Charles Wesley: A Treasury of Theology in Song
Charles Wesley was the absolute master of taking the teachings of the Bible and an understanding of abstruse theological concepts and, by skilful weaving and with a sure feel for words, turning his material into accessible, memorable, uplifting verse.
Did the Wesleys Really Use Drinking Song Tunes for Their Hymns?
There is a popular misconception that continues to survive among United Methodists that John and Charles Wesley made use of tavern, drinking, or bar songs, as melodies for their hymns.
Debunking the Wesley Tavern Song Myth
Methodist Hymns May, or May Not Be Based on Tavern Tunes
by Maura Jane Farrelly, Voice of America News
There's a myth circulating among Methodists in the United States. Many believe the denomination's founders, John and Charles Wesley, based their hymns on tavern tunes that were popular in
eighteenth-century England. The idea is that the brothers wrote new lyrics to the tunes, in an effort to spread Christianity's message to
people who spent their Sundays in taverns, rather than at church. But a
Methodist scholar who studies sacred music says this story simply isn't true, and he thinks it's important for church leaders to understand that. As part of VOA's ongoing series on religion in America, Maura Farrelly explains why.
Music Musing #64: August 19, 2005
Wesley's Tavern Songs
