The Future of John Wesley's Theology

This book approaches the future of John Wesley's theology in terms of a preferred future by looking back to the Apostle Paul. In a comparison of Wesley's theology with the writings of St. Paul, Tex Sample maintains that Wesleyans tend to read Paul through Wesley, but that in the future we need to read Wesley through Paul. Key issues between Wesley and Paul are considered in this book: justification by faith, sanctification, the faith in/of Christ, the powers, the individual/social concept in Wesley that is absent in Paul, and, finally, the issue of a justice of the common good. The conclusion develops the implications of this study for the future of the church and its witness. ""Scholars have examined the life and thought of John Wesley from many angles. Few, however, have done so with the depth and dexterity of Tex Sample. In accessible and engaging fashion, Sample brings John Wesley into a theological conversation with the first-century world of the Apostle Paul and our own context of the twenty-first century. For those who care about the future of the Wesleyan tradition, this book is a must-read."" --Christopher H. Evans Professor of the History of Christianity and Methodist Studies Boston University School of Theology ""Tex Sample skillfully engages us in a fruitful and spirited dialogue with the Apostle Paul and John Wesley on the meaning and experience of grace and justification. As a careful scholar, the author brings to the conversation a wide range of biblical interpreters, theologians, and critics. The result is a vision of divine grace that transforms the entire cosmos and calls the church toward a new future."" --Bishop Kenneth L. Carder Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry Duke Divinity School ""Through an encounter with the 'new' Paul, Tex Sample challenges us to envision a 'new' Wesley. He argues we can enrich Wesley's dynamic understanding of salvation by placing it within the horizon of new creation at the heart of Paul's gospel. Sample ably introduces us to what is at stake and invites us to join the conversation. --Henry H. Knight III Donald and Pearl Wright Professor of Wesleyan Studies Saint Paul School of Theology ""Who but Tex Sample could conceive of, let alone so impressively succeed . . . in bringing John Wesley and the Apostle Paul into fruitful dialogue! Drawing on a broad range of Pauline and Wesleyan scholarship, he presides over a dialogue that is both stimulating in itself and has much to contribute to the church today, especially to its understanding of the indicative and imperative of God's justice and saving grace."" --Victor Paul Furnish University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament Southern Methodist University Tex Sample is the Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Professor Emeritus of Church and Society at the Saint Paul School of Theology. Active in the church and in community organizing in Phoenix, Arizona, he is the author of ten books, including Powerful Persuasion (2005), Blue Collar Resistance and the Politics of Jesus (2006), and Earthy Mysticism (2008).