Arts and Humanities Commons^™

From The Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

A Deal With The Devil: Pragmatic Mission And Early American Methodism’S Complicity With Slavery, William Payne

The Asbury Journal

Early American Methodism inherited a staunch abolitionist position from John Wesley. Bishops Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke strongly opposed slavery. Under their leadership, the early minutes and disciplines included a series of rules that required preachers to free their slaves and ameliorate the effects of slavery. They also waged an ongoing “war” with the various state legislatures that allowed slavery. After a strong backlash threatened Methodism’s ability to minister to slaves, enter plantations, and work in the South, the church prioritized the evangelistic mandate over the cultural mandate. The compromise mitigated social hostility and allowed Methodism to become the largest …

A Plain Account Of Christian Purity: Berlin Walls, Dean G. Blevins, Marie Gregg

The Asbury Journal

While theological definitions of holiness incorporate purity terminology among several metaphors, the challenges resident in using this language may well impede opportunities of engaging difference and reconciliation. Wesleyans need a “Plain Account” of Christian purity to guide both ecclesial discussions that stress not only strengths, but also limits, in purity thinking. Using an example involving the Church of the Nazarene and Pentecostalism, the writing reveals how purity thinking risks creating “Berlin walls” when engaging differences. The analysis argues that a moral fear of degradation, rather than an acknowledgment of difference, often pushes purity thinkers to oppose certain issues.

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

H.C. Morrison And The Holiness Union Of The South, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

Holiness history in the southern United States tends to view the movement as a collection of local or regional churches or institutions without a unified organization. This view often overlooks the work of H.C. Morrison and an organization he founded called the Holiness Union of the South. It began in 1904 and lasted through 1915 and sought to unite the Holiness work in a fashion similar to the National Holiness Association in the northern United States. The Union focused on the areas of mission, education, and publishing- areas which smaller organizations were ill-equipped to operate. While the Union was initially …

“Chieftain, Farewell”: Bishop Matthew Simpson’S Funeral Address To Abraham Lincoln, Samuel J. Rogal

The Asbury Journal

This article reflects back on the historic oration by Methodist Bishop Matthew Simpson at the funeral of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois in 1865. Matthew Simpson was one of the most prominent orators of his day and had built up political connections during the Lincoln Presidency. Bishop Simpson in many ways represents the rising respectability of Methodism in the United States as its influence grew and Methodism became more acceptable among society and in political circles. Simpson even represents a form of Christian nationalism which emerges from his funeral address and the way he portrays the “martyred” president.

The New York Circuit And The City Missions Movement: Temporary Spaces, Quarterly Meeting Collaboration, And Rented Pews, Philip Hardt

The Asbury Journal

It is well-known that, by 1850, the Methodist Episcopal Church had become the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Indeed, camp meetings, dedicated itinerant preachers, and a democratic structure that utilized laypeople helped fuel this explosive growth, especially as Methodism moved westward. Yet, upon closer examination, the church’s growth occurred more slowly, especially in the long-established urban areas on the east coast. This is illustrated by the New York Circuit’s struggle to respond not only to the new “city missions” movement beginning in 1816, but also to new church construction in the other, more prosperous, parts of Manhattan. Although …

Why Did Disciples Anoint With Oil For Healing In Mark 6:13?, Craig S. Keener

The Asbury Journal

This short essay explores the cultural meanings behind the practice of anointing people with oil for healing within the context of scripture. This work is the result of research which is not being published elsewhere due to space limitations, but is considered significant and of interest to many in the Global Church today. While it does not fit the full definition of an academic article, it remains an essay which can clarify and illuminate the issue of anointing with oil for many leaders and laity in the church.

