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Assist Me to Proclaim: The Life and Hymns of Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley (1707–1788) was the cofounder of Methodism and the author of more than 9,000 hymns and sacred poems, including such favorites as "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," and "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today." John Tyson here traces the remarkable life of this influential man from cradle to grave, using rare — including previously unpublished — hymns, letters, and journal materials.
As the younger brother of John Wesley, Charles was a vital partner in the Methodist revival. While often standing in the shadow of his more famous brother, Charles Wesley was arguably the founder of the Oxford Holy Club, and he actually experienced evangelical conversion three days prior to John. In Assist Me to Proclaim Tyson explores, among other things, behind-the-scenes questions about the brothers' sometimes-stormy relationship.
Notwithstanding all his accomplishments as an evangelist and itinerant preacher, Charles is chiefly remembered for his startling facility at writing hymns that show God at work in almost every instance of life. His remarkable legacy endures around the world, as hundreds of Charles Wesley hymns are still sung in churches everywhere today.
Assist Me to Proclaim draws a picture of a man whose fidelity to both the Church of England and the original vision of Methodism energized his remarkable abilities as a revivalist and hymn writer. Readers also get a glimpse into Wesley's heart and mind through the window of his hymn texts. This is a biography that any student of church history or hymnody will welcome.
As the younger brother of John Wesley, Charles was a vital partner in the Methodist revival. While often standing in the shadow of his more famous brother, Charles Wesley was arguably the founder of the Oxford Holy Club, and he actually experienced evangelical conversion three days prior to John. In Assist Me to Proclaim Tyson explores, among other things, behind-the-scenes questions about the brothers' sometimes-stormy relationship.
Notwithstanding all his accomplishments as an evangelist and itinerant preacher, Charles is chiefly remembered for his startling facility at writing hymns that show God at work in almost every instance of life. His remarkable legacy endures around the world, as hundreds of Charles Wesley hymns are still sung in churches everywhere today.
Assist Me to Proclaim draws a picture of a man whose fidelity to both the Church of England and the original vision of Methodism energized his remarkable abilities as a revivalist and hymn writer. Readers also get a glimpse into Wesley's heart and mind through the window of his hymn texts. This is a biography that any student of church history or hymnody will welcome.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2008
About the author
John R. Tyson
21 books7 followersA life-long United Methodist, John R. Tyson was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He first became interested in the hymns of Charles Wesley as a child, when he sang them in the yellow-brick Center Avenue United Methodist Church, in Pitcairn, PA. He would subsequently become an internationally known expert in the life and work of Charles Wesley.
While trying his hand at Business Administration as a major, at Grove City College, Tyson experienced a call to ministry and switched to majors in History and Religion. He attended seminary at Asbury Theological Seminary, receiving the M.Div. After brief pastorates in Florida and Pennsylvania, he pursed doctoral studies at Drew University, earning the M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies. Desiring to know more about his own theological heritage, he wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on “Charles Wesley’s Theology of the Cross.”
Tyson currently teaches Church History at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and serves as Director of United Methodist Studies. Previous to coming to that post he taught at United Theological Seminary and Houghton College. He has authored more than 80 articles and conference papers, as well as having edited or written eight books. His most recent book The Great Athanasius: An Introduction to His Life and Work was published in 2017.
John is married to Jill Kingdon Tyson. They are raising four children. In his spare time he enjoys reading, writing, and sports. He is an avid Pirates, Penguins and Steelers fan.
While trying his hand at Business Administration as a major, at Grove City College, Tyson experienced a call to ministry and switched to majors in History and Religion. He attended seminary at Asbury Theological Seminary, receiving the M.Div. After brief pastorates in Florida and Pennsylvania, he pursed doctoral studies at Drew University, earning the M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies. Desiring to know more about his own theological heritage, he wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on “Charles Wesley’s Theology of the Cross.”
Tyson currently teaches Church History at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and serves as Director of United Methodist Studies. Previous to coming to that post he taught at United Theological Seminary and Houghton College. He has authored more than 80 articles and conference papers, as well as having edited or written eight books. His most recent book The Great Athanasius: An Introduction to His Life and Work was published in 2017.
John is married to Jill Kingdon Tyson. They are raising four children. In his spare time he enjoys reading, writing, and sports. He is an avid Pirates, Penguins and Steelers fan.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 29, 2024
If you’re a Methodist this is a four star read. A super informative look into the lesser-celebrated founder of Methodism.
However, the organization and structure of this book is quite possibly the worst I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure how to describe it accurately or in a way that makes sense. The biography starts out in a chronological order. Chapter one being early years, chapter two being an early mission trip to America. However, at some point the author shifts the organization of his writing and uses each chapter as a way to explore a topic about Charles Wesley’s life—eg the relationship between CW and his brother—but he takes the reader from CW’s birth to death in each individual chapter. This leads to a lot of duplication of information, which makes the book quite confusing and boring to read at parts.
Additionally, chapter sixteen—Poet Laureate—should be the first chapter of this book. It beautifully lays out the amount of scripture that CW wrote into every single line of every single one of his hymns and how much of the Methodist theology can be reconstructed from these hymns. This accomplishment of CW’s is hinted at throughout the book, but waiting until page 253 of a 340 page book to explore the main thesis of the book is frustrating for the reader.
Highly recommend this book to any Methodist. Despite its structural failures it really is an impressive biography and detailed in its research.
