Midterm Questions Flashcards
What were the over-riding concerns that dominated English life from the time Christianty originated in England through Wesley’s own time?
Three concerns were:
- unity
- salvation
- truth
Saw this in the Church of England
- attempt to gain unity through established doctrine, common worship
- preventing dissidents
- search for and preserving the truth is seen in discussions over orthodoxy versus heresy.
Concerns arose because of broad cultural currents
- enlightenment and advance of science
- Industrial revolution and associated disparities
- Waning Empire threatened national identity
- Communication advances made knowledge more accessible
Identify Key events in the Epworth Parish and Rectory with which significantly influenced John and Charls Wesely and the Methodist Movement?
Samuel was a priest and poet
Samuel was an active writer and involved in SPCK. He started a society in Epworth.
Samuel was at the midst of conflicts. Wonder if this influenced JW’s tend toward latitudianarism.
Rectory fire - JW saw himself as a “brand plucked from the flame” This caused him to live with a purpose.
Susanna was a disciplinarian, teacher, and knew the importance of one-on-one time. She may be an influence in JW’s primary view of God as a loving parent with high expectations.
While Samuel was away in London (after a disagreement with Susanna), she began teaching the family on Sunday evenings. Others started coming. SW told her to stop and she proclaimed that if she did their salvation was on his watch.
Discuss Charles and John Wesley as “practical theologians.”
Discuss the influence of John and Charles Welsley’s family on their formation and the develpment of the Methodist movement.
From Paul Cilcote:
- Commitment - commitment to God above all else
- Orthodoxy - “Right praise” - a life shaped by the doctrines of the church
- Spirituality - Discipliend life of practicing the means of grace, BCP, Sacraments
- Mission - Gospel is for the whole world
- Order - Life ordered and organized toward habits for holiness of heart and life
- Scrpiture - Love for the Bible as a daily source of revelation, guidance and grace.
Discuss John Wesley’s experience in Georgia and its influence on his faith and formation.
John Wesley failed in Georgia
Learned that control and order were not sufficient to complete his mission.
- Alienated the congregation by imposing holy living rules
- Didn’t understand or respect the native americans
- Failed in romance w/Hopkey and barred her from communion because she didn’t publish banes of marraige.
This failure led to a recognition of the need for something more and the search for the assurance of grace that led to renewal.
Failure led to renewal
What is the via media and how is it expressed in the practices and theology of the Wesley brothers?
Literally - middle way
Queen Elizabeth I’s way of politically navigating Catholic vs. Protestant conflict.
Hooker’s explanation became the model for navigating the via media and it is identical to JW’s priorties for discerning truth of God
- Scripture - main source of truth and test for all else but it doesn’t provide the answer to every question. Emphasis on the whole of scripture.
- Tradition - first few centuries provide authoritative understanding of Scripture
- Reason - revealed truth can never contradict reason, can supercede. Reason was to be a tool that could help develop credible doctrine.
This middle way also made a level of latitudinarianism necessary. It is evident in JW’s Catholic Spirit.
Discuss the conflict between the Wesley brothers and George Whitefield. What is at the heart of the conflict? What is at stake? What are the basic points of the arguements? What are the implications for pastoral practice?
Conflict is over Calvinist theolgoy of predestination. Whitefield was aligned with Calvinist theology; the Wesleys with Arminian.
Heart of the conflict is whether humans have free will and can reject God’s grace.
What is at stake is whether Christ is the atonement for all or just the elect. Are those not elected doomed.
Whitefield’s defense
- Article 17 and tradition of Church of England
- God is sovereign and can choose to justly leave some in their sin. It is up to God not humans.
- Lost deserve judgement because of the sin that they inherited from Adam
- Christ did not die for ALL but for “all” the elect.
- God’s sovereignty - as power is emphasized.
Wesley’s defense
- Romans 8 and Article 17 are not talking about the fore knowledge of who is elect but a plan of salvation - not individualistic but corporate theology.
- Idea came from Susanna
- Cannot separate that if some are elected to life others are elected to reprobation
- Cannot “pass over” the majority
- Our sin is what condemns us not Adam’s.
Concerns of the Debate
- Nature of God for Wesley
- lovingy merciful God
- grace for all not just some
- God’s mercy is over all his works
- Nature of God for Whitefield
- God’s right
- God’s sovereignty to choose
- Human dignity and agency
- Assurance and holy living
- Mission
- Lense of all scripture or clear centeral themes
Implications are critical:
- Calvinism and predestination led to all that happens being a result of God’s will.
- Wesley found no comfort in this and neither to many who face real tragedy.
- The theology of Wesley is that God meets us in the midst of our tragedy and works to bring something good out of it not causes it.
What are the perennial dimensions of doctrine and what dimensions(s) receive primary attention by John and Charles Wesley?
- primal dimensiont: Basic world view that orient believer’s lives in the world (the mind of Christ and fruit of the Spirit)
- Formative diminsion: Task of forming/reforming a Christian worldview/dispositions in believers.
- Normative dimension: “Second-order” reflection on adequacy of particular practices for forming Christian worldview, alternative conceptisons of worldview, etc.
- Apologetic Dimension: Engaging self-conciously those who question or reject Christian beliefs and practices.
- Training dimension: Preparing leadders to carry on formative, normative and apologetic dimensions.
Wesleys focused on Formative dimension
Utilized: Forms of Pryer, Hymns, Sermons, and Sunday service.
Can see how these also served a training dimension
According to Wesley, what are the sources of our knowledge about God and waht is the “normative” test of that knowledge?
Scripture is primary followed by
tradition
reason and
experience
What are God’s “natural attributes” and God’s “moral attributes” and how are they related?
Natural Attributes: Difinitive Characteristics for the Divine nature
- Spirit
- eternal
- infinite
- omnipresent
- omiscient,
- onmipotent
The moral attributes are how God uses his divine characteristics in love which binds all this together.
Moral Attributes: Define God’s character:
- Justice
- Goodness
- Mercy
- Sovereignty (empowerment rather than powerful control)
What metaphors for God do John and Charles Wesely privilege?
Loving Parent
Just Govenor
Soveregn Lord
Discuss the Wesleyan understanding of the work of God.
- God/Fatehr as Creator and Sustainer - creation and sustaining of the universe
- God/Father as Provider - providential care for humanity
- God/Father as Governor or Judge - the moral governances of teh creation
- God/Father as Physician - healing of teh corruption of sin.
Summarize Plain Account of Genuine Christianity and how is it relevant today?
Context: debate w/ Dr. Middleton and Diests influenced by the enlightenment over “evidence” for Chrisianity.
Short list of essentials
Christians recognize that they are lowly and are dependent upon God. They desire God’s goodness and are conformed to the likeness of God’s love. This love transforms their actions.
Reflexive naturer of God-images - every claim about God makes a claim about us.
Holistic Character of theology - not just about intellectual belief but about transformation of life.
Relevant because deism is alive and well in a highly scientific world. Many discount miracles today.
What does Wesley mean by “practical atheism”?
JW believes that there are few real real atheist.
Practical atheists act like there is no God. None to whom they are ultimately accountable.
May believe that there is a God but not that God makes a difference.
Who are “real Christians” according to Wesley?
Real Christains have experienced conversion
Their lives show evidence of tranforming grace and a desire to do good works, humility
More than name only
