This study focuses on conversion and holiness in the teaching of
John Wesley, because his contribution to the understanding of the
Christian faith and to the life of the Church was made primarily
through his teaching and preaching on these topics. These are the
two areas where Wesley's theology is distinctive and at times
controversial. The book contains twenty-four relatively short
chapters, each devoted to one specific topic. The first chapter of
the book gives a fairly short account of Wesley's spiritual journey
in order to provide a background for the remaining chapters.
Chapters 2 to 15 are devoted to the central topics in Wesley's
teaching-topics to which he devoted most of his time and energy.
These include The Corruption of the World, Salvation by Grace
Alone, Faith, Witness of the Spirit, Regeneration, Holiness, Good
Works by the Christian, Sin in the Christian, and Entire
Sanctification. Chapters 16 to 21 deal with topics which were not
normally the main subject of Wesley's preaching, but which formed
part of the background to his teaching and on which, when
necessary, he expressed definite views. These topics include
Atonement, Prevenient Grace, Good Works before Conversion, Wesley's
Arminianism, and Baptism. In all of the above chapters the author
offers a detailed analysis of the teaching of Wesley, supported by
a very large number of references to his many writings. These
references are given in footnotes rather than endnotes so that
readers can have easy access to them. The author also gives very
many references to the views of Wesleyan scholars of past and
present. However, these references are confined to the footnotes,
in order to ensure that the main text is based entirely on the
teaching of Wesley himself. The final section of the book contains
three chapters which offer the author's own reflections on the
Wesley legacy. He focuses on three major themes in Wesleyan
theology-sola gratia (grace alone), sanctification, and assurance.
He suggests that Wesley's teaching on these issues is of enduring
value and are particularly relevant for Christians today. A
particularly interesting point is the fact that Wesley's
understanding of "sola gratia" provides a solid basis for the
recent official and historic agreement between the Methodist,
Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Churches on this issue which had been
the central point of divergence at the time of the Reformation. A
further point of interest is the author's emphasis on the
importance of Wesley's teaching on the Witness of the Spirit. He
suggests that this emphasis on immediate religious experience is an
important affirmation of a key aspect of the Christian faith-one
which Christian leaders and scholars have often failed to
emphasize. He suggests that this crucial Wesleyan theme finds
echoes in certain recent strands in various Christian Churches,
particularly in charismatic renewal and Ignatian discernment.
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