Wesley (film)

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Wesley
WESLEY-MOVIE-POSTER-640.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed byJohn Jackman
Written byJohn Jackman
Carolyn Haywood
Produced byLovinder Gill
Geoff Thompson
Starring Burgess Jenkins
June Lockhart
Kevin McCarthy
R.Keith Harris
Cinematography Arledge Armenaki
Music by Bruce Kiesling
Distributed byVision Video
Release dates
November 14, 2009 (premiere)
July 15, 2010 DVD (US)
Running time
117 minutes
LanguageEnglish

Wesley, also titled Wesley: A Heart Transformed Can Change The World, is a 2009 biopic about John Wesley and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist movement. The movie is based largely on the Wesley brothers' own journals, including John's private journal which was kept in a shorthand-like code that was not translated until the 1980s by Richard Heitzenrater at Duke Divinity School.

Contents

The film covers the critical period of John Wesley's life as he struggles with his own doubts and insecurities, leading up to his life-changing Aldersgate experience and the early development of the Methodist movement.

Wesley was filmed in a number of authentic 18th century locations in and around Winston-Salem, North Carolina, including St. Paul's Episcopal Church. [1]

Unusual for a lower-budget independent film, it features an original orchestral score recorded by a full orchestra. [2] The score, composed by Bruce Kiesling, uses snippets of Wesley hymns and portions composed to echo authentic 18th-century style. Kiesling, who has composed scores for a number of other films, is currently conductor of the Tulare County Orchestra in California. [3]

Funded in part by the Christian History Institute and Comenius Foundation, the movie was directed by John Jackman.

Cast

Reception

Jeff Paton from The Arminian magazine called it "Impressive for a religious film;" but criticized the poor effects and overplayed ideas of "a Wesleyan Quadrilateral, which was not a large part of Wesley's emphasis or ministry". [4]

Festivals and awards

Wesley has been featured in numerous international film festivals, including:

The film won several awards, including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arminianism</span> Branch of Protestantism

Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the Remonstrance (1610), a theological statement submitted to the States General of the Netherlands. This expressed an attempt to moderate the doctrines of Calvinism related to its interpretation of predestination. The Synod of Dort (1618–19) was called by the States General to consider the Five Articles of Remonstrance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methodism</span> Group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity

Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significant early leaders in the movement. They were named Methodists for "the methodical way in which they carried out their Christian faith". Methodism originated as a revival movement within the 18th-century Church of England and became a separate denomination after Wesley's death. The movement spread throughout the British Empire, the United States, and beyond because of vigorous missionary work, today claiming approximately 80 million adherents worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wesley</span> Founder of the Methodist movement (1703–1791)

John Wesley was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Methodist movement that continues to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Wesley</span> English Methodist and hymn writer (1707–1788)

Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today", the carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", and "Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ the Lord Is Risen Today</span> Christian hymn, Easter song by Charles Wesley

"Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" is a Christian hymn associated with Easter. Most of the stanzas were written by Charles Wesley, and the hymn appeared under the title "Hymn for Easter Day" in Hymns and Sacred Poems by Charles and John Wesley in 1739. The hymn eventually became well known for the "Alleluia" sung as a melisma after each line, which was added by an unknown author, probably to fit the commonly used hymn tune, "Easter Hymn". It remains a traditional processional hymn on Easter Sunday.

The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestant Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council, and the World Council of Churches among other ecumenical associations.

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John William Fletcher was a Swiss-born English divine and Methodist leader. Of French Huguenot stock, he was born in Nyon in Vaud, Switzerland. Fletcher emigrated to England in 1750 and there he became an Anglican vicar. He began to work with John Wesley, becoming a key interpreter of Wesleyan theology in the 18th century and one of Methodism's first great theologians. Fletcher was renowned in Britain for his piety and generosity; when asked if he had any needs, he responded, "...I want nothing but more grace."

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Wesley's Chapel is a Methodist church situated in the St Luke's area in the south of the London Borough of Islington. Opened in 1778, it was built under the direction of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. The site is a place of worship and visitor attraction, incorporating the Museum of Methodism in its crypt and John Wesley's House next to the chapel. The chapel has been called "The Mother Church of World Methodism".

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The Wesleyan Methodist Church was the majority Methodist movement in England following its split from the Church of England after the death of John Wesley and the appearance of parallel Methodist movements. The word Wesleyan in the title differentiated it from the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists and from the Primitive Methodist movement, which separated from the Wesleyans in 1807. The Wesleyan Methodist Church followed the Wesleys in holding to an Arminian theology, in contrast to the Calvinism held by George Whitefield, by Selina Hastings, and by Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland, the pioneers of Welsh Methodism. Its Conference was also the legal successor to John Wesley as holder of the property of the original Methodist societies.

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References

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  2. Decwikiel-Kane, Dawn (June 9, 2009). "Symphony conductor is making movie music". news-record.com. Archived from the original on 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  3. Decwikiel-Kane, Dawn (June 11, 2009). "Symphony conductor leaving for California". gotriad-news-record.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011.
  4. Paton, Jeff (Fall 2010). "Wesley: A Heart Transformed Can Change the World" (PDF). The Arminian . Fundamental Wesleyan Society. 28 (2): 16. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  5. 1 2 "BCIFF Jury Awards" (PDF). Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  6. "Official Selections". christianfilmfest.org. Archived from the original on 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
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  8. "2010 Fexy Awards" (PDF). Francomedia. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
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