The titles listed below are some of the basic resources useful for your research in Methodist history. Methodism materials may be housed in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as well as in the Divinity School Library.
Bibliographies
Batsel, John and Lyda. Union List of United Methodist Serials 1773-1973. General
Commission on Archives and History, United Methodist Church with the United
Methodist Librarians Fellowship, and Garrett Theological Seminary, 1974.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8331.2 .B354 1974 and online at http://www.gcah.org/MethList.pdf
Bucke, Emory S., ed. History of American Methodism. 3 vols. Abingdon Press, 1964.
Div. Sch. BX8235 .H5 1964 / Copies in stacks, Reference and BMRC
Eltscher, Susan M. Women in the Wesleyan and United Methodist Traditions: A
Bibliography. General Commission on Archives and History, United Methodist Church, 1991.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8345.7 .E47 1992
Gray, C. Jarrett, Jr. The Racial and Ethnic Presence in American Methodism: A Bibliography. General Commission on Archives and History, United Methodist Church, 1991.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8435 .G739 1991
Jarboe, Betty M. John and Charles Wesley: A Bibliography. Scarecrow Press, 1987.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8495.W5 J373 1987
Lenhart, Thomas E. and Frederick A. Norwood. Native American Methodists: A Reading List. Commission on Archives and History, United Methodist Church, 1979.
Div. Sch. BMRC E98.R3 L464 1979
Rowe, Kenneth E. Methodist Union Catalog, Pre-1976 Imprints. Scarecrow Press, 1975 - . 7 vols. (A-Le) published to date.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8331.2 .R694 1975
Rowe, Kenneth E. United Methodist Studies: Basic Bibliographies. 4th. ed. Abingdon Press, 1998
Div. Sch. BX8331.2 .U558 1998 / Copies on Ready Reference Shelves and BMRC
Zimmermann, George A. Disciplinograph: A Guide to Methodist Disciplines, 1785-1992. Morris Publishing, 1994.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8211.Z9 Z44 1994
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Harmon, Nolan B., ed. Encyclopedia of World Methodism. 2 vols. United Methodist Publishing House, 1974.
Div. Sch. BX8211 .E5 1974 / Copies in stacks, Ready Reference shelves and BMRC
Kirby, James E., Russell E. Richey, and Kenneth E. Rowe. The Methodists. Greenwood Press, 1996. (Includes a bibliographic essay and biographical dictionary).
Div. Sch. BX8382.2.A4 K57 1996 / Copies in stacks and BMRC
Kostlevy, William C., ed. Historical Dictionary of the Holiness Movement. Scarecrow Press, 2001.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX7990.H6 H55 2001
Rogal, Samuel J. A Biographical Dictionary of 18th Century Methodism. 10 vols. Edwin Mellen Press, 1997 - 1999.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8491 .R64 1997
Simpson, Matthew. Cyclopedia of Methodism. Everts & Stewart, 1878.
Div. Sch. quarto BX8211 .S5 1878 / Other editions also located in stacks and reference.
Vickers, John A., ed. A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland. Epworth Press, 2000.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8211 .D52 2000
Yrigoyen, Charles, Jr. and Susan E. Warrick. Historical Dictionary of Methodism. 2nd ed. Scarecrow Press, 2005.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX 8211 .H57 2005
General Resources
Print:
Annual Conference Journals
(The most current journal for each conference in the United States is located in the BMRC with older journals from other United Methodist conferences and their antecedents are found in the stacks. See a reference librarian if you have difficulty locating a particular conference journal.)
The Book of Discipline (and its antecedents)
Methodist Episcopal Church. 1828-1936 Div. Sch. BMRC BX8241 .D3555
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 1846-1938 Div. Sch. BMRC BX8241 .M4845
Methodist Church. 1939-1964 Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .M48465
United Methodist Church. 1968 - to date Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .U5582
Evangelical United Brethren Church. 1942-1967 Div. Sch. BX7556.A2 E9365
Methodist Protestant Church. 1831-1936 Div. Sch. BX8403 .M484
The Book of Resolutions of the United Methodist Church. 1968 - to date.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .U5583
Decisions of the Judicial Council
http://archives.umc.org/interior_judicial.asp?mid=263
- Also found in the General Minutes. Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .U5584
Journal of the General Conference
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 1846-1938 Div. Sch. BMRC BX8241 .G4646
Methodist Episcopal Church. 1796-1936 Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .G4645
Methodist Church. 1940-1964 Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .G464
United Methodist Church. 1968 - to date Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .G4648
Evangelical United Brethren Church. 1946 Div. Sch. BX7556.A1 E944
Methodist Protestant Church. 1834-1936 Div. Sch. BX8403 .G464
Minutes of the Annual Conferences (continued as General Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church). 1773 - to date.
