John Wesley

A Brand from the Burning weaves together the personal, theological, political and spiritual elements in the life of John Wesley to reflect the spirit of his age and the impact he had upon it. Roy Hattersley approaches writing with the same verve and commitment that marked his political career. Always one for plain talking and a brisk sense of humour, he also has a sense of proportion both about himself and the wider world. Having authored Blood and Fire, the biography of William and Catherine Booth, the Christian social reformers who founded the Salvation Army, Hattersley turns an observant and affectionate eye on John Wesley. As a Labour politician, he is naturally interested in the impact of the Methodist movement on the social and political scene of Britain. He traces Wesley's fascinating life to show how an itinerant preacher became "one of the architects of the modern world".

John Wesley's beginning in the Anglican rectory and his enthusiasm for the Christian faith at Oxford led to his becoming a missionary to the nascent colony of Georgia. There he found God in a new way and came back to preach a revivalist message across Britain. Out of this fiery movement the Methodist Church was established and it has been claimed that because of Wesley's work Britain experienced a spiritual revival rather than a bloody revolution. Roy Hattersley writes clear, straightforward prose and tells the story of Wesley with a spark of the same zeal and charisma that Wesley himself must have had. --Dwight Longenecker

View other editions of John Wesley.
View books by Roy Hattersley.

John Wesley Had Reverence For All God's Creation ! - Rated
Mr. Hattersley's comprehensive biography adeptly covered many facets of John Wesley's life and works. I was especially intersted in learning that John Wesley was a vegetarian for moral reasons. He promoted conservation stewardship and accentuated that all life is interelated and humans have a responsibility to be caretakers of God's earth. Wesley abhorred cruelty to bears, dogs, horses and all helpless animals. He lamented the fall of man and man's ensuing despotic dominion over the earth. John Wesley was a seminal environmentalist and animal advocate. He wrote the mystical "General Ressurection" sermon which envisions all of creation ascending into an idyllic afterlife tantamount to the Garden of Eden. There is no doubt that John Wesley had problems with female companions and other vexations, but it is amazing how visionary and humane he was for an 18th Century Preacher. Most importantly, I need to mention that John Wesley detested slavery. John Wesley was rife with flaws but he was also replete with compassion and a great sense of social justice and respect for life !

Errors and Misleading Generalisations - Rated
Lord Hattersley is an able writer, but it is unfortunate that he did not correct errors and misleading generalisations for this paperback edition. Various eighteenth-century books and authors appear in guises that make one wonder if Hattersley ever looked at the title-page of the books he alludes to. Dates of publications are rarely given, authors' names are mis-spelled (Francis Hutcheson is referred to simply as "Hutchison," and his name does not appear in the text). David Hume did not write a book called Enquiry concerning Human Nature, so it could hardly be "one of the Enlightenment's standard texts." George Cheyne wrote a book entitled An Essay of Health and Long Life (1724); Wesley may indeed in a letter to his mother have referred to it as Book of Health and Long Life, but one would like to know that it is Wesley who is wrong and not Hattersley.
There are a number of generalisations that historians of ideas in the eighteenth century would find at least puzzling, e. g., "Hume and Joseph Priestley argued that religion and science went hand in hand." Or, mentioning the nickname of Varanese that Wesley gave to Sally Kirkham, Hattersley asserts, "Wesley's circle, in common with a habit much practised by the intellectual middle classes of the time, all called each other by names associated with the classics." Maybe so; but one would like to know how Hattersley arrived at this generalisation.

Refreshingly balanced - Rated
This was an easy biographical read. Hattersley kept a good balance betweenthe mundane facts and the spark of excitement that keeps one reading. Someprevious biographies have tended to elevate Wesley almost to sainthood andit was refreshing to see Wesley the man, warts and all come through thepages of this book. Perhaps this should be compulsory reading forMethodists?

An unbeatable biography - Rated
“The facts and the fables are difficult to distinguish” Hattersley notes in the opening of the second chapter of his book. But he tells the story of John Wesley’s life without losing himself in conjecture. Instead we are treated to a palatable and enlightening read, making accessible the background of one of the most influential religious leaders of the eighteenth century. The fables add spice to an already remarkable life. Hattersley spares no details for those of us that would seek to idolise, or indeed idealise, this Christian figurehead. Wesley had a way with a large number of young and vulnerable women. Ostensibly he was providing them with spiritual guidance, but others (including his irate wife) saw the situations quite differently; the ‘sex scandals’ surrounding this churchman were almost enough to discredit the Methodist movement entirely.

From humble beginnings in a holy club at Oxford, John Wesley went on to spread his interpretation of the word across the country. Covering incredible distances in a short time, Wesley brought the gospel to the poorer urban classes who were perhaps most in need of spiritual salvation – a Church more tailored to their needs. His true inspiration came not from Oxford but from his mother, whose domestic prayer meetings, held when John was a boy, had elicited such large audiences that they became considered a threat to those in power. Roy Hattersley’s utterly absorbing characterisation of the strong-willed Susanna Wesley reminded me of his similar ability in “Blood and Fire”, the biography of William and Catherine Booth. Here Hattersley takes a perhaps more difficult subject, but excels beyond his previous achievement.He binds all his facts together with a direct and engrossing style, combined with careful (but unobtrusive) documentation of his sources.

Hattersley shows us a flawed man, who nevertheless commands great respect. Anyone wishing to thoroughly understand the rise of Methodism and the context within which it emerged is likely to find great pleasure in Hattersley’s account. In fact, any reader seeking an enjoyable foray into this period could do no better than to start with this excellent biography.