The subject of this thesis is the nature of Christian transformation as understood through the process of discipleship in the Wesleyan tradition and United Methodism in particular. A basic premise is that contemporary discipleship efforts are perceived as ineffective in spite of the numerous strategies that exist within the field of Christian education. The contention of this thesis is that the current situation is rooted in a failure to address the holistic and integrated nature of Christian transformation, which from a Wesleyan perspective is understood as the process of sanctification. This thesis explores a more holistic vision for discipleship, drawing upon methodology proposed by Richard Osmer to do theological reflection as it engages Wesleyan theology and transformative learning theory (TLT), a contemporary adult educational theory. The result is a contribution to the field of Christian education that has implications for disciple making ministries in the local congregation. Alasdair MacIntyre's theory of practice is developed as a means of accounting for the present incoherence within discipleship ministries, and to resource the development of a more holistic approach to the process of Wesleyan discipleship. As a result, discipleship is conceived of as a single complex practice comprised of four inseparably related and integrally connected dimensions: virtues, disciplines, ethos and telos. The theoretical framework also provides insight into contemporary discipleship efforts by systematically isolating each component and investigating the particular emphasis that is stressed, thus truncating the practice of discipleship. Putting this framework into conversation with TLT provides a way for theological reflection that can broker a cross-disciplinary dialogue between TLT and Wesleyan discipleship. The resulting discourse discerns which relevant aspects of TLT can be appropriated within a Wesleyan context and how TLT contributes to the field of Christian education. Contributions that Wesleyan discipleship can make to the field of TLT are also explored. The thesis develops an educational theory that views discipleship as a single coherent complex practice that is consistent with the process of sanctification in the Wesleyan tradition. Such a theory overcomes the current situation that results in isolating various discipleship efforts by prompting the field of Christian education to consider discipleship as sanctification that transforms persons and their contexts in holistic ways.

Cornerstone is a United Methodist congregation in Coweta County, Georgia, with a desire to reach its changing community, but which has stagnated recently in doing so. This project thesis builds upon Carol Dweck’s mindset research, which emphasizes an intermediate step between the desire to reach a goal and the realization of that goal breaking the hold of a fixed mindset by introducing key aspects of a growth mindset. This thesis articulates and analyzes the design of a curriculum for lay leaders implemented at Cornerstone that develops this new mindset so that the church can reconnect more fully with its community.

Although scholars and Christian leaders have indicated that there is marked separation between morality and spirituality in the Christian praxis of many Africans and that the African worldview, which African Christians still hold is responsible for this separation, there has not been a detailed study of the issue. The aim of the research is to offer an explanation, of a paradox in Ghanaian society where there is enthusiastic Christian spirituality that is separated from social morality, so that a deeper integration of the Christian and Akan traditional moral schemes can be proposed.My research focuses on Pentecostals in Ghana whose appropriation of the African worldview into Christian praxis has generally been considered as a positive response to African religiosity. By the use of a practical theological method of correlation whereby the Christian truth is represented by the moral theology of John Wesley and brought in dialogue with the Akan traditional moral scheme, this research offers reasons for and proposes a solution to the lack of social morality in Ghanaian Pentecostalism. It uses the virtue theory as a heuristic tool for the analysis of morality in a way that provides explanation for the situation and guides an integration of the two moral schemes at a deeper level. The examination of the two moral schemes has been guided by the elements of character, a central theme of the virtue theory. It has been shown that the ‘Deliverance Theology’ of Ghanaian Pentecostals involves significant misrepresentation of the Akan traditional scheme, and that this situation causes many Christians to focus on religion as a means for the supply of existential needs rather than the transformation of inner dispositions for moral character formation. This research shows that reinterpreting the Akan view of humanity and integrating it with the Wesleyan account of the Christian truth, transforms the ‘Deliverance Theology’ by portraying the Christian life as a pneumatological characterology. The moral responsibility that this entails will ensure that African Pentecostals understand social morality as an essential outcome of their Christian spirituality.

