Wesleyan Theology

These studies come from the booklet Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine by H. Wayne House. I wonder if the Wesley brothers would be in total agreement with the way the denomination is run today?

Wesleyan Theology

Theology-Wesleyan theology is essentially Arminian but has a stronger sense of the reality of sin and of dependence on divine grace.

Revelation-The Bible is divine revelation, the ultimate standard for faith and practice. However, there are four means by which truth is mediated-Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience (the Wesleyan quadrilateral). Scripture has supreme authority. Next to Scripture, experience stands as the best evidence of Christianity.

Salvation-Salvation is a three-step process of grace: prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace. Prevenient grace is the universal work of the Spirit between one’s birth and salvation. Prevenient grace prevents one from moving too far from God and enables one to respond, positively or negatively, to the gospel. To those who receive the gospel, justifying grace produces salvation and begins the process of sanctification.

The believer has a goal the achievement of entire sanctification, produced by the Holy Spirit in a second work of grace. Entire sanctification means that one has been perfected in love. Perfection is not absolute but relative and dynamic. When one can love without self-interest or impure motive, then he or she has achieved perfection.