Taking account of broader patterns of growth, the focus of this book is Methodism in the British Isles. Hempton discusses why Methodism, the most important religious movement in the English-speaking world in the 18th and 19th centuries, grew when and where it did and what was the nature of the Methodist experience for those who embraced it.<BR> He also explores the themes of law, politics and gender which lie at the heart of Methodist influence on individuals, communities and social structures.