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Today there is growing concern with the problems posed by dogmatic
religious belief. Throughout history religion has too often been a
source of contention between groups of people and has frequently
stifled intellectual (especially scientific) and social progress.
Rather than abandon religious belief altogether, as some suggest,
Kevin Lowery contends that the real problem is the intellectual
immaturity with which religious beliefs are held. This book thus
explores the nature and dynamics of religious belief, and it offers
constructive criticism in order to promote the intellectual
maturity of religious belief. Rather than artificially resolving
points of tension by simply dismissing particular viewpoints out of
hand, as with the radical skeptics and the dogmatists, Lowery
argues that intellectual maturity requires us to acknowledge the
limitations of our beliefs.
Description: Kevin Twain Lowery believes that two of John Wesley's
most distinctive doctrines--his doctrines of assurance and
Christian perfection--have not been sufficiently developed. Rather,
these doctrines have either been distorted or neglected. Lowery
suggests that since Wesleyan ethics is centered on these two
doctrines, they need to be recast in a schema that emphasizes the
cognitive aspects of religious knowledge and moral development.
Salvaging Wesley's Agenda constructs such a new framework in three
stages. First, Lowery explores Wesley's reliance upon Lockean
empiricism. He contends that Wesleyan epistemology should remain
more closely tied to empirical knowledge and should distance itself
from mystical and intuitionist models like Wesley's own ""spiritual
sense"" analogy. Second, examining the way that Wesley appropriates
Jonathan Edwards's view of the religious affections, Lowery shows
that Wesleyan ethics should not regard emotions as something to be
passively experienced. Rather, emotions have cognitive content that
allows them to be shaped. Third, Lowery completes the new framework
by suggesting ways to revise and expand Wesley's own conceptual
scheme. These suggestions allow more of Wesley's concerns to be
incorporated into the new schema without sacrificing his core
commitments. The final chapter sketches the doctrines of assurance
and perfection in the new framework. Assurance is based on
religious faith and on self-knowledge (both empirical and
psychological), and perfection is understood in a more teleological
context. The result is a version of Wesleyan ethics more faithful
to Wesley's own thought and able to withstand the scrutiny of
higher intellectual standards. Endorsements: ""Lowery approaches
Wesley with the issues and problems that arose in the Holiness and
Pentecostal movements chiefly in view This leads to fresh
appraisals of Wesley's doctrines of assurance and perfection and to
his constructive proposal of a Wesleyan ethical theory. That the
latter can make such extensive use of Kant is surprising and
challenging. This book places Lowery as a major contributor to the
construction of new Wesleyan theologies for our day."" John B. Cobb
Jr. Professor Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology ""Seeking new
ways to formulate and revitalize Wesley's ethics, Dr. Lowery has
placed Wesley in dialogue not only with John Locke and Jonathan
Edwards, whom Wesley knew and admired, but also with Immanuel Kant
whom he did not know. Yet Lowery finds key similarities between
Wesley's doctrines of assurance and perfection and Kant's ethics,
similarities that enable Lowery to enlarge and refine Wesley's
doctrines in significant and creative ways. This is clearly a
groundbreaking book for Wesley research and promising for new
developments."" Theodore Runyon, Professor Emeritus Candler School
of Theology, Emory University About the Contributor(s): Kevin Twain
Lowery is an associate professor at Olivet Nazarene University,
where he teaches theology and philosophy. His academic
specializations and interests include moral philosophy,
Enlightenment thought, and the interaction of ethics with science
and religion. He is the author of The Maturity of Belief: Making
Religion More Intellectually Sound.
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