Methodist Rome
Encyclopedia
Methodist Rome was a nickname sometimes given to the city of Toronto
, Ontario
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The moniker implied that Toronto was as central to Canadian
Methodism
as Rome
, or more specifically Vatican City
in Rome, is to Catholicism
.
Methodism was never the faith of the majority of Torontonians, yet it played a very important role in the city. In addition, Toronto had one of the largest (if not the largest) population of Methodists in the world. The strong Methodist influence greatly shaped the city's character. Toronto became known for being very puritanical with strict limits on the sale of alcohol
and rigorously enforced the Lord's Day Act. Discrimination against Jews and Catholics was also common, with both groups being excluded from the financial and political elite. Peter C. Newman
has described Toronto in this period "a sort of Calvinist Tehran."
The name began to fade in the early twentieth century, especially after the Methodist Church in Canada merged with Presbyterians and Congregationalists to form the United Church of Canada
in 1925. An influx of immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe greatly altered the religious balance. The puritan Methodist heritage is still in evidence, for example still having some of the strictest liquor retailing laws in North America.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The moniker implied that Toronto was as central to Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
as Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, or more specifically Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
in Rome, is to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
.
Methodism was never the faith of the majority of Torontonians, yet it played a very important role in the city. In addition, Toronto had one of the largest (if not the largest) population of Methodists in the world. The strong Methodist influence greatly shaped the city's character. Toronto became known for being very puritanical with strict limits on the sale of alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
and rigorously enforced the Lord's Day Act. Discrimination against Jews and Catholics was also common, with both groups being excluded from the financial and political elite. Peter C. Newman
Peter C. Newman
Peter Charles Newman, CC, CD is a Canadian journalist and writer.Born in Vienna, Austria, Newman emigrated from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Canada in 1940 as a Jewish refugee. His father, Oscar, was a self-made wealthy factory owner. Newman was educated at Upper Canada College, where he was...
has described Toronto in this period "a sort of Calvinist Tehran."
The name began to fade in the early twentieth century, especially after the Methodist Church in Canada merged with Presbyterians and Congregationalists to form the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in 1925. An influx of immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe greatly altered the religious balance. The puritan Methodist heritage is still in evidence, for example still having some of the strictest liquor retailing laws in North America.