The Theology of Griffith Jones and Religious Thought in Eighteenth-Century Wales

This book describes the thought and work of an Anglican parson which were an early influence, leading towards a distinct Welsh Methodism and to present-day Evangelicalism, and the renewed confidence in the Welsh language effecting its survival in speech and literature.

Explores the theological beliefs and teachings of Griffith Jones, his support for the Welsh language, and his persuasion of English supporters.

The Theology of Griffith Jones and Religious Thought in Eighteenth-Century Wales discusses Griffith Jones’s High Church ministry and theology, which developed into mass evangelism in Wales. It considers his background, life as a parson, preaching in Welsh and educational interests, and his determination to remain within the Church of England. Bishop George Bull’s concerns about evangelism, the influence of the Prayer Book and Continental Pietism, “conversionism,” and the tendency to separatism are also discussed. Jones may not have been an original thinker, but he was an untiring communicator and organizer. There are sections on his catechizing, “baptismal covenant,” and moderate Calvinism, which influenced later Welsh Calvinistic Methodism. Jones’s advocacy of the Welsh language, especially with English donors to his schools, his links with the SPCK, and his collaboration with gentry—especially Sir John Philipps and Bridget Bevan—show the effectiveness with which he managed the growing evangelical movement in Wales.