This dissertation explores the religious world of antebellum New York City Methodists, a period in which the Methodists, on the road to social “respectability,” grew to he the largest religious body in the nation. This study provides a richer understanding of the denomination’s success by focusing on the laity and popular understandings and expressions of Methodism. It explores the construction of Methodist identities through a range of sources including ritualistic expression, spiritual narratives, institutional records, and Methodist periodicals. The dissertation argues that Methodism was a cultural movement that took its meanings from a variety of sources, most importantly, front the laity who were active participants in shaping Methodist identities and meanings through rituals, writings, and through their expressions of ‘primitive” spirituality. As the study shows, there was no fixed and uniform Methodism in this period; rather. meanings and identities were varied and in flux. Factors such as gender, race, and class significantly affected how one experienced and shaped Methodism. In addition to enhancing our knowledge about the popular appeal of Methodism, this study also provides insight into the processes that shaped the ante—bellum evangelism which transformed the cultural landscape of New York City and beyond. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to the revision of topdown conceptualizations of religion and American culture by placing the laity and popular piety at the center of the story.