To know the story of Nathan Bangs is to understand American Methodism
between the death of Francis Asbury and the Civil War. During the
nineteenth century, the Methodist Episcopal Church transformed from an
alternative society into a middle-class, mainstream denomination. While
some scholars attribute Bangs with a desire for respectability, this
book argues that respectability might have been more the result of
Bang's mission to spread scriptural holiness than the cause. By
documenting his life, ministry, and ecclesial leadership, this book
shows how Nathan Bangs made Methodism more effective and helped it live
into its missionary ethos by introducing standards and standardization.
