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Full-Text Articles in Religion
Faith, Knowledge, And Virtue: John Wesley’S Concept Of Faith As A Conscious State, Kenny Johnston
Faith, Knowledge, And Virtue: John Wesley’S Concept Of Faith As A Conscious State, Kenny Johnston
The Asbury Journal
It is well established that John Wesley’s understanding of faith shifted radically between 1735 and 1740. The nature of that shift is variously understood, but most agree that Wesley shifted from defining faith as assent only to faith as a heartfelt trust; from faith as a bottom-up effort to faith as a top-down gift. What is often overlooked is that Wesley’s new version of faith was influenced by his previous epistemological commitments. Faith, accordingly, is defined in terms of a conscious state, something not deducible by inference but directly available to its subject, and located epistemologically at the forefront of …
John Wesley’S Motivation For His Mission To Georgia, Roger W. Fay
John Wesley’S Motivation For His Mission To Georgia, Roger W. Fay
The Asbury Journal
The importance of justification by faith in the thinking of John Wesley (1703-1791) after his Aldersgate Street experience in May 1738 has long been doubted by some Wesley scholars. This article argues, however, that Wesley was motivated only by works-righteousness while he was a missionary to Georgia, and that salvation by faith did not characterise his thinking until he finished his mission there.
Calvin’S Doctrine Of Divine Accommodation And Its Correspondence With The Methodist Triumvirate, J. Russell Frazier
Calvin’S Doctrine Of Divine Accommodation And Its Correspondence With The Methodist Triumvirate, J. Russell Frazier
The Asbury Journal
The doctrine of accommodation is the idea that God has, out of love, accommodated divine revelation to human frailty and sinfulness. This article summarizes the contributions of secondary resources on the doctrine of divine accommodation in John Calvin’s thought. These sources provide a paradigm for examining the doctrine of accommodation in the thought of the Methodist triumvirate, i.e., John and Charles Wesley and John William Fletcher. The author emphasizes that the Methodist triumvirate adopted and adapted the doctrine of accommodation and suggests that it provided a theological underpinning for the early Methodists’ accommodative practice of ministry.
The Spirit Of Methodism: Missionary Zeal And The Gift Of An Evangelist, Philip R. Meadows
The Spirit Of Methodism: Missionary Zeal And The Gift Of An Evangelist, Philip R. Meadows
The Asbury Journal
The church does not need more vital congregations, but rather a few vital Christians, whose vitality is not measured in terms of institutional effectiveness, but by missionary zeal. This zeal is a hungering and thirsting for just one thing: the glory of God and the salvation of souls. It cannot be manufactured, but can only be caught from those who have been gifted by the Spirit to continue the charism of their founder, and fanned into flame. Without this type of Christian, there is no movement, and there is no Methodism. John Welsey's most important legacy was not his doctrine …
Ecclesia Semper Sanctificanda: Historic Models Of Catechesis And The Cultivation Of Social Holiness, Jonathan A. Powers
Ecclesia Semper Sanctificanda: Historic Models Of Catechesis And The Cultivation Of Social Holiness, Jonathan A. Powers
The Asbury Journal
This study aims to show how the maintenance of holy life and love in the church requires intentional and continual cultivation by the church. If the church is to be continually sanctified then it must intentionally invest in the sanctification of its members. The article examines three historic examples of catechesis in order to exhibit models whereby the church has taken seriously the task of forming disciples who display holiness of heart and life. This article looks at the Didache and On the Apostolic Tradition, as well a John Wesley's use of societies, class meetings, and band meetings to …
John Wesley’S Mission Of Spreading Scriptural Holiness: A Case Study In World Mission And Evangelism, Laurence W. Wood
John Wesley’S Mission Of Spreading Scriptural Holiness: A Case Study In World Mission And Evangelism, Laurence W. Wood
The Asbury Journal
