Francis Asbury (1745-1816) was born in England and brought Methodism to North America during forty-five years of ministry. Methodists grew in number from six hundred when Asbury started to over two hundred thousand people in the movement by the time of his death. As he worked with total dedication to reform the nation and spread scriptural, personal, and social holiness throughout the land, he preached, petitioned to abolish slavery, and promoted Sunday schools to teach children reading and mathematics. As a key founder of the American Methodist movement, Asbury observed that it took only a few years for division to emerge among the most passionate and zealous followers of the Wesleyan way. So he repurposed and abridged two earlier works to create The Causes, Evils and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions. This book was recommended for study to early Methodists as a spiritual cure for the human tendency to love self and ideas more than we love others: our colleagues, our neighbors, and our enemies. The study questions found throughout this book are suitable for cultivating spiritual formation within individuals and among a community. As you read about these causes and evils that divide our hearts from each other, nearly every individual will recognize the need for personal improvement in thoughts, words, and deeds.

Includes entries for maps and atlases.

This second installment of the Methodist story, Shaped by Controversy, examines eight of the major controversies that epitomize aspects of Methodism’s inter-family dialogue and trauma. These theological, ecclesial, and ethical controversies tried the values, tested the patience, and strained our familial relationships. Ultimately they divided the Methodist movement. Ironically, controversy was often rooted in something that was good and right about the Methodist movement—a commitment to addressing what had somehow gotten out of balance and become destructive. Internal struggles over matters related to class, economic status, gender, and race shook Methodism precisely because the inclusion of all people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life was a foundational aspect of the early Methodism. Contentious controversies have revolved around matters like: 1) the nature of spiritual life, faith, and good works; 2) predestination and the nature Christian assurance of salvation; 3) the difficulties of living out Christian Perfection in a world full of imperfect people; 4) the pain and trauma of ecclesiastical separation; 5) women’s leadership in the church; 6) the debilitating effects of racism and segregation; 7) governance and shared leadership; and 8) the affirmation and full inclusion of LGBTQ people. These controversies within the church family have challenged and pained Methodists deeply. They have also forced Methodists to examine their own priorities and clarify what matters most to them. How the Methodists responded to these controversies, for good or for ill, has shaped the identity of the Methodists as people of faith. Hopefully, both guidance and encouragement can be found in this history because the past is often like a distant mirror that reflects very clearly upon lives lived today.