Enthusiasm

Deriving from the Greek for "being possessed by a god," enthusiasm has been a pejorative term since the Reformation to refer to groups of people who, in the eyes of those making the accusations, appeal too heavily to the radical work and witness of the Holy Spirit over against conventional forms of piety and ministry in the Church. In Wesley's day, following on the heels of the failed British Commonwealth, "enthusiasm" became a moniker for any movement that opposed the Established Church (and, by extension, the Crown) as being morally lax and spiritually lukewarm. Instead, "enthusiasts" promoted more-direct religious experience beyond the officially sanctioned channels. For this reason, enthusiasm became analogous with dissent (e.g., the Quakers, who rejected both ordained ministry and the sacraments), which is why Wesley took great pains to distance Methodism's stress on personal conversion and religious experience from such opposition to the Church.