Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

My Struggle With Evolution, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The author recalls the long, personal struggle he had with accepting evolution, due to the challenges evolution posed for the Fundamentalist Evangelical beliefs he was taught since early childhood. He relates how he eventually was able to accept evolution and to reconcile it with his Christian faith, but not without yielding his former fundamentalist dogmatism. At the end of the essay, the author describes some key ways that evolution impacts traditional Christian theology.

Wesleyan Theology And Christian Ethics, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This presentation provides an overview of the intersection between Wesleyan theology and Christian ethics, essentially sketching the contours of Wesleyan moral theology. Of all the available options for framing Christian ethics, Wesleyan theology’s doctrines of: 1) sin, 2) prevenient grace, 3) revelation, and 4) sanctification make it best suited for virtue ethics. In essence, conscience (i.e., practical reasoning) and moral transformation are the primary means to pursuing the goals of moral purity, wholehearted love for God and others, and acting in ways that glorify God and edify others. Nevertheless, like other versions of virtue ethics, Wesleyan virtue ethics still requires …

A Wesleyan Approach To Knowledge, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This presentation explores how Wesley’s philosophical and theological commitments shaped his approach to scriptural interpretation, and how this has particular implications for doing faith integration. Within this presentation, the empiricist tradition is defined and compared with rationalism, Catholic and Reformed/Calvinist views on human nature and divine providence are compared with Wesleyan views, the Wesleyan doctrine of grace is explained, and the roots of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral are traced.

Wesleyan values call for an integrative approach to faith. Knowledge should not be compartmentalized into sacred and secular spheres. An integrative approach to knowledge and faith suggests that we should seek to …

Symbolic And Literal Interpretations Of Eschatological Passages: Reconsidering Biblical Language, Carl M. Leth

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The lessons of the history of exegesis serve as the primary resource in addressing the question of problematic eschatological passages of Scripture and the challenge of rightly discerning the correct reading. Our goal is a hermeneutic that is adequate for our understanding of the text. If our understanding of the text – and the reality to which it refers - is multivalent, then our hermeneutic must be adequate to account for multivalent meaning. Neither endlessly plural, nor narrowly referential, historical exegesis approaches the text as rich with inherent, but multivalent meaning. When asked if the text should be understood literally …

Empiricism And Wesleyan Ethics, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

In this article, the open-endedness of Wesleyan ethics is affirmed; attempts to articulate a system of Wesleyan ethics have been few, and it would be virtually impossible for any single expression of Wesleyan ethics to be regarded as definitive for the tradition as a whole. The fact that Wesleyan ethics is a relatively open field allows it to be developed in a number of ways that can still be regarded as Wesleyan or are at least consistent with basic Wesleyan commitments. Wesley’s allegiance to empiricism is then recalled, and the importance of addressing epistemological questions is stressed. An outline of …

Where Justice Meets Compassion: A Christian Assessment Of Illegal Immigration, Kevin Twain Lowery, Courtney Fuqua

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This presentation examines the multifaceted problems created by illegal immigration, both those impacting United States citizens and those encountered by the immigrants themselves. Two main areas of focus are the economic and sociological effects of illegal immigration. Although there are many injustices surrounding illegal immigration that need to be rectified, Christian ethics demands that compassion be given precedence. In the end, we identify key issues that need to be addressed for a holistic solution to be reached.

Where Should Wesleyan Ethics Go From Here? A Response To Eric Manchester, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

[Response to comments by Eric Manchester regarding the author’s book, Salvaging Wesley’s Agenda (2008).] Manchester has accurately articulated the concerns which drive the book, especially the criticisms that I leveled against Wesleyan developments that have outlived much of their usefulness and need to be replaced with a new paradigm. It was my hope from the beginning that this project might spur meaningful discussion about fruitful ways to develop Wesleyan models of moral development.

Prophezei: A Reformation Model For Interpretation Of Scripture, Carl M. Leth

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The topic of this meeting – The Future of Scripture – is not new. The nature of the authority and interpretation of Scripture has been a recurrent question throughout the history of the church. Ulrich Zwingli’s creation of Prophezei in 1525 provides a useful historical precedent and point of traditional reference. At the very least, Zwingli’s Prophezei calls out to us that the way forward should involve an integrative synergy that values critical scholarship, affirms the spiritual character of Scripture and its interpretation, embeds the task of interpretation within the church, and purposefully envisions the end of Scriptural interpretation in …

The Enlightenment And The Authority Of Scripture, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

Provides an historical overview of the concept of the authority of Scripture, emphasizing the impact of developments since the Enlightenment. Recommends an approach to Scripture that: allows scholarship to inform us about context and the complexities of authorship, recognizes that everything is judged by reason, bases belief on truth, and integrates scripture with other sources of knowledge.

Teaching And Preaching Ethical Issues, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

Provides guidance about covering ethical issues in teaching and preaching.

