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O a Summary of Wesley's Practical, Conjunctive Theology Focused

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O a Summary of Wesley's Practical, Conjunctive Theology Focused A Balanced Faith Session: A Balanced Faith (Wesleyan Theology) (Tues, 5/12/2020) o A summary of Wesley’s practical, conjunctive theology focused around Grace and Holiness 1) The "Wesleyan" Quadrilateral (How we “do” theology) 1. Scripture (Foundational for Wesley; "homo unis libri: I am a man of one book”) 2. Tradition (Wesley drew from tradition; so do we…) "We therefore not only allow, but earnestly exhort, all who seek after true religion, to use 3. Reason (understanding; faculty of the soul) all the reason which God hath given them, in searching out the things of God." (-Wesley, "An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion") 4. Experience (esp. experience of the Holy Spirit) 2) Five “Watershed” Moments in the Development of Wesley’s Theology (from William J. Abraham, Wesley For Armchair Theologians, p. 33-39) 1. In 1725 (at Oxford) Wesley developed a passion for holiness… 2. At Aldersgate in 1738, Wesley rediscovered that “faith was also a direct, experiential encounter with God through the Holy Spirit that brought awareness of the love of God in one’s heart...” 3. In 1764 Wesley shared what he understood of the essentials of religion in publishing Sermons on Several Occasions and Notes upon the New Testament. 4. Wesley’s ConFerence Minutes in 1770, “set the record straight with his Calvinist critics. …his favorable attitude to good worKs was the positive expression of his resolute opposition to the Calvinist vision of predestination.” 5. 1784 launching of a new church in North America. “This decision stands in line with Wesley’s primary commitment to the spiritual welfare of his people.” 3) Wesley’s Theology is PraCtiCal… o Wesley preached “plain truth for plain people,” maKing 4 "Alls" of Methodism: it understanding and relevant. 1. all need to be saved; 2. all can be saved (grace); Wesley’s theology focuses on soteriology (salvation); o 3. all can know they are saved (justification; he was focused on the care of souls. assurance); o Salvation implies: (1) something we are saved from, (2) 4. all can be saved to the uttermost something we are saved to, and (3) recognition of our (sanctification; regeneration; holiness). condition (cf. 2nd ¶, p. 22 of A Blueprint For Discipleship) 4) & Wesley’s Theology is "Conjunctive" o Wesley’s theology is marKed by many Both/And conjunctives, such as: Faith Alone (Protestantism) and Holy Living (Catholcisim) Law and Gospel | Grace and WorKs | Process and Instantaneous Wesley’s theology is dipolar: two Both/And themes are Central in his work/understanding: A Balanced Faith (Handout/Outline) 1 A Balanced Faith 5) GraCe (love of God [eg. God's love]) "First, God worketh in you; therefore, you can work. Otherwise it would be impossible. If he[sic] did not work, o Grace is fundamentally about God it would be impossible for you to work out your own giving Himself (in Christ) to us... grace is salvation... Therefore, inasmuch as God works in you, the life-transforming presence and you are now able to work out your own salvation. Since power of God (and the Holy Spirit) in he worked in you of his own good pleasure, without any merit of yours, both to will and to do, it is possible for you our lives, particularly and specifically to fulfill all righteousness. through the life and death of Jesus. “Secondly, God worketh in you; therefore, you must o Grace is universal and relational. work. You must be "workers together with him," (they are the very words of the Apostle,) otherwise he will cease working... Even St. Augustine, who is generally supposed o We often reflect on three Key to favor the contrary doctrine, makes that just remark...: movements of God’s grace as laid out by "He that made us without ourselves, will not save us Wesley: without ourselves." -John Wesley, sermon, On Working Out Our Own Salvation 1. Prevenient Grace (invitation) God is first at worK seeKing us and worKing within us that we might seeK God… (Augustine’s “restless hearts,” or modern “God- shaped hole,” in each of us… 2. Justifying Grace Comparison drawn from Wesley’s works: Justifying Grace Sanctifying Grace (restoration) a relationship restored a heart renewed a relative change a real change 3. SanctiFying Grace what God does for us in Christ what God does in us by the Spirit (re-creation) saved from the guilt of sin saved from the power of sin the experience of forgiveness the experience of holiness 6) Holiness (love of God [eg. our love for God] & our love for neighbor) For Further Reflection / Contextualization: Today we often hear, “I’m Spiritual, but not Religious…” Wesley …of heart and life: love of God (worship, routinely uses the word “religion,” but not in the sense that o modernity so readily dismisses. For Wesley, “religion” is disciplines) & love of neighbor (witness, synonymous with the human experience of “holiness,” and is service) simply love of God and neighbor. All the other trappings that come to mind of “religion” may be means by which we move into o Christian perfection such holiness, but Wesley would not equate them! Perfection is pure love filling the heart, and By Christian perfection, I mean 1) loving God with all our governing all our words and actions: “[it] is heart. Do you object to this? I mean 2) a heart and life all nothing higher or lower than this, -the pure devoted to God. Do you desire less? I mean 3) regaining love of God and man [sic]... the loving of God the whole image of God. What objection to this? I mean with all our heart, and our neighbor as 4) having all the mind that was in Christ. Is this going too ourselves. It is love governing the heart and far? I mean 5) walking uniformly as Christ walked. And life, running through all our tempers, words this surely no Christian will object to. If anyone means and actions" anything more or anything else by perfection, I have no (-A Plain Account Of Christian Perfection) concern with it . (-Journal, June 37, 1769; extract of a letter) 2 A Balanced Faith (Handout/Outline) .
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