Susanna Wesley’s reputation has traditionally been "fame by association," primarily as the mother of John and Charles Wesley, the most prominent of the founders of the worldwide Christian movement of Methodism. But Susanna was an accomplished writer, practical theologian, dedicated teacher and principled churchwoman, deeply devoted to God. We can glimpse in this anthology not only the triumphs and authentic struggles of a woman in the eighteenth century, but also find resonance and inspiration for our own life’s journey today.
Each extract from Susanna’s extensive penning of journal entries, letters and advice to her children, is set briefly in context for the reader. A product of her time and yet ahead of it, Susanna Wesley (1669 – 1742) is celebrated here in her own right – and through her own writing:
• her own accounts of the turning points in her life, including the fire that ravaged the family home in Epworth
• her engagement with the intellectual and spiritual thinkers of her day
• her motherly wisdom to her three sons and seven daughters
• her meditations and spiritual reflections.
These extracts were chosen and set in context by the Revd Dr Charles I Wallace Jr, foremost expert and transcriber of Susanna Wesley’s writings, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of her birth.
