Richard Watson is considered to be one of nineteenth-century Methodism’s most influential theologians. A prolific writer, preacher, and theologian, Watson had a profound impact on Methodism in both America and Britain. His Theological Institutes, the first attempt to systemize John Wesley’s and Methodist doctrine, has become a cornerstone reference for Methodist and the Wesleyan studies.

When Adam Clarke had published his famous and much-needed Wesleyan Commentary on the Holy Bible, controversy over Methodist Trinitarian theology ignited over his interpretation and application of Jesus’ “sonship” and the meaning of “Son of God.” The debate lasted decades and resulted in new movements within the Methodist world, including the formation of the Methodist Unitarian Movement in 1818. Around the same time, Richard Watson responded to the cry for a more orthodox clarification of Clarke...