Blake and the Methodists

Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. "Blake and the Methodists explores the work of the poet and painter William Blake (1757-1827) within the context of Methodism - the largest 'dissenting' religious group during his lifetime - and contributes to ongoing critical debates surrounding Blake's religious affinities by suggesting that, contrary to previous thinking, Blake held sympathies with certain aspects of Methodism, particularly as it was preached by its founder-member, John Wesley. Farrell suggests that Blake's theology is essentially eclectic in combining different aspects of doctrine and practice from diverse religious and mystical traditions, and argues for a less radicalised perception of the writer's theological outlook than has previously been surmised by scholars"-- Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-14 Blake and Methodism: Context and Theory....Pages 15-29 The Moravians....Pages 30-50 Blake, Wesley and Theology....Pages 51-68 Literary Culture....Pages 69-87 Hymnody....Pages 88-111 Night Thoughts....Pages 112-132 Blake, Wesley and Milton....Pages 133-161 The New Birth....Pages 162-192 Conclusion....Pages 193-196 Back Matter....Pages 197-259 Exploring the work of William Blake within the context of Methodism – the largest 'dissenting' religious group during his lifetime – this book contributes to ongoing critical debates surrounding Blake's religious affinities by suggesting that, contrary to previous thinking, Blake held sympathies with certain aspects of Methodism.