A crown and a cross : the origins, development and decline of the methodist class meeting in 18th century England

This thesis concerns
the origins, development and decline of
the Class Meeting.
Section one contains an overview of religious and societal change
from the
sixteenth century onwards. The heritage of John and Charles Wesley is studied
within
this milieu, and
the inheritance which John Wesley drew from that
examined. The consideration of
the Unitary Societies and Fetter Lane is both
chronological and analytical, charting the methods adopted
to accommodate a
desire for association, and reviewing the distinctive purposes of each societal
model. The study of English
religious association has not been previously
brought together in the manner of
this thesis, and
is vital
to a
full understanding
of
the following sections. The material collated
for section
two, the Class
Meeting as
the crown of Methodism is original, and draws on
testimony, diary
and
journal
records. Wesley's class was a successful conflation of disparate
doctrines, and modelled growth
in grace and holiness, which promoted a vital
affective
journey. An analysis of
the primary aims of
the class, which gave
the
Methodist people
their distinct characteristics,
is followed by a study of
the
social
identity and group processes
that occurred when prospective members
considered
joining the Methodists. Section three considers
the Class Meeting's
decline prior
to Wesley's death in 1791. Using the work of Weber (routinisation),
Durkheim (totemism) and Troeltsch (primary/secondary
religion) as
themes, the
section evaluates reasons why
the class became a cross. Journal, diary and
testimonial material supports
the Methodists' declining interest in the class
which
led to its irrelevance to a people seeking respectability. This thesis adds
to the body of knowledge in
relation
to the Class Meeting by investigating the
origins, rise and decline of
the class
in Wesley's lifetime, particularly
through the
use of social sciences
to examine reasons
for success and decline of
the class.