Research Guides: Methodist History: Home

Getting Started

In conducting research in Methodist History, there are several kinds of information you may need:

Primary sources from your chosen time and place
Secondary sources, or overviews, to contextualize your primary sources.
Succinct background information on the historical and cultural setting of Methodism provided by dictionaries and encyclopedias
Scholarly research on Methodist History texts and topics found in peer reviewed journal articles, essay collections, and monographs.

ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials PLUS This link opens in a new window
The ATLA Religion Database is a comprehensive database designed to support religious and theological scholarship, including history, in graduate education and faculty research.
Handbook of Texas Online This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia of topics useful for contextualizing the history of Methodism in Texas.
Ministry Matters This link opens in a new window
Ministry matters includes the Works of John Wesley (Bicentennial edition) as well as other resources in Theology and the History of Christian thought.
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church This link opens in a new window
Uniquely authoritative and wide-ranging in its scope, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church is the indispensable one-volume reference work on all aspects of the Christian Church.

The Encyclopedia of World Methodism by Nolan B. Harmon
Publication Date: 1974
Published in 1974, this two-volume work remains useful for selecting research topics for papers assigned in Methodist History.
The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies by William J. Abraham; James E. Kirby
Publication Date: 2009
Collection of essays by some of the best scholars in the area of Methodist Studies.