Theosis in the 18th Century Revivals: Wesley and Whitefield Rallying for the Redemption of Human Nature (original) (raw)
Related papers
John Wesley as a theologian: an introduction
2015
The twentieth century saw a revival of interest in John Wesley as a theologian, but whereas the standard treatments of his theology have arranged his thought in the customary shape of Systematic Theologies, this article takes the shape of Wesley’s theology from the way he arranged and prioritized his doctrines pastorally in his Standard Sermons. This demonstrates that he began with the evangelical doctrine of the Reformation on Justification and the Atonement (focusing on Christ), understood regeneration and assurance in relation to the Holy Spirit, and saw the sovereign grace of God the Father as extending to ‘all his works’. The underlying structure is Trinitarian. His much misunderstood doctrine of ‘perfection’ was inherited from the Fathers and was his most creative contribution to Evangelical theology, but needs further development and clarification. 254 • EQ Thomas A. Noble sectarianism. It needs to be developed in a fully Trinitarian way so that the living experience of ‘real...
Christ alone for salvation' : the role of Christ and His work in John Wesley's theology
2017
The University of Manchester Isaac Hopper Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 'Christ Alone for Salvation': The Role of Christ and His Work in John Wesley's Theology 2017 This thesis is a study of the relationship between John Wesley's Christology and his broader theology. No specific effort has yet been made to assess whether or not a meaningful change to Wesley's Christology ever occurred, or to what extent Wesley's Christology shaped his broader theology. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by first demonstrating that a change to Wesley's Christology did occur and describing the implications of this shift for his broader theology and, second, by evaluating to what degree Wesley's broader theology arose out of, or was shaped by, his Christology. Chapter one describes Wesley's inherited theology, which he received from his family and faith tradition, in order to provide a foundation from which to examine changes to his Christology. Chapter two then demonstrates that a change to Wesley's Christology did occur around his 1738 'evangelical conversion', and describes the implications of this shift for Wesley's evangelical theology. John Wesley identified the core doctrines of the early Methodists as repentance, faith, and holiness. Following Wesley's lead, this study examines three correlating areas of focus as representative of these core Methodist doctrines, in order to describe the relationship between these doctrines and Wesley's Christology. Chapter three, 'Christ and Humanity' examines Wesley's doctrine of humanity, including his understanding of the image of God, original sin, and the nature of salvation as restoration of the divine image. This chapter lays out Wesley's understanding of the need for human repentance. Chapter four, 'Christ Working for Us' examines those doctrines most closely tied to justification as an orienting concern. This includes Wesley's understanding of grace, the stages of faith, repentance itself, works meet for repentance, Christ's imputed righteousness, and adoption. Finally, chapter five, 'Christ Working in Us' examines those doctrines most closely linked to sanctification as an orienting concern. This includes the doctrine of the new birth, freedom from sin, assurance, and Christian perfection. By identifying the changes that occurred to Wesley's Christology and evaluating the relationship between his Christology and other core doctrines, this thesis will contribute to the growing body of research into the theological foundations of Methodism and the life and thought of the Rev. John Wesley.
Other than John Wesley’s description of William Wilberforce in 1791 as Athanasius contra mundum and his use of the same Latin phrase in his 1775 sermon On the Trinity, there is little discussion of Athanasius on the part of the founder of Methodism. However, the Orthodox tradition to which Athanasius is so central a figure had an important shaping influence on Wesley’s theology and there are strong soteriological resonances between Athanasius and Wesley, some of which will be elucidated in this paper. The Methodist ecumenist Albert C. Outler was one of the first, in the 1960s, to alert modern Wesleyans to the need to examine closely their founder’s heavy indebtedness to the Ante-Nicene and Nicene Fathers, especially in his doctrine of Christian perfection. More recently, Kenneth J. Collins has disputed the strong connection between Wesley’s theology and Orthodox theology and has argued that those who accept Outler’s argument have overlooked the significance for Wesley of his own Anglican tradition, in particular the ‘holy living’ tradition of William Law and Jeremy Taylor. This article will survey recent discussion of this issue among Wesley scholars, caution against too great a dogmatism on the question, and argue that Wesley’s practical theology was essentially eclectic.
DO 690 John Wesley's Theology for Today
2003
Paul W. Chilcote, Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit (entirety) Paul Chilcote, Recapturing the Wesleys’ Vision Manuscript (entirety) Tom Langford, “Charles Wesley as Theologian” (handout) Albert Outler, “John Wesley as Theologian” (handout) Albert Outler, John Wesley, 3-33, 51-69, 87-147, 177-209, 231-50, 271-344, 353-76, 384-424, 492-99 Albert Outler, Theology in the Wesleyan Spirit (entirety; but only theology section) John Wesley, Sermons, 39-68, 157-72, 193-206, 251-74, 287-98, 325-46, 419-40, 485- 500, 511-22, 541-58 Frank Whaling, John and Charles Wesley, 146-61, 192-95, 251-72, 289-91
East and West in the theology of John Wesley
Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, 2003
Considerable interest has been shown by Wesleyan scholars in recent decades in the influence of the Greek fathers on John Wesley. It appears to have been Albert Outler who first prompted the current interest in the eastern connection by his suggestion in 1964 that Wesley's doctrine of sanctification might have roots in Gregory of Nyssa and the other Cappadocians through Pseudo-Macarius. 1 Although subsequent scholarship came to regard that specific connection as dubious, 2 Outler returned to the eastern connection in a more general way in 1976, arguing in 'The place of Wesley in the Christian tradition' 3 that Wesley originated a 'third alternative', a synthesis of pardon and participation, of sola fide and 'holy living', a synthesis, in short, of east and west. Outler's view of Wesley as synthesizing east and west was taken up by Randy L. Maddox in Responsible grace, in which one of the recurring themes is that Wesley marries the therapeutic view of salvation taken in eastern Christianity with the more forensic approach of the west. For Wesley the former is fundamental, according to Maddox, and the latter is adapted to it. 4 The idea of Wesley as a synthesizer goes farther back in this century to George Croft Cell with his idea of a 'synthesis of the EAST AND WEST 359
DO 690 John Wesley’s Theology Today
2005
Required Texts: Paul W. Chilcote, Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit Paul W. Chilcote, Recapturing the Wesleys’ Vision Albert C. Outler, ed., John Wesley Albert C. Outler, Evangelism & Theology in the Wes’n Spirit A. Outler & R. Heitzenrater, eds., John Wesley’s Sermons Frank Whaling, ed., John and Charles Wesley
Broadly speaking, the field of theological scholarship surrounding Wesley's Christology is like Wesley's Christology itself: it frames the discussion in terms of the work of Christ (atonement, soteriology, sanctification) over and above the person and nature/s of Christ. The exceptions to this statement are admirably surveyed in a recent article by Richard M. Riss, in which he canvasses the landscape of Wesley's Christology within recent literature, tracing the chronology of scholarship from Scroggs and Deschner to Outler, Collins, and Maddox (among others). 1 Riss's scope is limited to Wesley's understanding of the divinity and humanity of Jesus, noting from the very first sentences how Wesley's Christology has been read both within the boundaries of the Council of Chalcedon (451) and beyond the purview of orthodoxy, with particular emphasis given to monophysitism (even docetism). 2 Scroggs noted how "Wesley does not always hold rigorously to the true humanity of Jesus. There are hints that at times Wesley came close to docetism;" 3 Deschner frequently points to Wesley's underemphasis on the human nature (and the overemphasis on the divine nature); 4 and Outler, commenting on Wesley's "Sermon on the Mount, I," gives Wesley's Christology a working title: "practical monophysitism." 5