Methodist Hymnology; Comprehending Notices of the Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley

Methodist Hymnology; Comprehending Notices Of The Poetical Works Of John And Charles Wesley by David Creamer is a 1848 bibliographic study of the Wesleyan hymn tradition. The work combines biographical sketches of hymn authors in the Methodist Hymn-Book with a scholarly survey of the poetical output of John and Charles Wesley, including the origins of their hymns, translations from German, and critical comparisons with Watts, Doddridge, Toplady, Addison, Newton, and Cowper. It is organized in three parts: Part I offers notices of the authors who contributed hymns to the Methodist Hymn-Book; Part II provides Notices of the Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley; Part III analyzes the hymns in the successive Wesleyan collections (the Methodist Episcopal Hymn-Book, the M.E. Church, South, and the Wesleyan Hymn-book), often with critical, historical, and exegetical commentary. The Preface explains Creamer’s lifelong interest in hymnology, his efforts to import reference works from London, and the collaboration with church figures. The book combines history, biography, and textual criticism related to Wesleyan hymnody. Original publication year: 1848.