Introduction
On June 17, 1703, Reverend Samuel Wesley and Susannah welcomed a little baby boy into their family. This little boy was their fifteenth child they had, but he was the sixth child to survive birth. This little boy would become not just a theologian and pastor whom many would agree with while others would disagree with, but he also would became the founder of the Methodist Movement. The theologian whom this paper is about is none other than John Wesley. Wesley was influenced by a lot of other scholarly Christians at Oxford, their group “became known as the ‘Holy Club,’ ‘Bible Moths,’ or ‘Methodist’” (Cross 1446). It was also at a meeting on May 24 1783, that Wesley “experienced a conversion during Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistles to the Romans. Wesley’s professed object was to promote as far as ‘I am able vital practical religion and by the grace of God to beget, preserve, and increase the life of God in the souls of men’” (Cross 1446). The topic of this paper is theological information about salvation from John Wesley’s point of view. Salvation is one being saved from his or her sin by the act of God’s grace. Salvation is very important to both the church and Christians today because we cannot be a church or a Christian without Salvation it comes when we welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts. Wesley believes in original sin; and “salvation from original sin begins with justification, continues in sanctification, and ends with glorification” (Cramer). In the following we will be looking at what Wesley means by justification, sanctification and glorification, and how this is a great contribution to life of the church today.
Exploration
First, in order to understand justification we need to first understand what ...
... middle of paper ...
...ation is. Wesley’s contribution to salvation lead to the Methodist Movement. It is from Wesley’s beliefs on salvation in which Methodist are founded on. Wesley believed that salvation was very important to one’s relationship with Christ that he had preached on the topic multiple times and in multiple sermons.
Works Cited
Cramer, Dan. "The Order of Salvation in John Wesley’s Theology." Danes Place. Featheredprop, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. .
Cross, F. L., and Elizabeth A. Livingstone. "John Welsey." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. 1446. Print.
Wesley, John. "The Scripture Way of Salvation." Global Ministries. Ed. Thomas Jackson. The United Methodist Church, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. .
The Second Great Awaking consisted of new applications of religion that deviated from rationalism, which sparked promotion of democracy and freedom. The message of salvation rather than condemnation was evident in this movement as spoken by Charles G. Finney. He sought to remove sin from reformed churches and organize sinners to unity and freedom (Doc B). This practice showed the crucial democrati...
John Wesley read Isaac Watts at Oxford and was familiar with his writings and theology Further, there can be no doubt that Wesley greatly respected Watts as a theologian. In a 1765 journal entry Wesley wrote of his positive relationship with the Dissenters, although, "... many of them did, however, differ from me both in opinions and modes of worship. I have the privilege to mention Dr. Doddridge, Dr. Watts, and Mr. Wardrobe." (1) Wesley thought so highly of some of Watts' theology that he included forty-four pages of Watts' text on original sin, The Ruin and Recovery of Human Nature, in his own volume titled, On Original Sin. (2) That Watts and John Wesley had a relationship of mutual respect, and that Wesley recognized Watts' preeminent reputation
John Wesley was born June 17, 1703 in Epworth, England. In 1729, he joined his brother Charles, Robert Kirkham and William Morgan in a religious study group called the “Methodists.” Taking over the leadership of the group, John helped it grow in numbers. The “Methodists,” also called the Holy Club, were known for fasting two days a week. From 1730 on, they added social services to their activities
Douglas, J.D., 2nd edn., The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Exeter: Paternoster Publishing. 1978
McManners, John. "The Oxford History of Christianity." The Oxford History of Christianity. New York: New York Oxford Press, 2002. 28.
I was intrigued by John Wesley’s family background. Of how, “John Wesley began life as a happy by-product of a family dispute” (p. 3, Abraham) of praying for King William III. I find it hard to consider that the leader of the Methodist movement was the result of conflict resolution. John was the fifteenth child of a family of nineteen children. His parents, “Susanna and Samuel Wesley was both Dissenter, those who rejected the vision of Christianity developed by the Anglican Church after the Reformation” (p. 4, Abraham). John grandfather, Susanna’s father, was a “distinguished Dissenting Preacher” (p. 4, Abraham). His family tree was rich with ancestors who did not go along with the establishment if it did not match with spiritual truths.
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Wesley thought there was "nothing of greater consequence" than the doctrine of atonement. Without belief in the atonement, religion becomes merely deism, Wesley feared
Wesleyans and Fundamentalist may have different views on different subject matter reguarding the doctrine and the theology because of their presupsitions. Although this book makes comparasionsleyans to between Wesleyans and Fundamentalists , the Authors of this book makes a clear message that although we may have differnt views on scripture tere is no way to be sure which one is correct however, "we recognize that Wesleyans and their sisters and brothers who are fundamentalists share a love for Jesus Christ and his inaugurated kingdom." (8) Meaning that we the readers should not discriminate between the two views because untimently they both love Jesus and it is for the glory of God.
...s distributed in Theology 101 at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle on 22 April 2008.
Both of the Wesley brothers had transforming religious experiences in May 1738. In the years following, the Wesleys succeeded in leading a lively renewal movement in the Church of England. As the Methodist movement grew, it became apparent that their ministry would spread to the American colonies as some Methodists made the exhausting and hazardous Atlantic voyage to the New World.
The Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology). God provides us with everything we need; we see this in Genesis where he provided Adam with everything he needed. Jesus became a man by reincarnation; a verse to support this is John 1:14 “
Methodism began as a sect of the Anglican Church founded by John Wesley, an educated, articulate theologian and pastor who focused at least as much on the heart as on the head. Born in 1703, John Wesley was the “fifteenth of nineteen children born to Samuel and Susanah Wesley,” (Cairns 382). His father was the pastor of a small church called Epworth. His parishioners, to say the least, did not care for him. Bruce Heydt says that “their worldly ways and fierce independence left little room in their hearts for a curate who took his work too seriously,” (Heyd...
Lineberry, John. Salvation Is of the Lord: Topical and Word Studies. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959.
The doctrine of salvation contains various aspects. The intent of this research paper is to provide a general overview of salvation from the angle of justification, propitiation, grace, redemption, and sanctification.