Methodism is growing, both in numbers and influence, according to the World Methodist Council there are 78 Methodist, Wesleyan, and related Uniting and United churches representing over 80 million people in more than 130 nations. There are clear reasons for its success. Among them are commitment to evangelize and nurture people with the message of God's presence, love, and direction. That includes an appreciation for, and practice of, the holistic nature of the Wesleyan tradition which involves faith nurtured in the biblical narrative, disciplined personal and communal spirituality and holy living, vibrant preaching, worship, and fellowship, and a faith which rejoices in personal and social reform. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Methodism presents the history of Methodism through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on important institutions and events, doctrines and activities, and especially persons who have contributed to the church and also broader society in the three centuries since it was founded. This book is an ideal access point for students, researchers, or anyone interested in the history of the Methodist Church.

"With the assistance of 20 additional contributors, the editors of the two earlier editions of this dictionary offer a third edition 71 pages longer than the second (CH, Sep'05, 43-0020), updating readers' understanding of Methodism by revising, adding, and deleting entries. New entries include 'Africa University,' 'Architecture and Buildings,' 'Calvinism,' 'Willis Collins,' 'Nuelsen, John Louis,' 'Pakistan, Methodist Church of,' 'Perseverance of the Saints,' 'Piety,' 'Polity,' 'Predestination,' and 'Rupp, E. Gordon.' The general entries allow for Methodist interpretations of the topics. Statistics have been updated. The book includes a chronology from 1703 (birth of John Wesley) to 2012; an introduction (a brief history of the Methodist movement around the world, barely revised); topical entries for significant persons, places, events, documents, ideas, concepts, and church organizations; and an extensive bibliography. The bibliography emphasizes biographies and autobiographies of famous Methodist persons and includes a brief list of websites. More black-and-white illustrations are included than in the second edition. . . .This will be a useful book for all libraries collecting reference works on Christian denominations. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers." - CHOICE

"Editors Charles Yrigoyen, Jr., general secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church, and Susan E. Warrick, former assistant general secretary, once again serve as co-authors of this well-received reference title. The text, an alphabetically arranged dictionary of church leaders, events, and doctrines, is preceded and augmented by a list of acronyms used in the work, a chronology of important dates, and a brief history of Methodism. Entries about the history of Methodism in specific geographic regions are understandably longer than those that provide information about doctrine and people. Entries about doctrine are longer than entries about people. Coverage of the subject of Methodism is very broad. Entries range from a short paragraph to several pages in length and some provide black-and-white photographs (mainly of influential church leaders). Additional information on topics in this work can be found in sources that comprise the extensive bibliography. This work will be useful for students, researchers, and the general layperson interested in the Methodist church and its history." - American Reference Books Annual