From The Archives: Francis Clark: The Dark History Of Slavery And Methodism In Kentucky, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Glen O'Brien, Zachariah S. Motts, Roderick T. Leupp, Jonathan Tysick, Duane F. Watson, William B. Bowes

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Books Received

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap To God's Call : Breaking Through The Barriers Of Advancement In The Ame Church, Stephanie M. Raglin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Equipping The Saints : A Return To The Biblical Understanding Of The Priesthood Of All Believers, Benjamin Stilwell-Hernandez

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The M5 Movement : The Blueprint For Lay Led New Faith Communities, William T. Chaney Jr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Best Practices For Supporting Churches And Their Leadership Of New Church Starts, Cj Tillinghast

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Be Fruitful And Multiply : Developing An Intentional, Missional, And Reproducible Discipleship Model For The Pentecostal Churches In Romania, Adrian Vlad

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Fully Equipped To Pastor : Recommendations To Assist Itinerant Deacons To Lead As Pastors, Etta Denise Owens

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Building A Better Kingdom : Leadership Formation Of Laity In Small United Methodist Churches, Daniel Sean Darling

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact And Challenge Of Religious Syncretism To The Christian Faith And Discipleship In The Anglican Diocese Of Kabba, Kogi State, Nigeria, Akobe Steven Kayode

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hearts Perfected In Love : A Wesleyan Pursuit Of Christian Perfection Through The Practice Of The Means Of Grace, B. Keith Allen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Formation In Christ Through Conflict : Discerning God's Gifts In Group Spiritual Direction, Luke B. Richards

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Raising Up Church Planters In The Local Church, Richard Cox Ii

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

From The Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

If N. T. Wright Is Right, How Then Shall We Do Theology?, Howard A. Snyder

The Asbury Journal

In November of 2022, theologian N.T. Wright gave a series of lectures for the Centennial Celebration of Asbury Theological Seminary. In this response from Asbury Theological Seminary’s Howard Snyder, the implications of Wright’s lectures are explored and expanded. In particular, Snyder explores the meaning of Scriptural Theology as opposed to Systematic Theology. He explores how Systematic Theology came to be the dominant way of reading scripture, and then proposes ten principles for doing theology rooted in scripture instead of any human system.

Cruciform Teaching: Reflections On The Way Of Jesus The Challenge Of The Cross, And Teaching, Ruth Anne Reese

The Asbury Journal

Jesus’s way of life was one of humility and utter reliance upon God. This way of life ultimately led to the cross and to God’s raising of Jesus from the dead. Similarly, Christian teachers are also called to a way of humility and dependance upon God as they pursue the vocation of teaching.

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Redeeming The Time: Sabbath Observance For The Christian Minister, Chase Franklin

The Asbury Journal

In a world impacted by COVID-19, Christian clergy have reevaluated how their time is spent in response to new challenges. Rabbi Abraham Heschel, augmented by the work of Walter Brueggemann and Marva Dawn, provided guidance to focus more on the realm of the spirit and less on the physical world. This is achieved through a renewed dedication to Sabbath observance. The Sabbath is the consecrated day where both God and people find rest from their labors. Because clergy work to help others observe the Sabbath, they must be willing to think outside the box to observe their own.

Psalm 1a–B (1:1–2:12 As Combined And A Chiasm): What Yhwh Knows About People’S Paths And Plans That Will Perish, W. Creighton Marlowe

The Asbury Journal

This article seeks to explore whether a division really exists between Psalm 1 and Psalm 2. The author argues that the presence of a chiasm which extends throughout the two psalms gives potential further evidence for the argument that the two psalms where once part of one continuous literary creation. The themes involve the laws of YHWH and the consequences of breaking these laws both for individuals and for nations.

‘Launched Upon Its God-Ordained Career’: The Founding Of The Holiness Association Of Texas, Ryan Kristopher Giffin

The Asbury Journal

The Holiness Association of Texas was one of several local, regional, and state holiness associations established during the Holiness Movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Active from 1900 to 1910, the Holiness Association of Texas should rank among the most historically important of these para-church associations. Its work was significant and its membership was noteworthy. This article provides a historical account of the association’s founding. It offers a more extensive treatment than has yet been produced and corrects factual errors from previous accounts. Furthermore, unlike previous accounts, it engages with the original minutes of the association’s meetings.

A Spirit-Filled Christian-In-The Making: E. Stanley Jones's Views On Entire Sanctification, Kirk S. Sims

The Asbury Journal

With his educational formation at Asbury College, E. Stanley Jones was a scion of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement of the early twentieth century. In his early years, he seems to be a champion for entire sanctification and one may have concluded that he would have fought

the same fights for this doctrine in Methodist circles as his mentors had done. However, after he set off to India as a missionary and later become a formidable Christian leader on the world stage, he appears to eschew his preaching and teaching on "entire sanctification," except when addressing people in the Wesleyan Holiness …