If you’re not Methodist I don’t recommend this book. Maybe just take a look at it the next time you’re in the library and read chapter sixteen ;)
However, the organization and structure of this book is quite possibly the worst I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure how to describe it accurately or in a way that makes sense. The biography starts out in a chronological order. Chapter one being early years, chapter two being an early mission trip to America. However, at some point the author shifts the organization of his writing and uses each chapter as a way to explore a topic about Charles Wesley’s life—eg the relationship between CW and his brother—but he takes the reader from CW’s birth to death in each individual chapter. This leads to a lot of duplication of information, which makes the book quite confusing and boring to read at parts.
Additionally, chapter sixteen—Poet Laureate—should be the first chapter of this book. It beautifully lays out the amount of scripture that CW wrote into every single line of every single one of his hymns and how much of the Methodist theology can be reconstructed from these hymns. This accomplishment of CW’s is hinted at throughout the book, but waiting until page 253 of a 340 page book to explore the main thesis of the book is frustrating for the reader.
Highly recommend this book to any Methodist. Despite its structural failures it really is an impressive biography and detailed in its research.
If you’re not Methodist I don’t recommend this book. Maybe just take a look at it the next time you’re in the library and read chapter sixteen ;)
January 7, 2022
Who is Charles Wesley? You may know him as the younger brother of founder of the Methodist Church (though some, including the author consider the brothers co-founders, while I've read one person that said George Whitefield was the founder but left the movement to the Wesleys to keep from dividing the movement). You may be a little more familiar with Charles than you think, though: he wrote thousand of hymns including "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (where the author took his title from), "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!", "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus," and "And Can It Be That I Should Gain."
There are some biographies that seem a little deep and that I need to work through. This one is an example. It is basically chronological,but the chapters deal with various topics, such as the controversy with Calvinism, Wesley's marriage and family, the persecution endured by the Church of England and how the brothers disagreed about remaining a part of the Church of England.
There are some biographies that seem a little deep and that I need to work through. This one is an example. It is basically chronological,but the chapters deal with various topics, such as the controversy with Calvinism, Wesley's marriage and family, the persecution endured by the Church of England and how the brothers disagreed about remaining a part of the Church of England.
February 8, 2018
Much to academic for my liking. Didn’t speak to my heart nearly as much as I hoped. Honestly, I think the book would be twice as good if it was half as long. I really enjoyed it in the beginning, but the last few chapters have turned into quite a slog for me and I think have tainted my overall appreciation for the book.
One challenge is that Tyson writes topically more than chronologically, so he often covers similar ground repeatedly across different chapters, as each topic area intersects with similar events / circumstances.
That made it really hard for me to follow. Much of it was deja vu - ish, until I realized, “no, I *have* read that quote 2 or 3 times already...”
One challenge is that Tyson writes topically more than chronologically, so he often covers similar ground repeatedly across different chapters, as each topic area intersects with similar events / circumstances.
That made it really hard for me to follow. Much of it was deja vu - ish, until I realized, “no, I *have* read that quote 2 or 3 times already...”
April 1, 2023
Dr. Tyson was one of my favorite professors at Houghton. He has a gift for bringing history and theology alive through biography. So I was glad to have the chance finally to read his book on Charles Wesley.
This volume is not meant to be an exhaustive biography or Charles Wesley, nor an academic one, but an accessible one that captures the major themes of his life. There is a heavy interaction with Wesley's letters, his hymns, and other primary source content. Tyson argues that Charles Wesley, as 'poet laureate' of the Methodist church, has been unfairly neglected as a founder in favor of John Wesley & George Whitefield, and he makes his argument well.
This volume is not meant to be an exhaustive biography or Charles Wesley, nor an academic one, but an accessible one that captures the major themes of his life. There is a heavy interaction with Wesley's letters, his hymns, and other primary source content. Tyson argues that Charles Wesley, as 'poet laureate' of the Methodist church, has been unfairly neglected as a founder in favor of John Wesley & George Whitefield, and he makes his argument well.
July 18, 2022
ASSIST ME TO PROCLAIM: THE LIFE AND HYMNS OF CHARLES WESLEY by John R. Tyson is a good biography of Charles Wesley, his life, his conversion, his founding the Holy Club, his theology, his relationship with his brother John, his role as reformer, and most of all, his hymns. Tyson makes extensive use of Wesley's hymns, journals, and letters. Recommended for any student of church history or hymnody.
January 17, 2024
A fairly old fashioned but sturdy biography, providing a good overview of the great Methodist's life, with some good analysis of his theology and devotion. Not much insight into what made CW tick, though, and almost no sense of narrative.
March 20, 2018
Was very glad my reading partner and I read this book! It filled in a lot of Methodist History that I really was not aware of, especially about Charles Wesley. A good read!
July 13, 2020
A well written biography of Charles Wesley, the prolific hymnist and co-founder of the Methodist church. Wesley loved the Lord with every fiber of his being and it has inspired me to up my game!
May 14, 2010
This is a wonderful presentation of Charles Wesley's hymns and his relationship with John, as well as how some of the hymns portray their theological and daily problems. Well done.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
January 24, 2018
I just started reading this book about Charles Wesley. Seems like there are two common things known about CW: that he was a prolific hymnwriter, and that together with his brother John, the Methodist movement was born.
There's so much more.
There's so much more.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews