Methodism & Globalization: The Historiography of an Imperial Movement

Abstract

This essay examines recent historiography on Methodism, globalization, and empire, arguing that Methodism should be understood as an imperial religious movement shaped by, and active within, the political, cultural, and economic structures of imperialism. Moving beyond older Anglo‐American and denominational narratives, the essay surveys scholarship that places Methodism within global networks of mission, migration, race, political economy, and social reform. It highlights how Methodist institutions and theologies both reinforced imperial norms and empowered colonized, African, African American, and other minoritized communities to reinterpret Christianity for local leadership, cultural identity, and anticolonial critique. Special attention is given to the Forward Movement and Methodist contributions to transnational Progressivism, while also acknowledging non‐Wesleyan Methodist traditions. The essay concludes that Methodism's imperial significance lies in its capacity to transmit reformist ideas while generating locally grounded forms of religious and political transformation.