The summer 2026 issue of the Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society has just been published. In this number we have two research articles; Dutch historian Pieter J. Slootweg – a new author for the PWHS – explores John Wesley’s attitude towards animal death and suffering. The article examines whether Wesley believed that God created animals as mortal beings, or whether their mortality is a consequence of Adam’s fall and the subjection of all creation to futility. He argues that there was often some inconsistency in Wesley’s view, hinting too that Welsey’s views on the subject have become of interest once more by those supporting a young-earth view of creation. Our second article is a lavishly illustrated piece by regular contributor Peter Forsaith, looking at the portrait prints that were published in the Arminian/Methodist Magazine between 1778 and 1850. The issue has all of our other usual features as well, six reviews of some of the latest publications in the field, notices, and two obituaries (including that of our much missing General Secretary – David Leese). This issue also includes the latest instalment of the Bibliography of Methodist Historical Literature – an indispensable guide for all researchers in Wesley studies and modern church history more generally.
Copies of the Proceedings can be obtained through subscribing to the Wesley Historical Society Details can be found by following this link to the Membership page.
David Ceri Jones, President and Proceedings Editor, Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society