A manual of discipline, called The Large Minutes, was given to all Methodist preachers when they joined John Wesley’s annual conference, containing this explanation: “God’s design in raising up the people called ‘Methodists’” was “to spread scriptural holiness over the land.” This paper will trace a narrow slice of the larger developing story of how John Wesley arrived at his distinction between justifying faith and full sanctifying grace. It will also serve as a case study to show that the call to justification by faith and a subsequent experience of sanctification by faith became the theme of his evangelistic preaching. …
Seeing Lakota Christian Mission History Through The Eyes Of John Wesley’S Image Of God, Susangeline Y. Patrick
Seeing Lakota Christian Mission History Through The Eyes Of John Wesley’S Image Of God, Susangeline Y. Patrick
The Asbury Journal
This paper engages John Wesley’s understanding of the Imago Dei (the image of God) and examines the history of Christian mission among the Native American1 tribes, particularly Lakota2 on Rosebud Reservation and Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Wesley’s view of the image of God in creation, partial loss of the image of God, and restoration of the image of God in Jesus Christ provides a framework to describe both the successes and failures in Lakota mission history. Wesley’s understanding of the Imago Dei challenges current mission theology and praxis to see God’s creation and peoples as worthy of honor …
The Relational Character Of Wesley’S Theology And Its Implications For An Ecclesiology For The Other: A Latino Pentecostal Testimony, Wilmer Estrada-Carrasquillo
The Relational Character Of Wesley’S Theology And Its Implications For An Ecclesiology For The Other: A Latino Pentecostal Testimony, Wilmer Estrada-Carrasquillo
The Asbury Journal
This article assesses the impact of John Welsey’s theology on relationship, both between human beings and God and between human beings within community. This theology of relationality is then used as a framework for reading the Christological hymn in Philippians. Finally the implications of our understanding of a theology of relationality are explored in the light of missiological and ecclesiological lenses. All of this is done through the added lens of the author’s experience as a Latino Pentecostal.
John Wesley, Irenaeus, And Christian Mission: Rethinking Western Christian Theology, Howard A. Snyder
John Wesley, Irenaeus, And Christian Mission: Rethinking Western Christian Theology, Howard A. Snyder
The Asbury Journal
John Wesley (1703-1791) was a theologian and practitioner of mission. The theological sophistication of his missiology has never been fully appreciated for three reasons: 1) Wesley seldom used the language of “mission,” 2) he intentionally masked the depth of his learning in the interest of “plain, sound English,” and 3) interpreters assumed that as an evangelist, Wesley could not be taken seriously as theologian. Quite to the contrary, this article shows the depth and sophistication of Wesley’s doctrinal and missiological thinking. Reviewing Western Christian theology from the first century to our day, this article examines the close use of Irenaeus …
An Eschatological Framework For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Business As Mission Companies, Samuel Lee
An Eschatological Framework For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Business As Mission Companies, Samuel Lee
The Asbury Journal
No abstract provided.
Paganism, Wesley, And The Means Of Grace, Joseph R. Dongell
Paganism, Wesley, And The Means Of Grace, Joseph R. Dongell
The Asbury Journal
No abstract provided.
A Time-Line Narrative Of How The Idea Of Pentecostal Sanctification Developed In John Wesley And John Fletcher, Laurence W. Wood
A Time-Line Narrative Of How The Idea Of Pentecostal Sanctification Developed In John Wesley And John Fletcher, Laurence W. Wood
The Asbury Journal
No abstract provided.
The Normative Use Of Pentecostal Sanctification In British And American Methodism, Laurence W. Wood
The Normative Use Of Pentecostal Sanctification In British And American Methodism, Laurence W. Wood
The Asbury Journal
No abstract provided.
Mr. Wesley, Since You Wanted To Help The Poor, Why Did You Ignore The English Poor Law Of Your Day?, George E. Hendricks, M. Elton Hendricks
Mr. Wesley, Since You Wanted To Help The Poor, Why Did You Ignore The English Poor Law Of Your Day?, George E. Hendricks, M. Elton Hendricks
The Asbury Journal
No abstract provided.
