'Inward & Outward Health': John Wesley's Holistic Concept of Medical Science the Environment and Holy Living

Synopsis: Inward and Outward Health is the first interdisciplinary scholarly collection to provide an in-depth and new perspective on the medical and scientific activity of one of the eighteenth centurys most successful and controversial theological figures John Wesley. These essays written by established scholars in the field convincingly correct a persistent view of Wesley as an irresponsible religious enthusiast who confused medical science and theology. The reader is given here instead a picture of someone who was a crucial admirer of Enlightenment principles: a deeply pious individual who could minister to the physical and spiritual welfare of the poor applying remedies for the body or prayer for the soul as and when appropriate. Endorsements: This collection of six essays unfolds the remarkably modern holistic approach to human health--physical psychological and spiritual--seen in the thought and practice of John Wesley in the eighteenth century. Grounded in a study of the natural philosophy and medical remedies from over two centuries ago the authors examine not only the historical context but also the continued relevance of many of these scientific and religious approaches in the present day. Trained in various fields of science and religion these writers bring a lively sense of contemporaneity to a wide variety of areas such as prayer and healing spiritual senses and ecological concerns body and soul life and death. This collection under the expert eye of Deborah Madden makes a major contribution to a growing field of historical inquiry that rightfully attracts contemporary attention. --Richard P. Heitzenrater William Kellon Quick Professor of Church History and Wesley Studies Duke University This is a superb collection of interdisciplinary research papers which illuminates not only the figure of John Wesley but also religion and medical science more generally in the eighteenth century. In the eighteenth century as now people did not live their lives in narrow academic disciplines and we miss so much when we study John Wesley only as a religious figure or study the history of science as though it proceeded without reference to religious conviction. This book will do much to put Wesley back into the full context of the eighteenth century in all its richness. It also shows the relevance of Wesleys holistic understanding of the human person for us all today. I used to get cheap laughs from audiences by quoting quaint remedies in Wesleys Primitive Physick especially those that involved electrifying the patient. No more! Now I will argue that John Wesley was the pioneer of the electrotherapy techniques used by my physiotherapist. --Bruce Hindmarsh James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology Regent College Author Biography: Deborah Madden is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Theology Faculty at the University of Oxford. She has written several articles on religion medicine and culture in the eighteenth century as well as a monograph examining John Wesleys medical activity.