What is Methodism? Is “Adam Bede” a propagation of this religious phenomenon?

Q 9: 

What is Methodism? Is “Adam Bede” a propagation of this religious phenomenon? 

 Answer: 

Methodism may be defined as “a movement of reaction against the apathy of the Church of England that prevailed in the early part of 18^th

 century. John Wesley, who was a student at Oxford and took holy orders in 1725, founded this movement. Methodist society was formed in 1729 when a few young men at Oxford came together under his leadership. Their object was the promotion of piety and morality. The greatest success of this movement was among the lower classes. When the Methodist movement strengthened, lady preachers were appointed to meet the need. First Wesley Conference was held in1744, in which women were allowed to preach but later they were restricted to preach. In the beginning, this movement worked under the established church, but as the society grew, it became more independent. However, separation was made after the death of Wesley in 1791.   “Adam Bede” was published in 1859, but the story of the novel takes place in 1799. This was the time of most stirring events all over the world. Civil war was fought in United States, in Italy there raised the Movement of Independence, Japan came out of self-imposed isolation, Russia freed her occupied areas, and France fell to internal strife. But Hays lope in England, in which the action of the novel takes place, remains unaffected by all these events.

In “Adam Bede”, the famous religious movement of the time, Methodism, is discussed. Dinah Morris, who is one of the most devoted and firm Methodist, represents this movement. She is a very influential preacher and her sermons show the characteristics of Methodist preaching. Her first appearance in the novel is in a sermon at Hays lope. This sermon has a purely Methodist appeal. At first there is an emphasis on God’s love for poor, then there is a call for repentance over the sins and in the end there is warning against worldly vanity. This speech is very much similar to one of the speeches of Wesley. This speech creates a moving affect on the audience. However, by and large, the people of Hays lope remained unaffected by Methodism, while people of Snowfield are more receptive of it.

Dinah is an example of the most sincere type of Methodist. She has a soft nature and has great sympathy for the sinners. Her chief aim is to know the will of God and to follow it. She consults the Bible before taking any crucial decision. Hence, she rejects Seth  and accepts Adam 

after consolation. Dinah’s Methodist spirit also appears on two occasions. First one is when she visits Lisbeth Bede to console her on her husband’s death. With her soothing words and manners, she helps Lisbeth to regain her self-control.

Dinah gets this healing touch through her Methodist learning.

The other occasion comes when Dinah meets Hetty 

in prison and makes her confess. Hetty has no concept of the agony of soul. She fears only for the suffering of the body. But Dinah 

makes her feel the physical presence of God with them. She urges

Hetty,  “To put a new fear within her-the fear of her sin. Thus, because of Dinah’s efforts and prayers, Hetty realizes the sufferings of her soul, confesses her crime and repents on her sin. The novel also presents the tolerant attitude of the established church towards Methodism. Through a short speech at the end, it is made clear that Dinah 

is not going to preach anymore.

It is because the Second Wesley Conference has forbidden the women to preach. It was felt that women preachers did more harm than goodness with their preaching. But

Dinah does not belong to that group of women. She is a symbol of purity and a force of good. Moreover, much of the story involves Methodism and hence it progresses through Dinah. However, Eliot is more concerned with the psychology of the characters and their moral choice. She wants to moralize the people and Dinah’s Methodist approach also highlights the moral elements to be developed in the people.