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8235 .M4842
Div. Sch. BMRC BX8241 .M4847 (for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1845-1940)
Rogal, Samuel. Guide to the Hymns and Tunes of American Methodism. Greenwood
Press, 1986.
Div. Sch. Ref. ML102.H95 R6 1986
United Methodist Hymnal
Div. Sch. M2127 .U555 1989 / Located in stacks, Reference Room and BMRC
Wesleyan Methodist Church. Conference Minutes. 1744-1866, 1870-1875.
Div. Sch. BX8351 .A12
Online:
The General Commission on Archives and History for The United Methodist Church
http://www.gcah.org
- Includes full text resources, annual conference archive contacts, and brief explanations of topics in United Methodist history.
John Rylands University Library of Manchester, Methodist Archives and Research Centre
http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/searchresources/guidetospecialcollections/methodist/
- Includes an online text library, web exhibits, and several online research guides in addition to information about the Archive’s print resources.
The Methodist Church of Great Britain
http://www.methodist.org.uk
- The official website of The Methodist Church of Great Britain.
United Methodist Information
http://www.umc.org/
- The official website of The United Methodist Church
Wesley Center for Applied Theology, Northwest Nazarene College
http://wesley.nnu.edu/
- A collection of online resources related to the holiness tradition and Wesleyan theology
Works of John and Charles Wesley
Print:
The Journal of the Rev. Charles Wesley. 2 vols. Methodist Reprint Society, 1977.
Div. Sch. BX8495.W4 A34 1977.
The Letters of the Rev. John Wesley. Edited by John Telford. 8 vols. The Epworth Press, 1931.
Div. Sch. BX8495.W5 A33 1931 / copies in stacks and BMRC
Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley. Edited by George Osborn. 13 vols. Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1868-1872.
Div. Sch. PR4763.W5 A17 1868
The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley. Edited by S.T. Kimbrough, Jr. and Oliver A. Beckerlegge. 3 vols. Kingswood Books, 1988-1992.
Div. Sch. PR3763.W4 A6 1988 / copies in stacks and BMRC
The Works of John Wesley. Begun as "The Oxford Edition of the Works of John Wesley" (Clarendon Press, 1975-1983); Continued as "The Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley" (Abingdon Press, 1984- ). Ongoing; vols. published to date: 1-4, 7, 9, 11, 18-26.
Div. Sch. BX8217 .W5 1975 / copies in stacks, Reference Room and BMRC
The Works of John Wesley (on compact disc; includes the full Jackson edition and the Bicentennial edition vols. 1-4, 7, 18-24)
Check out cd from Circulation Desk; insert into one of the computers across from the Circulation Desk. Click on the "Circulating CDs" icon; click on the title.
The Works of the Rev. John Wesley. Edited by Thomas Jackson. 14 vols. Wesleyan Methodist Book Room, 1829-1831.
Div. Sch. BX8217 .W54/ Copies in stacks, Reference Room and BMRC
Online:
CCEL Wesley Full-text
http://www.ccel.org/index/author-W.html
- Includes public doman editions of Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People Called Methodists; Journal of John Wesley; Plain Account of Christian Perfection; Sermons on Several Occasions; and Wesley’s Notes on the Bible
Charles Wesley’s Hymns via Cyberhymnal
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/w/e/s/wesley_c.htm
- While Charles Wesley’s page includes the most material, subsequent pages list some hymns written by other members of the Wesley family, including Charles Wesley, Jr., John Wesley, Samuel Wesley, Jr., Samuel Wesley, and Samuel Sebastian Wesley.
The Wesleys and Their Times
http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/
- A collection of primary and secondary materials pertaining to John, Charles, and Susanna Wesley.
Full Text Databases
African American newspapers: the 19th century
- Provides the full text of articles from the following newspapers: Freedom's Journal, The Colored American, The North Star, The National Era, Provincial Freeman, Frederick Douglass Papers, and The Christian Recorder.