Summaries in English, Southern Sotho and Zulu / The doctrine and practices of ordination in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) were adopted from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in England when the Southern African Conference was constituted in 1882. This replication, together with the influences of colonialism and a Western epistemology, negatively impacted the ministry and mission of the church. In response to the appeals for the decolonisation and Africanisation of the denomination’s practices, aspects relating to both the doctrine and practices of ordination have been adapted from the colonial past to our southern African context. However, many elements remain Western and the food cooking in the African pot lacks the taste of authentic ingredients grown in southern African soil. The study researches whether a decolonised and Africanised model of ordination would be very different from existing understanding and practices and examines the impact that a new model would have on the MCSA. Drawing from literature and interviews with persons in leadership positions in the MCSA, the study determines those aspects of southern African culture and spirituality that would be appropriate to assimilate into the present doctrine and practices. The liturgy of the Service of Ordination forms the basis on which the contributions of southern African culture are applied to the doctrine and practices of ordination. A similar process of evaluation and assimilation follows when applying the data gained from the interviews to the doctrine and practices of ordination in the MCSA. The thesis then concludes by proposing concrete changes to both the doctrinal understanding and practice of ordination in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. / Dithuto le ditlwaelo tsa ho hlomamiswa ha Kereke ya Methodist ya Afrika e Borwa (MCSA) di ile tsa amohelwa ho tswa Kerekeng ya Methodist ya Wesleyan ya Engelane ha Seboka sa Afrika e Borwa se thehwa ka 1882. Ho ikatisa hona, hammoho le ditshusumetso tsa bokolone le theori ya tsebo ya Bophirima, di amme tshebeletso le mosebetsi wa kereke. Ho arabela dillo bakeng sa ho tloswa ha thuto ya bokolone le Ho etsa dintho Seafrika ha ditlwaelo tsa bodumedi, dikarolo tse amanang le thuto le ditlwaelo tsa tlhomamiso ka bobedi di amohetswe ho tswa bokoloneng bo fetileng hofihlela maemong a rona a hona jwale. Leha ho le jwalo, dintho tse ngata di dutse e ntse e le tsa Bophirima, mme dijo tse ntseng di phehwa ka pitseng ya Afrika di haellwa ke tatso ya metswako e lengwang mobung wa Afrika e Borwa. Phuputso e batlisisa hore na mmotlolo o tlositsweng tsebo ya bokolone le o etsang dintho Seafrika wa tlhomamiso o ka fapana le kutlwisiso ya hona jwale le ditlwaelo le tshusumetso eo mmotlolo o motjha o ka bang le ona ho MCSA. Ho tswa ho dingodilweng le dipuisano le batho ba boemong ba boetapele ho MCSA, phuputso e lekanya dikarolo tseo tsa setso sa Afrika e Borwa le bomoya bo ka nepahalang ho utlwisisa ka botlalo thuto le ditlwaelo tsa hona jwale. Borapedi ba Tshebeletso ya Tlhomamiso bo etsa motheo oo ho ona diabo tsa setso sa Afrika e Borwa di sebediswang thutong ya tlhomamiso. Tshebetso e tshwanang ya tlhahlobo le kutlwisiso e phethahetseng dia latela ha ho sebediswa lesedi le fumanweng ho tswa dipuisanong ho thuto le ditlwaelo tsa tlhomamiso ho MCSA. Phuputso e phethela ka ho etsa tlhahiso ya diphetoho tse hlakileng kutlwisisong ya thuto le tlwaelong ya tlhomamiso Kerekeng ya Methodist ya Afrika e Borwa ka bobedi. / Inqubo kanye nezinkambiso zokugcotshwa kwabefundisi eBandleni lamaWeseli, i-Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) kwathathelwa ebandleni i-Wesleyan Methodist Church eNgilandi ngenkathi kusungulwa i-Southern African Conference ngowe-1882. Ukwamukelwa kwenqubo leyo nezinkambiso, kanye nemithelela yenqubo yobukoloniyali, nokugxila kakhulu olwazini lwaseNtshonalanga, kwaba nomthelela omubi impela emsebenzini webandla wokuhambisa nokusabalalisa ivangeli. Njengomzamo wokusabela ezikhalazweni nezicelo zokuthi kushiywe phansi izinkambiso nezinqubo ezihlobene nenqubo yobukoloniyali futhi ebandleni kusetshenziswe izinkambiso ezisungulwe kwizwekazi lase-Afrika futhi ezihambelana kahle naleli zwekazi, sekuguqulwe izingxenye ezithile ezihlobene nenqubo kanye nezinkambiso zokugcotshwa kwabefundisi zisuswa esimweni sazo esedlule ebesihlobene nenqubo yobukoloniyali, futhi esezakhiwe ngendlela ezozwana futhi ihambelane kahle nesimo samanje esiphila kusona. Kodwa-ke, kusekuningi kakhulu okuphathelene nalezi zinkambiso okusagxile kakhulu ezinqubweni zaseNtshonalanga, futhi lokho-ke kubangela ukuthi ‘isitshulu esiphekwe ebhodweni lase-Afrika sizwakale