What was Methodism reacting to?

I was reading a short book about Methodism and it said that Methodism can be seen as a way of bringing spiritual vitality to the Church of England in the 18th century, and that before Wesley's efforts that Methodism was a shift from a "mere system of orthodox beliefs" to a "living relationship with God." It goes on to claim: "Much had been made of the strict adherence to doctrine after the Reformation and the wars of religion; in many ways folk were exhausted by rival intellectual schemes of doctrine." Unfortunately, these are basically throwaway lines that don't really explain what they're talking about.

First, is this an accurate description of Christianity before the era when Methodism was getting its start?

Second, what does it mean? What does a "strict adherence to doctrine" look like compared to "a living relationship with God"?