A Theology of the Sacraments Interpreted by John and Charles Wesley

This volume brings together the theological interpretation of the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion as expressed in the writings and hymns of John and Charles Wesley.-Section 1 addresses the Anglican-Methodist sacrament of baptism as interpreted by John Wesley with excerpts from his Treatise on Baptism.-Section 2 contains commentaries on six of Charles Wesley's hymns on baptism. The commentaries seek to elucidate not only the theological emphases of the texts but also their meaning for the church today.-Section 3 moves to the sacrament of Holy Communion and includes excerpts from John Wesley's sermon "On the Duty of Constant Communion." Charles Wesley expresses similar views in his treatise on Holy Communion, "And upon the first Day of the Week," and in his twenty-two stanza poem "Happy the Saints of Former Days." -Section 4 includes the commentaries on sixteen Wesley hymns for Holy Communion.-Section 5 includes new musical settings for all of the twenty-two Wesley hymns on baptism and Holy Communion included here by twenty contemporary composers from North and South America, Asia, and Europe. In a variety of musical styles they seek to capture the various theological emphases and nuances of the texts.