Digital library of classic Protestant texts
- Includes primary texts, facsimiles, and selected English translations 1500-1700
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800
- A definitive resource for research on 17th and 18th century American history and life including such varied topics as agriculture, foreign affairs, diplomacy, literature, music, religion, science, philosophy, the Revolutionary War, temperance, and witchcraft.
Early English Books Online (EEBO)
- EEBO reproduces over 125,000 books, pamphlets and broadsides published in English between 1475 and 1700.
Eighteenth century collections online
- The complete works of many 18th century authors, women writers of the 18th century and French Revolution collections are included.
Eighteenth Century Journals II
- Journals from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center collection of 17th and 18th century newspapers and periodicals.
- A fully-searchable library of over 250,000 full text works of English and American literature dating from 600 CE.
North American women's letters and diaries
- Includes records from more than 1500 women from colonial times to 1950
Women and social movements in the United States, 1600-2000
- Primary source document collections from colonial times to the present. Items are arranged by social movement, as well as by authors, sources, etc.
Periodical Indexes
- The database includes indexing of Methodist periodicals beginning with 1818.
Methodist Periodical Index v.1-15, 1961-75; incorporating United Methodist Periodical Index.
Div. Sch. Ref. BX8201 .M4847
Methodist Reviews Index, 1818-1985. comp. by Elmer J. O'Brien. 2 vols. General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, United Methodist Church, 1989.
Div. Sch. BMRC q BX8201 .M484 1989
- Provides indexing to nineteenth century periodicals, books, newspapers, and government documents. Includes Index to periodical articles in religion, 1890-1899.
Wesley Historical Society Proceedings: General Index to vols. 1-30 and Publications 1-4, 1897-1956. comp. by John A. Vickers. Wesley Historical Society, 1960.
Div. Sch. BX8203 .W475 1960 / Located in stacks, Reference Room and BMRC
Serials
Arminian Magazine (London, Eng.). 1778-1797
Div. Sch. BX8201 .W4754
Christian Advocate
(see Batsel, Union List of United Methodist Serials [BMRC BX8331.2 .B354 1974] for proper titles and then search online catalog for call numbers)
Methodist History. 1962 - to date
Div. Sch. BX8235 .M44
Methodist Quarterly Review. 1847-1930 and Methodist Review. 1818-1931
Located in BMRC (see sheet in the BMRC for title changes and call numbers)
Quarterly Review. 1980 - 2005
Div. Sch. BX8235 .Q378
Religion in Life. 1932-1980
Div. Sch. BR1 .R28
United Brethren Review [and Quarterly Review of the United Brethren in Christ] 1890-1908.
Div. Sch. BX9875.A1 U558
Wesley Historical Society. Proceedings. 1897 - to date
Div. Sch. BX8203.W51 A3
Microfiche/Microfilm
The People Called Methodists: A Documentary History of the Methodist Church in Great
Britain and Ireland on Microfiche. IDC Publishers, 1998.
Print Guide: Div. Sch. BMRC BV2550.A27 P467 1998
Microfiche: Div. Sch. M1
- Includes primary sources from 1738-1932. Examples: letters, diaries, pamphlets, periodicals, monographs.
Missionary Files. Scholarly Resources, 1999.
Microfilm: Div. Sch. M2 – M3 – M4 – M5 – M6 – M7
- Covers the time period of 1846-1949 and includes materials (files, correspondence, etc.) from the Methodist Episcopal Church and Methodist Episcopal Church, South related to missions in Africa and China.
Miscellaneous Serials
Arminian magazine (Philadelphia, Pa.). 1789-1790
Perkins Microfilm N455
Christian Advocate (Central) 1941-1968
Microfilm: Div. Sch. S13
Christian Advocate (Southwestern) 1873-1940
Microfilm: Div. Sch. S13
Christian Index 1938-1946
Microfilm: Div. Sch. S11
Daily Christian Advocate 1848-1938
Microfilm: Div. Sch. S8 and S9
Methodist Quarterly Review 1847-1930
Microfilm: Div. Sch. S17
Woman's Missionary Friend 1869-1940
Microfilm: Div. Sch. S12
Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Special Collections Library
Along with the substantial holdings in American Methodism, the collection of Wesleyana and British Methodism material comprises one of the most comprehensive Wesleyana collections in the world. See the Religious Material in Rubenstein Guide for more information.