Methodism and the Rise of Popular Literary Criticism
Brett McInelly, "Methodism and the Rise of Popular Literary Criticism "
English | ISBN: 1032456868 | 2023 | 226 pages | EPUB | 1016 KB
English | ISBN: 1032456868 | 2023 | 226 pages | EPUB | 1016 KB
This book examines how Methodism and popular review criticism intersected with and informed each other in the eighteenth century. Methodism emerged at a time when the idea of a ‘public square’ was taking shape, a process facilitated by the periodical press. Perhaps more so than any previous religious movement, Methodism, and the publications associated with it, received greater scrutiny largely because of periodical literature and the emergence of popular review criticism. The book considers in particular how works addressing Methodism were discussed and critiqued in the era’s two leading literary periodicals – The Monthly Review and The Critical Review. Focusing on the period between 1749 and 1789, the study encompasses the formative years of popular review criticism and some of the more dramatic moments in the textual culture of early Methodism. The author illustrates some of the specific ways these review journals diverged in their critical approaches and sensibilities as well as their politics and religious opinions. The
Read more