singenakho ukunambitheka kwezithako ezilinywe emhlabathini waseNingizimu ye-Afrika’. Lolu cwaningo luzama ukuthola ukuthi inqubo yokugcoba abefundisi engalandeli izinkambiso zobukoloniyali zamazwe aseNtshonalanga futhi okuyinqubo egxile ezinkambisweni zase-Afrika ingaba nawo yini umehluko omkhulu kulokhu kuqonda okukhona njengamanje kanye nezinkambiso ezilandelwayo esikhathini samanje, futhi luzama ukubheka nomthelela ebingaba nawo inqubo entsha ebandleni i-MCSA. Ngokususela emibhalweni efundiwe kanye nezingxoxo ezibanjwe nabantu abasezikhundleni zobuholi ebandleni i-MCSA, ucwaningo luhlonza lezo zingxenye zosiko-mpilo kanye nezinkolelo ezingokomoya zaseNingizimu ye-Afrika ezingakulungela ukulunjaniswa nofakwa ngaphansi kwenqubo nezinkambiso ezilandelwa esikhathini samanje. Izinqubonkambiso kanye nemidanti yeNkonzo Yokugcotshwa Kwabefundisi kwakha isisekelo okusetshenziselwa phezu kwaso izinqubo ezithile, ezithathwe kusiko-mpilo lweNingizimu ye-Afrika, enqubweni yokugcotshwa kwabefundisi. Inqubo efanayo yokuhlola nokulumbanisa iyalandela ngenkathi kusetshenziswa idatha etholakale ezingxoxweni ezibanjwe nababambiqhaza bocwaningo mayelana nenqubo kanye nezinkambiso zokugcotshwa kwabefundisi ebandleni i-MCSA. Lo mbhalo wocwaningo uphetha ngokuthi uphakamise izinguquko eziphathekayo futhi ezinohlonze ezingenziwa kukho kokubili inqubo-kuqonda kanye nenkambiso yokugcotshwa kwabefundisi ebandleni i-Methodist Church of Southern Africa. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Phil. (Systematic Theology)

This thesis examines the ministry of John Fletcher (1729-85), vicar of Madeley, Shropshire (vic. 1760-85) as a case study on the Church of England and Methodism in the eighteenth century. Studies of Fletcher have tended to focus either on his contribution to Methodist theology or on his designation as Wesley's successor as the leader of the Methodists. The parish of Madeley has been, for the most part, peripheral to Fletcher studies. The present thesis, however, has aimed to examine Fletcher in his parochial context; to study both what the parish tells us about Fletcher, but also what Fletcher tells us about the parish, and more specifically, about the church in the eighteenth century in a local context. The main argument of this thesis is that Fletcher's ministry at Madeley was representative of a variation of a pro-Anglican Methodism--localized, centred upon the parish church, and rooted in the Doctrines and Liturgy of the Church of England. Three recent publications have provided a triad for understanding Fletcher: (1) in his industrial context; (2) in his theological context; and (3), in his relationship with leaders in the Evangelical Revival. This thesis has sought to examine a fourth component: Fletcher's work as an ordained clergyman of the Church of England, that is, in his ecclesial and ministerial context. The main body of the thesis focuses on two primary aspects of Fletcher's parish ministry: his stated duties and his diligence in carrying out other responsibilities and meeting other needs which arose, including addressing the various tensions which developed during his incumbency. Fletcher's background and his call to parochial ministry as well as the religious history of Madeley are outlined first (Chapter 1). There are three chapters which examine his performance of stated duties: worship services and preaching (Chapter 2); pastoral care andeducation (Chapter 5); and confrontation of erroneous doctrine (Chapter 6). Fletcher's ministry also included a scheme of church extension, represented primarily by his development of religious societies on which other aspects of his parochial duty built (Chapter 3). His evangelicalism and commitment to his parish simultaneously raised tensions between Fletcher and his parishioners (provoked by his 'enthusiasm' or zeal), and between Fletcher and John Wesley, whose variations of Methodism had similar aims, but different models of practice. A chapter is devoted specifically to these issues (Chapter 4).Fletcher's chapel meetings formed an auxiliary arm of the church, operating as outposts throughout his parish. His parishioners considered his ministerial model a 'Methodist' one even though it was not technically part of Wesley's Connexion (other than the fact that his itinerants were guests in the parish). In all, it is the conclusion of this thesis that Fletcher's pastoral ministry represents some of the best work of Anglicanism in the eighteenth century, demonstrating that despite the manifest challenges of industrializing society, residual dissent, and competition from the church's rivals, the Establishment was not incapable of competing in the religious marketplace.

