Customer Reviews

The Methodist Experience in America Volume 2: Sourcebook

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Richey, Rowe, and Schmidt are the preeminent authorities on the history of Methodism in the U.S. Richey is Dean of Candler School of Theology, Emory University (largest Methodist seminary in the country), Schmidt is a Professor of Church History at Illif School of Theology (She is preeminent scholar of women in the Methodist tradition), and Kenneth Rowe is Professor of Church History at Drew University and one of the heads of the Methodist Archives. This work represents, for them, a solid collection of primary source material for students of the denomination.

There choices in material ranges from the familar to the obscure,from the colonial to the contemporary, and pays attention to the voice of women, African-Americans, and Native Americans--all of whom are significant voices in the history of American Methodism.

The book is chronologically arranged with an excellent index and solid explanations prefacing each document. The work also contains an excellent timeline of American Methodism.

I would conclude by stating, that this volume is best single volume collection of documents from the Methodism that I have ever seen. It is a far cry from the fairly weak and dated collection put together by Norwood some years ago. It will, thus, be an invaluable addition to the library of students and scholars of Methodism. Its greatest area of usefulness, however, will be in the Methodist history courses necessary for ordination in the UMC Church. This volume will go a long way to aid instructors of those courses in teaching the subject.

This volume is the second volume of 2. The first volume (which will carry the same title) will be a survey text on the history of American Methodism. The work has been in development for some years and many, such as myself, anxiously await its release.