Clash Over Slavery in the Methodist Church
A sharp, historical review of a church controversy that tested loyalty to law, conscience, and unity. This edition examines the Majority’s manifesto, the Minority’s protest, and the tricky politics surrounding Bishop Andrew and the church’s stance on slavery.
This work presents the arguments, counterarguments, and political maneuvering that followed a major General Conference. It sheds light on how law, tradition, and public opinion intersected in a church facing a national division over slavery and power.
- Debates over whether slaveholding should disqualify church leaders and influence elections
- Discussion of legal and constitutional questions within the church and how they shaped actions
- Analysis of accusations of extra-judicial actions and the role of church discipline
- Examination of the broader North–South conflict within Methodism and its lasting impact
Ideal for readers of church history, 19th-century American abolition debates, and scholars interested in how religious bodies navigated law, politics, and moral controversy.