As a religious and social phenomenon, Methodism engages with a number of disciplines including history, sociology, gender studies and theology. This Companion brings together a team of respected international scholars writing on key themes in World Methodism to produce an authoritative and state-of-the-art review of current scholarship. 'This work provides a comprehensive, insightful and stimulating introduction to the global spread of the Methodist movement. It is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand how and why Methodism has had such a significant influence in so much of the world.' Joanna Cruickshank, Deakin University, Australia 'This important volume accomplishes a task long overdue: that of assembling a constellation of scholars to examine the story of Wesley's Methodism in its rich mutations and diverse environments. It is essential reading for historians of Protestantism past and present.' John Walsh, University of Oxford, UK '... there is strong, contemporary scholarship throughout... it deserves its place alongside competing volumes and will be a standard work to be consulted for the next generation.' MET Connexion 'Beautifully produced, this companion is an ideal summary of the state of scholarship on global Methodism. In its focus on questions of interest to research students and its worldwide scope it has considerable advantages over both the other recently published companions.' Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society 'The text succeeds in presenting an honest portrayal of the Methodist denomination, taking into account different perspectives on social matters with the tradition. With its detailed scholarship, it constitutes a helpful reference text for graduate students of theology and polity. Ultimately, the volume is most valuable as a resource for those interested in a thorough account of Methodist church history.' Anglican Theological Review 'The fact that this is entitled the Ashgate Research Companion is significant in pointing to its strengths... each article is accompanied by extensive footnotes giving an up to date bibliography on the current state of research in the various topics... some of the articles evidence how, even in the short time since previous publications, their respective subjects have moved on... there is a concerted atte