Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Ships Of The Fleet: An Essay On The Weltanschauung Of The Apostolate And The Mission Of The Spirit, Art Mcphee

The Asbury Journal

In honor of Bishop Sundo Kim

This paper was presented in Asbury Theological Seminary, on November 14, 2012, at Dr. Art McPhee’s installation in the Sundo Kim Chair for Evangelism and Practical Theology Expertise: Evangelization Studies. In this essay, he explores the role of the Holy Spirit in mission and evangelism as an often-overlooked subject in the Church today.

Poetry As The Handmaid Of Piety: Hymns As A Catalyst For Human Development In Early Methodism, Brian Yeich

The Asbury Journal

In the preface to the 1780 edition o f Hymns for the People Called Methodist, John Wesley stated, 'When Poetry thus keeps its place, as the handmaid of Piety, it shall attain, not a poor perishable 'Wreath, but a crown that fadeth not away."l While John Wesley may have never used the term ''human development," a student of Wesley would quickly observe that Wesley and the early Methodists were focused on the transformation of individual human lives as well as the society in which they lived. This paper explores the connection between the hynmody of early Methodism and …

Leading A Polytheistic Faith To The Monotheistic God: A Study In Identifying Barriers To The Gospel In A Chinese Buddhist Community And Ways To Overcome Those Barriers, Agnes Wood

The Asbury Journal

This article is written for the purpose of exploring a way to lead a polytheistic faith, prevalent in the local Chinese Buddhist community (LCBC) in Brunei, to the reality of a monotheistic God as revealed in the Bible (1 Corinthians 8:6). It serves as a guide for the local Chinese church (CC) to lead the LCBC to see that God as a Creator is sufficient to be their God.

This article identifies the need of a missiological package in order to lead the LCBC to Christ. The CC needs to assist the LCBC to become receptive before the core of …

Spreading Scriptural Holiness: Theology And Practices Of Early Methodism For The Contemporary Church, Laceye Warner

The Asbury Journal

The early Methodist movement-above all else-was evangelistic. However, the contemporary language of mission and evangelism with which we are familiar was not in use during the 18th century. In the "Large" Minutes, John Wesley summarized his understanding of Methodism's purpose: "What may we reasonably believe to be God's design in raising up the Preachers called Methodists? A. To reform the nation and, in particular, the Church; to spread scriptural holiness over the land." The early Methodist movement offers resources to local congregations among Protestant denominations in the contemporary North American context preoccupied with a shallow connotation of evangelism as merely …

Situating The Word: The Significance Of Christian Space For Evangelism, Laceye Warner

The Asbury Journal

With Protestant denominational membership declining steadily, and at times dramatically, since the 1960s, numerous local churches eagerly search for ways to attract new members. In efforts to reverse this trend, or at least slow it down, many have turned to techniques more informed by market logic and capitalist ideologies than the triune God revealed in biblical texts. One such technique insists upon creating "gathering spaces" with little if any evidence of Christian identity. Not even the nomenclature (e.g. "gathering space" instead of "worship space" or "sanctuary") indicates the nature of the purposes intended for these spaces. Many conclude the more …

The Integral Nature Of Worship And Evangelism: Insights From The Wesleyan Tradition, Paul W. Chilcote

The Asbury Journal

This essay explores the fundamental relationship between worship and evangelism through the lens of the hymns and writings of Charles Wesley. After laying a biblical foundation for the integral nature of worship and evangelism based upon Acts 2:46-47 and examining the image of paideia (instruction through action) in Heb. 12:9-10 as a concept implying their integration, the author describes the liturgy of the worshiping community as the primary matrix of evangelistic ministry. The call of the prophet Isaiah (6:2-8) reveals a paradigm related to worship that instructs our understanding of evangelism as well. All true worship and faithful evangelism begins …