Though John Wesley's intention was to work with the poor and often uneducated people of Great Britain, he often engaged in theological controversy at a highly technical level. The plan of this thesis is to demonstrate that though his doctrine of God followed a scripturally based creedal foundation, his doctrine of salvation embroiled him, at times, in heated controversy. His opponents remained within the various western theological traditions and Wesley responded to his critics by formulating his doctrine of God and salvation within that multi-faceted tradition. The doctrine of salvation was established from the three offices of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King. Each office will receive separate yet integrated analysis according to Wesley's intention. Particular aspects of the office of Christ as Priest and Prophet created the greatest controversy and it is intended that these particular areas should receive a thorough analysis. From the basis of the three offices of Christ, the question to consider is the adequacy of Wesley's explanation of salvation experienced within humanity. John Wesley claimed that his understanding of salvation remained consistent after 1738 despite the critics who claimed that he vacillated on key doctrinal points. This thesis will present a defence that Wesley began with a doctrine of a personal God who became incarnate in Christ and continued to work within humanity through the Person of the Holy Spirit. This aspect of his thought was not particularly controversial within the accepted orthodox western tradition. It was the application of his trinitarian theology that created objections to his theological system. Wesley produced a complicated understanding of salvation yet he believed his theology was based in scripture and could be defended within Christian tradition. This dissertation, in analysing John Wesley's doctrine of God and doctrine of salvation, will investigate the coherency and consistency of his particular approach.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:540794 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Rainey, David Lloyd |
| Publisher | King's College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/john-wesleys-doctrine-of-salvation-in-relation-to-his-doctrine-of-god(74189f2b-047d-42fe-83a7-7f29c9e7b8fc).html |
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