Of special focus in this reflective overview of Wesley's theological convictions is highlighting the practical-theological dynamics of Wesley's work and suggesting possible implications for contemporary attempts to recover theology as a practical discipline. Another distinctive focus of this work is a systematic consideration of the integration of theological emphases traditionally divergent in Eastern and Western Christianity. The author also closely examines the consistency of Wesley's thought throughout his career.
Popular Bible teacher and host of the Gospel Truth broadcast, Andrew Wommack takes on one of the biggest controversies of the church, the freedom of God's grace verses the faith of the believer. Wommack reveals that God's power is not released from only grace or only faith. God's blessings come through a balance of both grace and...
How should the Methodist tradition continue to embody its evangelistic mission? Some believe effective evangelism requires ecclesial adaptation seeking relevance to attract outsiders. But does this strategy result in the church's embrace of consumer market practices, pandering to a world of church shoppers? Others suggest the most evangelistic thing the church can do is to be the church, displaying to the world the attractive beauty of a holy community. But could this ironically distance the church from its context and neglect the many ways the church is called to engage the world? The Wesleys formed a people called Methodist, embodying an evangelistic mission combining commitments to disciplined spiritual life and vital social engagement. In this book, Conklin-Miller suggests faithful (United) Methodist evangelism requires living in the tension between the church and the world, "leaning both ways at once," emphasizing the holiness of the church as a particular people, but at the same time, being a people sent to intercede in the world as servants, advocates, and witnesses. This understanding constitutes not only a broader reframing of evangelistic mission but also a vision for the identity and agency of the church in the Wesleyan tradition: a Methodist missional ecclesiology.
The proposal of this book is to guide the reader to the contrastive ministries of the two most dominant preachers of the eighteen-century evangelical revival. In a wonderful comparative approach the author draws John Wesley and George Whitefield's portraits and explores their life and practice, as well as their relationship. Committed to the principle that the 'whole world was their parish', Wesley and Whitefield manifested their singular desire to be men of one book through preaching ministries that were equally committed to the spread of the gospel throughout the transatlantic world.
Why do we worship as we do? What are the forgotten practices once central to many early Nazarene congregations? Because historical events and other factors have shaped and molded the various worship patterns found in local congregations, the way in which contemporary Nazarenes worship is no accident. Like other descendants of the American holiness movement, Nazarene worship is influenced by events predating our denominational forebears. This text explores the history behind current worship trends for a crucial reason: the very act of worship shapes and forms worshipers. Beliefs and attitudes are forged not merely by what is heard from the pulpit, but also by what is done bodily in the pew. Ellis examines the liturgical concerns and practice of John Wesley as well as those of early Nazarene pioneers in an attempt to address these issues. In so doing, the book provides a historical resource for denominational leaders, pastors, and congregations. At the same time, it aims to help congregations both to appreciate our rich ecclesial history and to critically evaluate current worship practices in order that they may truly be transformational.
Taking its title from one of John Wesley's most important sermons, The Scripture Way of Salvation explores the soteriological content of Wesley's entire literary corpus (sermons, letters, theological treatises, journals, and the notes on the Old and New Testaments). Fundamentally a doctrinal study, it is historically sensitive to the subtle shifts and nuances of Wesley's continuing reflections about the processes of salvation and the nature of Christian life. Collins provides a clear discussion of Wesley's emerging views about the development and maturation of Christian life, and in so doing highlights the essential structure that undergirds and provides the framework for Wesley's way of thinking about the processes of salvation.
The idea that covenant theology is profoundly influential in John Wesley's theological thought seems dissonant. What would an evangelical Arminian have to do with a theological framework that historically belongs to a reformed understanding of salvation?How could this possibly square with his ongoing conflicts with the Calvinism of his day? On the basis of compelling evidence from his sermons and correspondence, this investigation dares to explore the idea that covenant theology is part of the infrastructure of Wesley's thought. The discovery of its role in shaping his narrative of the way of salvation is surprising and intriguing. Wesley is not only informed of and fluent in covenant theology, but also thoroughly committed to it. 'From Faith to Faith' demonstrates that, with theological precision and discernment, Wesley appropriates covenant theology in a way consistent with both its primary theological features and his Arminianism. His distinctive view of 'the gradual process of the work of God in thesoul' supplies valuable grist for further reflection, especially by those charged with the care of souls in the twenty-first century.
Theodor Jellinghaus (1841-1912), theologian and leader of the Heiligungsbewegung (Holiness Movement), was one of the fathers of the Gemeinschaftsbewegung (Fellowship Movement) in Germany, a new organized expression of the Pietist tradition in nineteenth-century German Protestantism. The key event for the life and work of Jellinghaus was his participation in the convention on Christian holiness in England in 1874. He wanted to bring the new insights he gained there to revive the Protestant and Pietist traditions in the land of the Reformation. Jellinghaus believed that the doctrine of sanctification by faith in Jesus Christ, which he had heard in England, was an indispensable consequence of and necessary accompaniment to a clear doctrine of justification. His special concern in the Gemeinschaftsbewegung was the education of laypersons. The last phase of his life was characterized by crisis and illness, which were related to each other and directly and indirectly led to his so-called recantation. We can only do justice to the overall persona of Jellinghaus if we differentiate between the former (healthy) and later (ill) Jellinghaus. He has to be viewed in the contradictions and tensions within the development of the Heiligungsbewegung and the Gemeinschaftsbewegung as well as his theological teachings. This book is the first comprehensive treatment of Jellinghaus, which not only focuses on his doctrine of sanctification, but assesses his overall life and work, that is, his theological system and personal involvement in and contribution to the development of the Heiligungsbewegung and Gemeinschaftsbewegung in Germany.
How do Christian students approach their years at a Christian college or university? What are the connections between all those hours of study and the Christian life? A First Step into a Much Larger World invites students, parents, and educators into a broad conversation about faith and learning in a postmodern age. Students will explore how to respond to diversity while maintaining community, how to make learning sensible as an expression of faith, and how to move from passive recipients of education to active and engaged co-learners with others. In so doing, they can transform their undergraduate years into a springboard for engaging the culture beyond the university.
