Since the relevance of this chapter has been outlined above, it inevitably explores the historical background and different conditions that gave rise to Wesley‘s theology. Methodism‘s foundations were laid by John (1703-1791) and Charles Wesley (1707-1788) around the late 1720s when they structured Holy Clubs that were designed to convey spiritual practices, and ethical teachings that had been abandoned by the Anglican Church in England. As they tried to retrieve the existence and thought of the early Christian church, the Wesley brothers did not envisage splitting from the Church of England but somehow to stir it to life. Not only was he known for his piety, but John Wesley was also a distinguished founding leader of the Methodist movement as he wrote extensively and ministered in the eighteenth- century as an Anglican priest who pursued the traditions of the English and Continental Reformers. He emphasised the grace of the supreme God who is active in the lives of the people. However, Wesley demonstrated that grace was at work through faith in the lives of the believers (Hiatt, 2008). Wesley‘s theology of salvation incorporated health and wealth issues that are central in his ministry and the mission of early Methodism (Maddox 2007), that are important for this study.
Wesley‘s theology and the execution of mission interacted with the political, economic and social environment that facilitated the spiritual decline of the clergy‘s spiritual status in the Church of England. As these conditions triumphed in John Wesley‘s time, ―the light of Christianity was fading into dusky shadows as a gloomy spiritual darkness settled upon British landscape‖ (Hiatt 2008:40).
2.2.1 Political Conditions
The political condition in the time of Wesley was such that Parliament, specifically the House of Commons, gained power that was formerly reserved for the top authorities alone (Hiatt 2008). Despite this situation where Parliament gained more authority, they remained loyal to the Monarchy see also (Black, 2001). England changed from an agro-based economy to an industrial-based economy and it rose to power and dominance in Europe. This became a
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catalyst for development regarding economy, ideology, politics and other spheres of influence in Britain. On the other hand, ―the industrial revolution of 1760-1830 changed the economic relationships to a laissez-faire free market economy‖(Kennedy 1989:72). This means that production and sale of goods and services was done with little or no control from the government. This situation has both advantages and disadvantages where on the positive side, producers produce what is demanded by consumers at a reasonable price due to competition on the market. Second, there is no red tape in the market that is guided by demand of goods and services. On the other hand, a free market economy produces poor quality products since profit maximization is the motivation for industry; they try to reduce their costs by exploiting workers.
During the time of Wesley in England, in this industrial-based economy, women and children were exploited and became vulnerable to the patriarchal society. Black observes that women were subjugated in terms of receiving miserable wages; they were suppressed in reading skills and were sexually at risk in domestic services. ―The oppressive structures of society denied the poor the opportunity to progress beyond their status quo‖ (2001:90-91). Even though the economic development was simultaneously depriving women and children in England, it gave rise to a working class during the industrial revolution (Hiatt 2008). Wesley‘s members and supporters came from ―this working class,‖ as Heitzenrater states (1995:127). As a result of a peaceful environment where there was free movement, Methodism, through Wesley, expanded and spread far and wide with the rise of industry and the middle class people who carried the message overseas (Hiatt 2008). Britain during this time had gained its wealth through colonial enterprises and exploitation of new territories that they had colonized – one of which includes Zimbabwe. The political conditions in England worked as a catalyst in the development of Wesley‘s theology. These and other conditions are similar to what is prevailing in Zimbabwe; a detailed explanation is given in the next section and chapters three and five.
2.2.2 Economic Conditions
Hiatt observes that in England, economics strongly affected the daily conduct of individuals in the eighteenth century and contributed immensely in shaping Wesley‘s theology (Hiatt 2008). The eighteenth century industrial revolution ushered in a new change as England shifted from an agro-based economy to an industrialized economy where the use of money
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was in the hands of the few and the market economy was now shaping the labour force. The focus for individuals was on how to create more wealth. England‘s aim economically was to stretch as far as possible into the wider market, for its products to obtain more resources. This economic system motivated individuals to acquire more wealth, which contradicted Wesley‘s ideas that Christians should desist from excessive wealth possession. The creation of more wealth is viewed in the eyes of Hiatt as a stepping stone to social recognition, and as a result, competition to obtain the currency arose (Hiatt 2008).
The rise of the Bank of England in 1964 as a result of the financial reforms of 1720 gave England a stable economy that allowed outside investors to trade with England. In Wesley‘s days, people moved from the countryside to industrial cities in search of employment. Poverty was thriving in both rural and urban areas but conditions were generally worse for the urban poor. During the rise in the economic status of England, Britain was a prevailing financial and military world power (Black 2001). These and other conditions engineered the rise of Wesley‘s theology on health and wealth as a remedy or alternative response to the way how people were living and how they ought to live in the society. The above economic scenario that motivated individuals to acquire more wealth are similar to the prevailing conditions in Zimbabwe, hence the need to evaluate the relevance of Wesley‘s theology of health and wealth in the MCZ.
2.2.3 Religious Conditions
As the Church of England was in its lowest ebb spiritually around 1700, the Protestant groups and the Methodist movement with the state church multiplied in the religious circles and garnered some political influence. There are other religious movements or reformations, like the Great Awakening, Moravians and Pietism, that were taking place alongside the Methodist movement, which, due to space and time, are not the focus of this study.
At the rise of the eighteenth century, crime, poverty and struggles constituted dominant features of the English society. Deism was the order of the day where some people viewed God of the Bible as either absent from daily activities or as a fantasy of the unenlightened (Hiatt 2008). With the decline of vital piety in the eighteenth century, the Church of England suffered spiritually and pastorally due to the clergy who were always absent from duty but continued to earn their salaries from their parishes despite their absenteeism. The clergy
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could be seen spending their money on hunting, socializing with the gentry or on other entertainment while neglecting the needs of the poor parishioners ( 2008).
The church made available limited chances to those families who were born from low societal standing, but favoured the privileged or the cream of the crop with greatest opportunities. The social elite dubbed the ―underprivileged as the vulgar, the mob, the rabble, gazed upon them as lazy and useless, and treated them unsympathetically,‖ as confirmed by Hiatt (:55). What is fascinating is that the clergy in the Church of England treated the destitute of the society in the worst manner, worse than non-religious leaders could do. Such circumstances in the Church of England contributed to ―Wesley‘s actions, implemented both unwaveringly and circuitously‖ (:56). Even though there was a generally negative picture of the poor, Wesley under no circumstances despised them but viewed the poor as hardworking, spiritually important and as bearing the image of God (Black 2001). In view of the fact that governing societies were in the habit of controlling their subordinates using medical attention, poor relief, charity and moral reproach, Wesley worked with intent to neutralize this hatred of the poor (Hiatt 2008 see also Heitzenrater 1995). An account of the health and wealth motif as a response to the above conditions will be given in chapter three. Now that we have explored the conditions that necessitated the development of Wesley‘s theology, it is critical to view the historical trajectory of educational institutions that originated from the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
2.3 The Origins and Development of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe Educational