The Limits of a Catholic Spirit

The Limits of a Catholic Spirit fills the gap that is John Wesley and Catholicism. No other book has provided such an in-depth study of the perils Wesley faced when he encountered Catholicism. With the use of rare primary sources that tell of anti-Methodist riots in Ireland to Wesley's preachers getting kidnapped and forced to serve in the army, this study will provide you with historical information you've never encountered. It will explore questions that have held Wesley scholars captive for decades.

Was John Wesley responsible for sparking the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780 in London? Kelly Diehl Yates searched eighteenth-century documents in the National Archives of the United Kingdom to find out.

Was John Wesley aligned with the Jesuits?

Was John Wesley a Jacobite, an enemy of the British Crown?

Did John Wesley require Irish Catholics to denounce Catholicism to join Methodist societies?

By the end of The Limits of a Catholic Spirit, you'll find answers to all these questions and more.