The following GIF image contains data concentrated from 3 books on the spread of Methodism, which began in England in the 1700s. The Methodists emigrated in great numbers to settle early North America, eventually becoming the United Church, one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world. As part of a major project I'm working on, I created this image to help visualize the way the movement spread across Cornwall and Devon between 1740 and 1840.
Brief background
The Methodist movement is a denomination of Protestant Christianity whose doctrine and practice derive from the teachings of John Wesley. Called Methodists for the methodical way in which they carried out their faith, they began as a separatist revival movement within the Church of England. Thanks to vigorous missionary work and a settler lifestyle, they spread throughout the British Empire, the Commonwealth, and United States.
The theology focuses on sanctification, and the "transforming effect of faith" on individuals. Methodists believe Jesus (the Son of God) died for humanity and that salvation is available for everyone. Methodism provides charity for the sick and poor, and is known for its rich musical tradition - John's brother Charles Wesley wrote many of the hymns, today popular throughout the world. Early Methodists came from all levels of society, but the preachers took the message to farmers and labourers, having a huge effect on the developing working class. Methodists are historically known for their nonconformity, opposing slavery, accepting women as preachers, teetotalism, and observing a fast on Fridays.
When/where Methodism spread
Using the journals, letters, and official documents of dozens of itinerant (traveling) preachers, I compiled a data set of places and dates that Methodist services were occurring. Then I sorted the data chronologically, plotted it on a series of maps, and animated the images into a 30 second clip:
I am directly descended from a prominent early Bible Christian (Methodist) minister, and through this research, I'm learning more about my family's lifestyle and traditions. In future posts in this series, I will delve deeply into the early history of this influential belief system, which profoundly impacted Western culture - and determined my family's destiny.
(This content is of a very specific topic, and therefore not universally appealing, but it will be extremely interesting and useful to a certain audience, adding information and analysis to the Blurt blockchain which can't be found anywhere else.)
DRutter
Well written and interesting. Drawing me into a topic I usually have very little interest in. Normally I like to see photos of your latest weed creation! hahaha but this is cool too. Looking forward to the next :)
Thanks man, that's about the best I can hope for on something like this. I realize it's a narrow topic, but a certain audience is going to find it incredibly useful - a graphic like this does not currently exist, as far as I can tell. The Methodists later joined with the Presbyterians to form the United Churches of Canada and the US, which is one of the world's largest, so they certainly had an impact. Their origins and some of the key players seem worthy of study. And yeah, I've got a personal interest, because my Grampa's Grampa's Grampa was one of the early Methodist ministers, instrumental in settling Eastern Canada in the 1800s. The more I learn about him, the more I realize where many of my Grampa's traits (including those which I myself have picked up) came from. Remarkable to read about a man in a history book, and find numerous clear connections between him and I. Not that I agree with all his beliefs, or appreciate all that he did in life (he was kind of nasty to the celtic druids, for example), but learning about him is helping me learn about myself. I lost most of my blood relatives to Covid Craziness (tm), so "connecting" with my ancestors this way allows me to feel a part of my family again, even though the living members are totally rejecting me now. I'm excited to continue my research, and bring more historical (and personal) revelations to light.
Not only that, you will have some great information to pass on to your kid(s) as well.
and this
So sorry to hear that. Covid has been nothing less than bio-terrorism and psychological warfare.
Stay strong and keep on keep'n on. Not much else we can do.
I'll catch you on the next one! Hope you and the misses are having a great day! :)
Oh those Methodists and their vigorous missionary haha jk. Seriously though, it's cool to see where you come from, and so it's no wonder you are the way you are. The Methodist chain remains unbroken up until you. The 1700s seems so long ago but also so recent.
I'm not religious at all, but I like history, and this is part of history as well. Can't wait to see more of your articles.