The Faith of Our Fathers: An Examination of the Patristic Roots of John Wesley's Theology and the Relevance of His Theology and Practice for Today

This article examines John Wesley's engagement with patristic sources before bringing Wesley into dialogue with representative contemporary theologians. It argues that Wesley's fusion of traditions and focus upon holiness provides a helpful counterpoint to contemporary emphases. The first...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fellows, Philip (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Penn State Univ. Press [2019]
In: Wesley and Methodist studies
Year: 2019, Volume: 11, Issue: 2, Pages: 143-165
IxTheo Classification:KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
KDG Free church
NBM Doctrine of Justification
Further subjects:B Methodism
B Sacred Texts
B Holiness
B Anglicanism
B Christian History
B Church Fathers
B Perfection
B Divine Grace
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Description
Summary:This article examines John Wesley's engagement with patristic sources before bringing Wesley into dialogue with representative contemporary theologians. It argues that Wesley's fusion of traditions and focus upon holiness provides a helpful counterpoint to contemporary emphases. The first section considers Wesley's explicit use of the Church Fathers, considering particularly Ted Campbell's work and the methodological problems involved in such an enquiry. It is then argued that there is evidence of patristic influence upon Wesley's doctrines of prevenient grace and Christian perfection as part of a wider synthesis of eras and Christian traditions. Finally, the contemporary relevance of Wesley's approach is considered.
ISSN:2291-1731
Contains:Enthalten in: Wesley and Methodist studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5325/weslmethstud.11.2.0143