultural identity and its business model. These centrally located assembly halls with their landmark architecture are for many towns still the top venues for meeting and entertainment. The typology of such public sacred spaces is not only a chapter in the history of British cities but provides findings of wide interest for religion and society.

Historians have long noted Joseph Smith's early interest in Methodism. Demographic studies of early Mormon converts have demonstrated further that many of those attracted to the Mormon message on both sides of the Atlantic came from Methodist backgrounds. These two points, and the many similarities between Methodist and Mormon beliefs and practices, have led many scholars to suggest that Smith's church was influenced by the Methodists who joined the movement. This thesis explores the Methodist backgrounds of those Methodists who converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830, when Joseph Smith formally organized his church(originally called the Church of Christ), to 1838, when the Latter-day Saints moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, and the church experienced a transformation in its theology, worship practices, and organizational structure. I argue that Methodism fundamentally shaped the ways that early Mormonism developed in its first eight years. This was a result of both Methodism's rapid growth and expansive influence in antebellum America and the many early Mormon converts who had previously affiliated with Methodism. This thesis contains four chapters. Chapter 1 examines the historiography on the subject, summarizing the demographic studies previously conducted and the conclusions drawn by other historians. It also provides the theoretical framework that shaped the thesis. Chapter 2 analyzes the conversion narratives of the early converts to Mormonism who came from Methodist backgrounds. I show that these converts generally maintained a positive view of Methodism even after their conversion to Mormonism, and viewed their belief in dreams and visions and the acceptance of charismatic religious experience they were taught while Methodists as instrumental in their eventual acceptance of the Mormon message. Chapter 3 explores an extended analysis of Joseph Smith's various recollections of his "first vision" within the context of Methodist conversion narratives of the era. By analyzing the first vision within the Methodist context, I seek to harmonize key discrepancies in Smith's early and later narratives while still allowing each version to speak for itself. Chapter 4 surveys early Mormon church organization and worship and compares it to that of early American Methodism in an effort to better contextualize early Mormonism within the culture from which it arose and developed. This chapter concludes with a brief summary of the lasting influence of Methodism on Mormon religiosity.

John Wesley was a well educated son of a cleric, who chose to be a theologian and a minister in the Church of England. His theological distinctive was his insistence on the possibility of entire sanctification in this lifetime. In response to their position on sanctification, Wesley and the Methodists sought to save souls and cure the ills in society because they believed it was divinely mandated. Their love and work for the less fortunate was a response to their love for God and in obedience to His commandments. This is the great success of their work. They were able to serve God and their generation in a balanced yet inseparable way. The result of Wesley's life, direct and indirect, was that the social and spiritual plight of thousands of individuals and families was improved and dozens of church groups, missionary societies and benevolent organisations have emerged / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Th.M. (Church History)

Thesis (Ph. D. in Religion)--Vanderbilt University, May 2009. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Ce travail replace la vie et la pensée d’un maître de conférences de l’université de Leipzig dans le contexte de son temps. Il retrace le parcours d’un orphelin pauvre, né à Eisleben comme son héros Martin Luther. Bénéficiaire de nombreux soutiens, il devint un lettré dont l’ambition fut une carrière universitaire, mais qui devint finalement pasteur de la principale des paroisses luthériennes germanophones de Londres, sans pour autant perdre de vue sa Saxe natale, ni l’ensemble du continent. Piétiste convaincu qu’il fallait lire Luther sous cet éclairage, Burckhardt vit dans Wesley et sa religion du cœur la continuation de ce qu’eut souhaité le Réformateur. Notre travail s’appuie sur un corpus documentaire rassemblant la totalité de ce qui sortit de sa plume, et analyse ces sources en relation avec les réactions qu’elles suscitèrent dans son entourage. En un temps marqué par la violence guerrière, notamment la Révolution française et les diverses remises en cause du passé, Burckhardt apparaît comme exemplaire du sort et des combats intérieurs des innombrables ecclésiastiques de son temps, obligés de se positionner au risque d’entrer dans des polémiques. Habité par le désir de voir la chrétienté se réveiller, il devint une passerelle entre le réveil anglo- saxon et celui du continent européen. L’œuvre de celui qui était aussi historien à ses heures permet de redécouvrir la fin d’un siècle tel qu’il le percevait. / Placing the life and thought of a former teacher at the university of Leipzig in the context of his time, this study develops the career of a poor orphan, born in Eisleben like his hero Martin Luther. Having been socially helped in various ways, he became a scholar whose ambition was to make a professional career at his Saxon university. His way brought him finally to London, where he became the pastor of the main of the local German-speaking Lutheran parishes. Keeping in touch with the continent, Burckhardt read Luther in the light of his Pietism and made the acquaintance of Wesley. He saw in his pietistic religion of the heart the continuation in Great-Britain of what he wished for his Lutheranism. Our study explores his writings as well as the numerous reactions to which they lead in the environment of the author and in the press. In his time marked by many wars between the nations, and by a deep questioning of the past, Burckhardt appears to have been exemplary for the lot of the most of his colleagues, obliged to take position at the risk to be involved in polemics. Wishing to see a renewed Christianity, he accepted the official role of being a link between the British revival and that of the European continent. The writings of the Historian that he has been occasionally carry the image of how Burckhardt saw the end of his century.

John Wesley was a well educated son of a cleric, who chose to be a theologian and a minister in the Church of England. His theological distinctive was his insistence on the possibility of entire sanctification in this lifetime. In response to their position on sanctification, Wesley and the Methodists sought to save souls and cure the ills in society because they believed it was divinely mandated. Their love and work for the less fortunate was a response to their love for God and in obedience to His commandments. This is the great success of their work. They were able to serve God and their generation in a balanced yet inseparable way. The result of Wesley's life, direct and indirect, was that the social and spiritual plight of thousands of individuals and families was improved and dozens of church groups, missionary societies and benevolent organisations have emerged / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Th.M. (Church History)