Studying History

 

How might studying history help us understand ourselves more deeply? How might have Wesley's historical context shaped him?

When we study history, one of the potential outcomes is that we come to understand ourselves better than we did before.  We learn the historical events and factors that shaped our ancestors and us.  For example, my own church became a Methodist Episcopal Church South in the 19^th century and then a Methodist Church in 1939. Knowing my local church has a history connected to the support of slavery and racism, I wonder how that has shaped who we are today – a reconciling ministry congregation that is open to everyone.  As I look back at my own childhood, I see that I grew up as our country was building rockets to go to the moon and hearing about Watergate on the television. How has that shaped my view of life? Do I have a more global outlook after seeing the fascinating images of the earth from the moon? Is my own distrust of politics linked to what I learned about Watergate?

 

Wesley was born during the middle of the Industrial Revolution in England with its accompanying shift of people to city centers, increased gap between the richest and the poorest, and increases in industries including mining and mechanized industry.  This was one of the most impactful changes in human life for centuries. Wesley was born after the political and religious revolutions of the Tudor and Stuart royal families in England as well as the English Civil Wars.  He lived in a post-Reformation England with great anti-Catholic sentiments and in a Church of England (government supported) that strove to find a middle ground in faith.  Wesley was born in a time that was beginning to experience global trade and colonization. It was a seminal time to be a person of faith in England.  Wesley believed and taught that it was necessary to live not only a life of personal holiness but also social justice. How could he ignore the people around him who needed help? How could his faith not be influenced by the vast changes in beliefs around him?