Title: The Limits of a Catholic Spirit: John Wesley, Methodism, and Catholicism

PhD Thesis: 'Testing the Limits of a "Catholic Spirit": John Wesley, Methodism, and Catholicism' (NTC), 2018

What's the primary argument of your book?

My book argues that although he expressed principles for religious tolerance towards British Protestants in his sermon, Catholic Spirit, John Wesley never expected these principles to bring about unity between Protestants and Catholics in theology or politics.

What led you to study Wesley's ideas on Catholicism, especially the tension between the Catholic spirit and anti-Catholicism?

When I started my studies, I was seeking for an ecumenical theology coming from Wesley's Catholic Spirit, but the more I studied, the more I kept finding cases where he was not ecumenical with Catholics and Catholicism.

How does your book contribute to contemporary Protestant-Catholic dialog?

Wesley has been set up by some as an ecumenical genius because of his sermon Catholic Spirit and his Letter to a Roman Catholic. However, I seek to show he did not intend either of these documents to bring unity between Catholics and Protestants because he thought Catholics were politically dangerous. Many British people, even in Parliament had moved on from this idea by the end of the eighteenth century. If Wesley had focused on the similarities between Protestants and Catholics he laid out in Letter to a Roman Catholic, we would have seen less Methodist anti-Catholicism in the nineteenth century, and his twentieth and twenty-first century heirs could have hailed him as an ecumenical pioneer with greater accuracy. These are the lessons we can learn from Wesley for Protestant-Catholic dialog.

What does it mean to you to be a historian in the Wesleyan tradition?

It is a privilege and honour to be a part of this long line of Wesley scholars.

How do you see your scholarly work as part of your ministry?

Wesleyanism provides an optimism of grace that no other branch of Christianity does. We believe that no life is beyond the transformation of God. We look at the world with an optimism of grace, that if the people of God do their part, the world can truly be changed! I hope my studies show the church this optimism of Grace.

What are some of the differences between writing a doctoral thesis and writing a scholarly monograph?

You have to follow the guidelines of your publishing house and your editor rather than your supervisor, but mostly you are working on your own.

Did you find new evidence or learn new information while rewriting?

I added a new chapter while rewriting, so I found new information on Wesley's use of Catholic devotional material.

What made NTC and Manchester ideal places to undertake your doctoral studies?

The access to the MWRC and NTC libraries and Rylands library made Manchester an ideal place for doctoral studies. I spent many hours in Rylands studying the Methodist archives, especially letters of John and Charles Wesley.

What are some other projects in progress or ones you're looking forward to post-publication?

I co-authored with Sègbégnon Mathieu Gnonhossou, “Conversion as an Act of Reclamation: John and Charles Wesley’s  Interaction with Two West African Enslaved Men,”  It will be published in  Wesley and Methodist Studies in January 2023.  

I published a novel called Rush to the Heartland about the 1889 Oklahoma land run in June 2021. I'm working on a sequel to the novel now called Division in the Heartland about a town with no men in 1894 Oklahoma, based on a true story.

Currently I'm working on a project highlighting egalitarian marriage in early Methodists. 

What advice do you have for recent doctoral graduates who want to publish their theses?

Decide if you want to do a major rewrite and find out which publishers are going to ask you do that before sending it off for publication. I wanted to add a chapter and do a slight rewrite, so I went with Wipf & Stock.