Gregory R Coates | Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (original) (raw)
B. A. in History/Political Science, Greenville College (IL), 2003
M. Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, 2008
Th. M., Duke Divinity School, 2013
Ph. D. in History of Christianity, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2020
Supervisors: Barry Bryant, Russel Richey, Randy Maddox, and Mark Teasdale
Phone: 3175495140
Address: 78 Lincoln Ave
Bedford, IN 47421
less
Uploads
Papers by Gregory R Coates
Most major theological traditions have developed a unique theological and linguistic system for a... more Most major theological traditions have developed a unique theological and linguistic system for articulating a political theology. Yet the Wesleyan-Methodist tradition, as large and widespread as it is, has not developed a political theology in any discernible way. This paper offers first steps toward thinking about the unique theological resources that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and the larger Methodist tradition offer to the conversation about the relationship of church and state, the nature of Christian life within this saeculum, and the responsibility of Christians to witness to Christ's Lordship within the political realm. At the center of this theology, I argue, is the relational, co-operant theology of Wesleyanism.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, loudly and strongly renounced the evils of wa... more John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, loudly and strongly renounced the evils of warfare, yet never committed himself to a pacifist position. In this paper, I argue that interpreting Wesley's stance regarding war is best understood through his doctrine of divine providence. Since God controls the fate of nations, war must be seen as God's will on the one hand, yet also as the result of original sin on the other. This tension informs Wesley's vision of history as well as the ethics of war and peace.
In this paper I examine the varying responses of early American Methodists to the tumultuous Amer... more In this paper I examine the varying responses of early American Methodists to the tumultuous American War for Independence within the Mid-Atlantic region, placing special emphasis on the pacifist witness of several key leaders including Freeborn Garrettson and Jesse Lee. This pacifism poses a quandary for church historians since Methodism has never stood within the peace church tradition. Therefore, I also offer suggestions for how to interpret these unique responses to war and violence.
Adelia Arnold (1845-1916) is a relatively obscure figure in the history of the transmission of th... more Adelia Arnold (1845-1916) is a relatively obscure figure in the history of the transmission of the holiness movement from the North to the South that took place after the Civil War. Born part of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection and later converted under radically Pentecostal Free Methodists, Mrs. Arnold devoted her life to seeking gender and especially racial equality in the American South during the post-war Jim Crow era. Her remarkable life is recounted in this paper and an assessment is made of how her mission and ministry fits within the larger theological and historical context of her day.
Aldersgate Papers, v. 10 (Spring 2013), May 2013
Most major theological traditions have developed a unique theological and linguistic system for a... more Most major theological traditions have developed a unique theological and linguistic system for articulating a political theology. Yet the Wesleyan-Methodist tradition, as large and widespread as it is, has not developed a political theology in any discernible way. This paper offers first steps toward thinking about the unique theological resources that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and the larger Methodist tradition offer to the conversation about the relationship of church and state, the nature of Christian life within this saeculum, and the responsibility of Christians to witness to Christ's Lordship within the political realm. At the center of this theology, I argue, is the relational, co-operant theology of Wesleyanism.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, loudly and strongly renounced the evils of wa... more John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, loudly and strongly renounced the evils of warfare, yet never committed himself to a pacifist position. In this paper, I argue that interpreting Wesley's stance regarding war is best understood through his doctrine of divine providence. Since God controls the fate of nations, war must be seen as God's will on the one hand, yet also as the result of original sin on the other. This tension informs Wesley's vision of history as well as the ethics of war and peace.
In this paper I examine the varying responses of early American Methodists to the tumultuous Amer... more In this paper I examine the varying responses of early American Methodists to the tumultuous American War for Independence within the Mid-Atlantic region, placing special emphasis on the pacifist witness of several key leaders including Freeborn Garrettson and Jesse Lee. This pacifism poses a quandary for church historians since Methodism has never stood within the peace church tradition. Therefore, I also offer suggestions for how to interpret these unique responses to war and violence.
Adelia Arnold (1845-1916) is a relatively obscure figure in the history of the transmission of th... more Adelia Arnold (1845-1916) is a relatively obscure figure in the history of the transmission of the holiness movement from the North to the South that took place after the Civil War. Born part of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection and later converted under radically Pentecostal Free Methodists, Mrs. Arnold devoted her life to seeking gender and especially racial equality in the American South during the post-war Jim Crow era. Her remarkable life is recounted in this paper and an assessment is made of how her mission and ministry fits within the larger theological and historical context of her day.
Aldersgate Papers, v. 10 (Spring 2013), May 2013