Summaries in English, Sesotho and Isizulu / The doctrine and practices of ordination in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) were adopted from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in England when the Southern African Conference was constituted in 1882. This replication, together with the influences of colonialism and a Western epistemology, negatively impacted the ministry and mission of the church. In response to the appeals for the decolonisation and Africanisation of the denomination’s practices, aspects relating to both the doctrine and practices of ordination have been adapted from the colonial past to our southern African context. However, many elements remain Western and the food cooking in the African pot lacks the taste of authentic ingredients grown in southern African soil. The study researches whether a decolonised and Africanised model of ordination would be very different from existing understanding and practices and examines the impact that a new model would have on the MCSA. Drawing from literature and interviews with persons in leadership positions in the MCSA, the study determines those aspects of southern African culture and spirituality that would be appropriate to assimilate into the present doctrine and practices. The liturgy of the Service of Ordination forms the basis on which the contributions of southern African culture are applied to the doctrine and practices of ordination. A similar process of evaluation and assimilation follows when applying the data gained from the interviews to the doctrine and practices of ordination in the MCSA. The thesis then concludes by proposing concrete changes to both the doctrinal understanding and practice of ordination in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. / Dithuto le ditlwaelo tsa ho hlomamiswa ha Kereke ya Methodist ya Afrika e Borwa (MCSA) di ile tsa amohelwa ho tswa Kerekeng ya Methodist ya Wesleyan ya Engelane ha Seboka sa Afrika e Borwa se thehwa ka 1882. Ho ikatisa hona, hammoho le ditshusumetso tsa bokolone le theori ya tsebo ya Bophirima, di amme tshebeletso le mosebetsi wa kereke. Ho arabela dillo bakeng sa ho tloswa ha thuto ya bokolone le Ho etsa dintho Seafrika ha ditlwaelo tsa bodumedi, dikarolo tse amanang le thuto le ditlwaelo tsa tlhomamiso ka bobedi di amohetswe ho tswa bokoloneng bo fetileng hofihlela maemong a rona a hona jwale. Leha ho le jwalo, dintho tse ngata di dutse e ntse e le tsa Bophirima, mme dijo tse ntseng di phehwa ka pitseng ya Afrika di haellwa ke tatso ya metswako e lengwang mobung wa Afrika e Borwa. Phuputso e batlisisa hore na mmotlolo o tlositsweng tsebo ya bokolone le o etsang dintho Seafrika wa tlhomamiso o ka fapana le kutlwisiso ya hona jwale le ditlwaelo le tshusumetso eo mmotlolo o motjha o ka bang le ona ho MCSA. Ho tswa ho dingodilweng le dipuisano le batho ba boemong ba boetapele ho MCSA, phuputso e lekanya dikarolo tseo tsa setso sa Afrika e Borwa le bomoya bo ka nepahalang ho utlwisisa ka botlalo thuto le ditlwaelo tsa hona jwale. Borapedi ba Tshebeletso ya Tlhomamiso bo etsa motheo oo ho ona diabo