by Peter Phillips
Introduction
In a time when the church had succumbed to formulaic and cold expressions of doctrine, and Christian practice had become diluted by antinomianism, John Wesley came onto the scene preaching salvation by faith alone and spoke of the profound freedom Christians have from the power of indwelling sin. Wesley had a significant impact on the Church in his day and several movements have since broken out in his theological wake. He wrote and preached extensively on the theology of justification and sanctification, in a time that desperately needed a fresh voice. For the purposes of this paper, I would like to focus on Wesley’s view of sanctification, known as Christian Perfection. I believe Wesley had some interesting things to say on the subject, but his formulation exceeds the boundaries Scripture delineates on the issue, and perhaps, to the degree that he redefines the nature of sin and convolutes the whole idea of sanctification. In the following paper, I would like to briefly sketch the theological impact of Wesley, set the discussion in its historical context, exposit his view of sanctification, and then critique its weaknesses.
The Impact of Wesley
Wesley was a man given over to the steadfast proclamation of the gospel at whatever the cost, and he defended the central doctrines of Protestantism when they were in danger of becoming stale and diluted. Church historian Mark Noll identies Wesley’s single greatest impact, “Most important, as heirs of the earlier Protestant movements, John and Charles Wesley vigorously reaffirmed the central message of Protestantism: sola gratia, sola fide, and sola Scriptura—salvation was by grace alone through faith alone as communicated with perfect authority in the Scriptures.”[1] What Luther began in Wittenberg and Calvin carried into Geneva, Wesley revitalized in Anglican spheres during the 18th century. Wesley was the first to argue for justification by faith alone, but he did not stopped there; he saw the need for an completely renovated view of sanctification in the light of the current lapse in Christian witness among his people.
Another aspect of Wesleyan thought that bears some consideration is the impact of Wesley’s experience-based testing of the validity of doctrine. He emphatically maintained that Christians ought to be able to experience all the Bible teaches about any particular topic, especially knowing and experiencing a deep relationship with God through faith in Christ. Wesleyan scholar Laurence W. Wood points out that this is a distinctive feature of Wesley’s theology: “a Wesleyan hermeneutic, though it gives priority to the Scriptures as the basis for all beliefs, assumes that all truth is existentially perceived and appropriated…. Hence the crucible of life is the laboratory for testing our interpretation of Scripture.”[2] Much of the Pietism movement, of which Wesley was a part, claimed that experience plays a considerable role in the Christian life.[3] Wesley left this legacy for his followers and evangelicalism as a whole.
One can hardly speak of Wesley’s impact without reference to Methodism, and particularly the small groups in which he carried out his vision for spiritual transformation within the church.[4] Although the beginning of small group ministry was not his own idea, Wesley popularized the thinking of Philipp Jakob Spener, who was considered the father of the Pietism movement, and he adapted his own model to be the foundation of Methodism.[5] Small groups were designed to supplement church worship and deepen spiritual growth through corporate theological reflection, intense study, and intimate relational experience.[6] Wesley’s description of these groups is as follows: “Such a society is no other than a company of men having the form and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other work out their salvation.”[7] This was the kind of devout Christian experience that made Methodism winsome and attractive to the masses, who had grown tired of the stale and formulaic protestant scholasticism, which neither had the spirit or passion of the great reformer. To be clear, not all of protestant scholasticism can be characterized in this light, and particularly the proponents of the Heildelberg confession, the Westminster divines, and all those who have followed suit.
Lastly, a distinct feature of Wesleyan thought that had a huge impact on successive generations was the necessity of holiness in the Christian life. It was quite early in Wesley’s spiritual journey that he became persuaded that holiness was an indispensable part of the Christian life. Professor of Wesleyan studies at Southern Methodist University, William J. Abraham, notes, “In the reading of theologians such as Jeremy Taylor and William Law, Wesley became convinced that holiness of heart and life is the heartbeat of Christianity. He was attracted by a vision of the gospel that put a premium on personal transformation.”[8] As Wesley’s views on this matured and crystallized, they eventually led to his doctrine of Christian perfection. Wesley’s doctrine of Christian perfection spawned a holiness movement that has impacted and given birth to several denominations that currently raise the Wesleyan banner of holiness.
[1] Mark Noll, Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2000), 225.
[2] Laurence W. Wood, “The Wesleyan View” in Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification, ed. Donald Alexander (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1988), 96-97.
[3] Justo L. Gonzalez, A History of Christian Thought: From the Protestant Reformation to the Twentieth Century, vol. 3 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975), 300-317.
[4] Basil Miller, John Wesley (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1943), 82.
[5] Gonzalez, History of Christian Thought, 302-303.
[6] Gonzalez, History of Christian Thought, 307.
[7] Richard Green, ed., The Works of John and Charles Wesley, vol. VIII, (1896), 269.
[8] William J. Abraham, Wesley for Armchair Theologians (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005) 33-34.