A Wesleyan Understanding Of Proper Self-Love In The Sanctified Life, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

In Wesleyan theology, Christian perfection (i.e. the life of holiness) entails the fulfillment of the Love Commandments. Holiness is neither pride nor self-loathing, for it requires proper self-esteem. It is the fulfillment of the Love Commandments. Wesley referred to Christian perfection as “love expelling sin,” and we should return to the basic premise that holiness is, first and foremost, loving God supremely and loving others as we love ourselves.

Moral Purity And Moral Progress: The Tension Between Assurance And Perfection In Kant And Wesley, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The quest for perfection can undermine one's sense of assurance, since it requires some dissatisfaction with one's present state. For Kant, assurance is based on our continual moral progress, but divine assistance is required to overcome our radically evil nature. Still, we must merit this assistance, and this seemingly precludes the type of moral purity Kant asserts. Wesley offers a more robust resolution by upholding justification by faith and by recognizing love as the chief moral motive. Once we have assurance that our sins are forgiven, we respond by loving God in return, and this motivates us to pursue perfection.

The Means Of Grace: Wesley's Mediation Between Naturalism And Mysticism, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

John Wesley believed that the grace of God is offered freely to human beings and is not merited. However, Wesley taught that there are means of grace that, when utilized, avail the grace of God to us in greater degrees. Although we do not earn God’s grace, we must engage in particular practices if we expect God to act in our behalf, because God has chosen to work through natural means. This paper outlines the way that this doctrine represents a mediating position between naturalism and mysticism and identifies several implications that can be made from this view of grace.

A Fork In The Wesleyan Road: Phoebe Palmer And The Appropriation Of Christian Perfection, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

Phoebe Palmer has long been a source of inspiration as well as a center of controversy within the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement. Historians are beginning to rediscover the various aspects of her overall impact on Evangelicalism. It is clear that the place of Phoebe Palmer in evangelical history is greater than many realize.

Does Inerrancy Allow The Possibility Of Evolution?, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The question of integrating science with a high view of Scripture is explored through case studies of two 19th-century Evangelical thinkers: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (Calvinist) and William Burt Pope (Wesleyan). Both men attempted to reconcile evolution with the doctrine of biblical inerrancy, and this provides a basic template for Evangelicals who wish to uphold a high view of Scripture while respecting the advancement of science.

Wesley's Limited Alliance With Lockean Empiricism, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This paper attempts to sketch Wesley’s relation to Lockean empiricism by identifying the key issues that seem to spark his objections to Locke’s Essay. The purpose is not to evaluate the validity of Locke’s positions per se but to locate the theological commitments Wesley wishes to defend and to scrutinize the philosophical assumptions he makes to support them.

Process Thought From An Evangelical Perspective: An Appreciation And Critique, Stephen T. Franklin

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

In the past, both Evangelical theologians and Process scholars have often misunderstood the perspectives and concerns of the other camp. Stephen Franklin introduces Process thought to Evangelicals, showing how Process thought addresses central Evangelical concerns. He also considers the limitations of Process thought from an Evangelical point of view. Lastly he explains to Process scholars why Evangelicals have a serious stake in the analysis of human experience, whether or not explicitly religious, and thus why Evangelicals have a natural basis for using the categories of Process thought. Mr. Franklin is Director of Graduate Programs, School of Theology and Christian Ministry …

The Theological Foundations Of The Christian Liberal Arts In Relation To The Distinctives Of The Christian Liberal Arts College/University, Stephen T. Franklin

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This article explores the implications of the doctrines of creation, sin, and redemption for the Christian liberal arts and attempts to clarify the distinctive nature of the liberal arts by examining the notions of a trade, discipline, and profession. The conclusion draws these various threads into a suggestion for improving the integration of faith and learning in Christian liberal arts institutions.

Signs And Providence: A Study Of Ulrich Zwingli's Sacramental Theology, Carl M. Leth

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This dissertation considers the role of the doctrine of divine providence in the sacramental theology of Ulrich Zwingli. This is done by treating Zwingli in the context of his personal history, his broader sacramental thought, including his treatment of the Word and preaching, and his historical development in his writings on the Lord 's Supper. The attempt is made to understand the personal importance of this doctrine for Zwingli and the way it functions within his theology of the sacraments. Each subject area and document is considered in the light of three questions. What is the relationship between human action …

Karl Barth's View Of The Humanity Of Christ As Explained In His Church Dogmatics, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

Karl Barth held the view that Christ's human nature was affected by original sin. In this way his theology departs from traditional orthodoxy concerning the incarnation. This article investigates Barth's position and the implications that can be drawn from it.

The Amana Society, 1867-1932: Accommodation Of Old World Beliefs In A New World Frontier Setting, Frank M. Moore

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The purpose of this dissertation is to study the religious character of the Amana Society from the death, in 1867, of Christian Metz, the inspired leader who brought the group to America, to the time of the Great Change in 1932 when the religious and economic interests of the society were separated. This study begins with a brief history of the society from its inception in eighteenth-century Germany to the time the community moved to Iowa and continues with a presentation of the doctrines and worship patterns of the Amana Society. They, too, must be taken into consideration if one …