Upper Midwest Course of Study School

for Part-Time Local Pastors

COS 422 Theological Heritage IV: Wesleyan Movement

March 3-4, 2017 and April 28-29,2017

Instructor: Dr. Steven Trefz

e-mail:

cell phone:605-251-5316

Please contact me with any questions regarding the required texts or assignments! Don’t let the amount of papers scare you…they are designed to skim the key content from the texts, and to build up our in-class conversations.

Course Description:

This course covers the significant individuals, decisive events, and theology of the Methodist movement. Utilizing categories of grace, faith, and holiness, the student will appropriate the Wesleyan heritage.

Course Objectives:

Students will be able to:

  1. Understand and reflect on the movements, major figures, and events that led to the eighteenth century revivals, especially the lives and ministries of John and Charles Wesley.
  2. Understand and articulate the vision of holiness and the theology of grace as it shaped the Wesleys and the structures of the Methodist movement.
  3. Identify and discuss significant theological and historical developments in American Methodism including ordination and episcopacy.
  4. Reflect theologically on their Wesleyan heritage and identify.

Required Textbooks:

The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Nashville:United

Methodist Publishing House, 2016. (available Jan. 2017)

Heitzenrater, Richard. Wesley and the People Called Methodists. 2nd Edition.

Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013

Maddox, Randy.Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology. Nashville:

Kingswood Books: Abingdon Press, 1994.

Richey, Russ, Ken Rowe, Jeanne M. Schmidt. American Methodism: A Compact History. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012.

18 Small Paper Assignments due by Feb. 28, 2017:(to be informed by the required texts with citations, and by other denominational resources at our disposal like hymnals, umc.org, etc.) All papers should be e-mailed to and written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, in Word doc or PDF file

Wesleyan Movement in England

  1. Create a one-page chronological outline of John Wesley’s life and the important events in the Methodist movementin England.
  1. What was the religious environment like in England at the beginning of the Eighteenth Century? Include in your answer the Anglican Church, Nonconformists, Calvinists, Pietists, and Puritans. (2 pages)
  1. What were Wesley’s main disagreements with the Anglican Church, the Calvinists, and the Moravians? (2 pages)
  1. Describe the development of the organizational structure of the Methodist Movement from the early stages through the 1740’s. Include mention of preachers, societies, bands, classes, class leaders, tickets, conference, and anything else you consider important. (2 pages)
  1. What is the theological foundation of Wesley’s (Methodism) involvement in societal issues? (1 page)
  1. How did Methodist societies function as a “reform” movement within the Church of England? Why did Wesley resist breaking away to from a new denomination in England? (2 pages)

Theology in Action

  1. Who coined the term “quadrilateral” as a method of engaging in theological reflection? Describe Wesley’s methodology for engaging in theological reflection by discussing each of the four terms included in the quadrilateral. (2 pages)
  1. In summarizing Wesley’s thought, Maddox says that “Without God’s grace, we cannot be saved, while without our (grace-empowered, but not coerced) participation, God’s grace will not save.” What does this mean and what issue was Wesley addressing? (1 page)
  1. What are the components of Wesley’s “Order of Salvation”? How does God act and how does the believer respond at each point? (2 pages)
  1. Describe Wesley’s views on “perfection.” How did his views cause problems for Wesley and the early Methodists? (1 page)
  1. What did Wesley mean by the term “prevenient grace”? (1 page)
  1. What were Wesley’s views on baptism and the Lord’s Supper? (2 pages)

Wesleyan Movement in America

  1. Create a one-page chronological outline of the most important events in American Methodism.
  1. How did the Methodist movement established in America emerge as a church so soon after its beginning? (Be sure to include polity, camp meetings, circuits, etc) (2 pages)
  1. What role did religion play in the American Revolution, and how did Wesley deal with the crisis over the Ordinances following the American Revolution? (2 pages)
  1. Discuss the significance of Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury for American Methodism. (2 pages)
  1. How did the Methodist Church’s stance on slavery change from 1784-1844? How was the church divided and ultimately reunited? (2 pages)
  1. Methodists and the Evangelical United Brethren were on parallel tracts from 1784 until 1968. How were the movements similar and how were they different during those years? What was the rationale behind their merger in 1968? (2 pages)

Final Paper (due April 25th)

In a 10-page paper, describe how you see Wesleyan theology in your context:

1-2 pages on what aspects of the Wesleyan polity movement impacts your setting

2-3 pages on what Wesleyan theological emphases are an active part of your setting

2-3 pages on what Wesleyan theological emphases are missing from your setting

1-2 pages on what Wesleyan historical/theological movements are key to your personal calling in ministry

1-2 pages on where you see the next decade of the UMC impacting your ministry and setting, being mindful of the familiar veins of precedence and history from our readings

Grading System:

Your grade of A,B,C, or F for this course will be based on the following:

65% assignments completed before the beginning of class

20% class participation

15% final paper