Charles Wesley: Poet and Theologian

by S.T. Kimbrough Jr. (Editor)

Charles Wesley is widely remembered as a significant hymn-writer, especially among Methodists, but he is not often regarded either as a major poet or as an important theologian. He quite often takes second place to his more famous elder brother, John, and frequently disappears in the face of John's role as leader of "the people called Methodists." This volume attempts to rectify these unfortunate misconceptions by demonstrating that Charles Wesley is a figure of primary literary significance in the history of English religious poetry. It also seeks to show that Charles Wesley was a theologian of considerable depth and creativity, and to place his work in the context of a variety of church traditions. The essays in this volume originated in papers presented to the Charles Wesley Publication Colloquium, held at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ, in the fall of 1989.

Genres: Theology, Music

252 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays that is diverse and largely interesting, though the constant refrain about the need for an full, edited, critical edition of Charles’ work becomes a bit of a dead horse by the end. Was was definitely the sassy brother.