A Brief Look At Methodology And Grace In Wesleyan Theology, Kyle Blanchette
A Brief Look At Methodology And Grace In Wesleyan Theology, Kyle Blanchette
The Asbury Journal
In a recent piece for the Asbury Theological Journal, Nathan Crawford has attempted to put current understandings of emergent phenomena within the neurosciences in conversation with Christian soteriology; in particular, Crawford has sought to link up themes found in emergence with distinctively Wesleyan perspectives on sanctification. In this article, I offer some reflections on theological methodology in light of Crawford's analysis, and I identify some needed clarifications of Kenneth J. Collins's model of John Wesley's soteriology. In the latter half of the piece, I present a critical analysis of the issue of monergism and synergism in Wesley's understanding of grace.
Marriage And Ministry: Conflicts And Occupational Conflicts In Wesley’S Life And Ministry, Tony Headley
Marriage And Ministry: Conflicts And Occupational Conflicts In Wesley’S Life And Ministry, Tony Headley
The Asbury Journal
In this article, the author explores John Wesley's perspectives on marriage and how these views related to his practice of ministry. Specifically, the author examines Wesley's developmental journey from believing he could not marry to actually contracting a marriage with Mary Vazeille. Following exploration of Wesley's perspectives on marriage, the author discusses these issues in relation to two observed patterns in his significant intimate relationship with Sophy Hopkey, Grace Murray and Mary Vazeille; namely that for the most part, Wesley cultivated these relationships out of travel and illness. The author concludes that even though Wesley moved from a position of …
The "Way Of Salvation" And The Methodist Ethos Beyond John Wesley: A Study In Formal Consensus And Popular Reception, Ted A. Campbell
The "Way Of Salvation" And The Methodist Ethos Beyond John Wesley: A Study In Formal Consensus And Popular Reception, Ted A. Campbell
The Asbury Journal
It has been well documented that the "way of salvation" was central to John Wesley's thought. But how did Methodists in the nineteenth century express a theology and spirituality of the way of salvation? This article examines formal doctrinal materials from Methodist churches (including catechisms, doctrinal statements, and hymnals) and the testimonies of Methodist men and women to discern how teachings about the way of salvation were transmitted after the time of John and Charles Wesley. Based on these doctrinal works and personal testimonies, the article shows a consistent pattern in Methodist teaching and experience involving a) conviction of sin, …
John Wesley's Use Of The Atonement, Darren Cushman Wood
John Wesley's Use Of The Atonement, Darren Cushman Wood
The Asbury Journal
Even though John Wesley claimed that the atonement was crucial to his theology, he never articulated a systematic theory of the atonement. This paper explores the way in which the atonement functions within his theology as the best approach for deciphering his understanding of the atonement as a foundational concept for his moral theology. The cross functions in his via salutis in two ways. It plays a substitutionary role in the removal of sin and guilt and has a participatory function, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to affect holiness in the life of the believer. These aspects of …
"We Would See Jesus..." A Wesleyan Approach To Three Recent Films, Fred Guyette
"We Would See Jesus..." A Wesleyan Approach To Three Recent Films, Fred Guyette
The Asbury Journal
Many Hollywood films are content to offer Americans an escape from the conflicts of contemporary life. A handful of special films lead us instead to probe and question the way we live. Here we look at three films through the lens of John Wesley's theology: Forrest Gump, Babbette's Feast, and Places in the Heart. The aims of the essay are threefold: (1) to initiate a more meaningful conversation about the way film can help us raise religious questions, (2) to learn more about God's power to renew His image in our lives, and (3) to seek the transformation of society …
Anticipating The New Creation: Wesleyan Foundations For Holistic Mission, Randy L. Maddox
Anticipating The New Creation: Wesleyan Foundations For Holistic Mission, Randy L. Maddox
The Asbury Journal
This essay provides a brief orientation to the public debate over the last forty years about the implications of the Christian worldview for environmental concern. It then explores the mature writings of John Wesley (and some of Charles Wesley's hymns), seeking to highlight those convictions that emphasize God's care for the whole creation and that call upon us to participate in this care. These Wesleyan convictions are developed in direct dialogue with the most common charges leveled against the Christian worldview as unsupportive or even detrimental to environmental concern. The article also highlights how Wesley sharpened his commitment to those …