As anyone familiar with both the stereotypes and the scholarship related to Wesley knows, tricky interpretive questions abound: was Wesley a conservative, high church Tory or a revolutionary protodemocrat or proto-Marxist? Was he a modern rationalist obsessed with the epistemology of religious belief or a late medieval style thinker who believed in demonic possession and supernatural healing? Was Wesley primarily a pragmatic evangelist or a serious theologian committed to the long-haul work of catechesis, initiation, and formation? Wesley: A Guide for the Perplexed sheds new light on Wesley's life and teaching, and aims to help students understand this enigmatic figure.
Jason E. Vickers is Professor of Theology at Asbury Theological Seminary, USA.
IntroductionChapter One Spreading the Gospel: Methodism and the Evangelical RevivalChapter Two Keeping to the Church: The Stabilization of English SocietyChapter Three Honoring the King: The Politics of Divine RightChapter Four Loving God: A Theology of Joyful Obedience Conclusion
"A strong series of guides, aimed at the student market looking for more than just a basic introduction and overview on the subjects addressed. Each one is well written and contains enough information to get a student well-versed in the subjects at hand and form a strong basis for further study." Reviewed in Publishing News, 2008