Primitive Methodists
David Young
Date posted: 1 Sep 2016
Dear Sir,
I should like to thank Dr Robert Oliver
for his kind review of my recent book The
Great River: Primitive Methodism
till 1868
(en, July). He notes that the book opens
three
theological areas:
female preachers;
Arminianism;
perfectionism. He
asks
whether and how the Primitive Methodists
discussed and justified their use of female
preachers, as such debate is not recorded in
the book. Yes, they did write and speak in
defence of it, both among themselves and
with those who denied its legitimacy. The
book arose from an M. Phil thesis with the
University of Chester which attends to such
discussions and which I would be glad to
send by email attachment
to any
reader
interested in the matter. Dr Oliver wonders
whether I share the Prims’ Arminian theology. It was not my purpose in the book (nor
is it now) to enter into theological debate,
but to tell the story of that revival movement
in my native area, and it seemed appropriate to exclude personal comment on the extent
of the Atonement or on God’s method(s) of
sanctification.