ABSTRACT
Evangelist George Whitefield is undoubtedly one of the most famous individuals in early American history. He was also close to the Wesley brothers, all were members of the Oxford Group for instance, and Whitefield influenced their beliefs considerably, long before they formally established Methodism. While a very influential figure, and a hugely charismatic preacher, Whitefield was also a problematic individual. His willingness to reach out to ordinary working people, including women and slaves, set him against traditionally conservative Anglicans. The only point of agreement between Garden and Whitefield is that not enough was being done to Christianize local slaves, though Garden cannot quite bring himself to agree unconditionally with Whitefield even on this point. The very different backgrounds of these two men led to them to quite contrasting perceptions of slavery in colonial America.
