ABSTRACT
The ‘unofficial’ versions refer to Wesley’s comments on his conversion found throughout the corpus of his writings. When studied as a group, the development of Wesley’s interpretation of his conversion becomes evident, leading to a better understanding of his mature perspective in the 1770s. The chapter looks at Wesley’s 1738 letters as a collection, his miscellaneous remarks spread throughout his writings, the 1774/75 footnotes attached to the 1738 journal, and the sermon collection.
Some central findings of the chapter are that Wesley’s post-conversion doubts were connected to developments in the revival, and that his interpretation evolved as his soteriology developed. Wesley’s mature perspective is shown to be expressed in the 1774/75 footnotes, which define his conversion as a transition from the ‘faith of a servant’ to the ‘faith of a son’. After this Wesley’s sermons are examined to show how his interpretation developed over his lifetime.