tsa setso sa Afrika e Borwa di sebediswang thutong ya tlhomamiso. Tshebetso e tshwanang ya iv tlhahlobo le kutlwisiso e phethahetseng dia latela ha ho sebediswa lesedi le fumanweng ho tswa dipuisanong ho thuto le ditlwaelo tsa tlhomamiso ho MCSA. Phuputso e phethela ka ho etsa tlhahiso ya diphetoho tse hlakileng kutlwisisong ya thuto le tlwaelong ya tlhomamiso Kerekeng ya Methodist ya Afrika e Borwa ka bobedi / Inqubo kanye nezinkambiso zokugcotshwa kwabefundisi eBandleni lamaWeseli, i-Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) kwathathelwa ebandleni i-Wesleyan Methodist Church eNgilandi ngenkathi kusungulwa i-Southern African Conference ngowe-1882. Ukwamukelwa kwenqubo leyo nezinkambiso, kanye nemithelela yenqubo yobukoloniyali, nokugxila kakhulu olwazini lwaseNtshonalanga, kwaba nomthelela omubi impela emsebenzini webandla wokuhambisa nokusabalalisa ivangeli. Njengomzamo wokusabela ezikhalazweni nezicelo zokuthi kushiywe phansi izinkambiso nezinqubo ezihlobene nenqubo yobukoloniyali futhi ebandleni kusetshenziswe izinkambiso ezisungulwe kwizwekazi lase-Afrika futhi ezihambelana kahle naleli zwekazi, sekuguqulwe izingxenye ezithile ezihlobene nenqubo kanye nezinkambiso zokugcotshwa kwabefundisi zisuswa esimweni sazo esedlule ebesihlobene nenqubo yobukoloniyali, futhi esezakhiwe ngendlela ezozwana futhi ihambelane kahle nesimo samanje esiphila kusona. Kodwa-ke, kusekuningi kakhulu okuphathelene nalezi zinkambiso okusagxile kakhulu ezinqubweni zaseNtshonalanga, futhi lokho-ke kubangela ukuthi ‘isitshulu esiphekwe ebhodweni lase-Afrika sizwakale singenakho ukunambitheka kwezithako ezilinywe emhlabathini waseNingizimu ye-Afrika’. Lolu cwaningo luzama ukuthola ukuthi inqubo yokugcoba abefundisi engalandeli izinkambiso zobukoloniyali zamazwe aseNtshonalanga futhi okuyinqubo egxile ezinkambisweni zase-Afrika ingaba nawo yini umehluko omkhulu kulokhu kuqonda okukhona njengamanje kanye nezinkambiso ezilandelwayo esikhathini samanje, futhi luzama ukubheka nomthelela ebingaba nawo inqubo entsha ebandleni i-MCSA. Ngokususela emibhalweni efundiwe kanye nezingxoxo ezibanjwe nabantu abasezikhundleni zobuholi ebandleni i-MCSA, ucwaningo luhlonza lezo zingxenye zosiko-mpilo kanye nezinkolelo ezingokomoya zaseNingizimu ye-Afrika ezingakulungela ukulunjaniswa nofakwa ngaphansi kwenqubo nezinkambiso ezilandelwa esikhathini samanje. Izinqubonkambiso kanye nemidanti yeNkonzo Yokugcotshwa Kwabefundisi kwakha isisekelo okusetshenziselwa phezu kwaso izinqubo ezithile, ezithathwe kusiko-mpilo lweNingizimu ye-Afrika, enqubweni yokugcotshwa kwabefundisi. Inqubo efanayo yokuhlola nokulumbanisa iyalandela ngenkathi kusetshenziswa idatha etholakale ezingxoxweni ezibanjwe nababambiqhaza bocwaningo mayelana nenqubo kanye nezinkambiso zokugcotshwa kwabefundisi ebandleni i-MCSA. Lo mbhalo wocwaningo uphetha ngokuthi uphakamise izinguquko eziphathekayo futhi ezinohlonze ezingenziwa kukho kokubili inqubo-kuqonda kanye nenkambiso yokugcotshwa kwabefundisi ebandleni i-Methodist Church of Southern Africa. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / PhD. (Systematic Theology)