Abstract
On more than one occasion, John Wesley found himself engaged in debate with Calvinists in the Methodist revival. This paper philosophically re-examines John Wesley’s concerns with the Calvinism of some members of his evangelical cohort. It is argued that Wesley’s concerns fall into two types: theoretical concerns about the conceptual coherency of a view that makes God the author of sin, and practical concerns about the moral implications of a view that suggests some individuals are elect and others are reprobate. This article then attempts a principled reconstruction of these objections. It is argued that while there is a rational Arminian case to be made here, what is arguably most valuable in this case is the distinctive method of weaving together thought and action in the Christian life, which the connections between Wesley’s theoretical and practical concerns reveal.
DOI
10.7252/Journal.01.2025S.06
Recommended Citation
Stepanenko, Walter
(2025)
"Theory and Practice in John Wesley’s Critique of Calvinism: A Philosophical Examination,"
The Asbury Theological Journal:
Vol. 80:
No.
1, p. 139-161.
Available at:
https://place.asburyseminary.edu/asburyjournal/vol80/iss1/7
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