The Significance of the Supernatural in the American Methodist Circuit-rider Ministry (c. 1770s-1830s)

Download or read book The Significance of the Supernatural in the American Methodist Circuit-rider Ministry (c. 1770s-1830s) written by Adhurim Xhemajli and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study is the first to investigate the role and impact of the supernatural in the ministry of the early American Methodist preachers (c. 1770s-1830s). These preachers were known as circuit-riders and were appointed to evangelize the American frontier by presenting an experiential gospel: one that featured various supernatural phenomena that purportedly originated from God's Spirit. In employing this evangelistic strategy of the gospel message fueled by supernatural displays, Methodism rapidly expanded; despite beginning with only ten official circuit-riders in the early 1770s, by the early 1830s, circuit-riders had multiplied and caused Methodism to become the largest American denomination of its day. In investigating the significance of the supernatural in the circuit-rider ministry, this fresh study systematically constructs the theology of the supernatural according to the circuit-riders by discerning specific patterns in their use of the term. Further, the nature and reported impact of specific supernatural phenomena on both the individual circuit-rider and his audience is addressed. Finally, this investigation offers a new historical perspective through its demonstration of the correlation between the supernatural and the explosive membership growth of early American Methodism.