John Wesley's scriptural Christianity [Paperback]

Thomas C. Oden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 1994

The first presentation of John Wesley's doctrinal teachings in a systematic form that is also faithful to Wesley's own writings. Wesley was a prolific writer and commentator on Scripture, yet it is commonly held that he was not systematic or internally consistent in his theology and doctrinal teachings. On the contrary, Thomas C. Oden intends to demonstrate here that Wesley displayed a remarkable degree of consistency over sixty years of preaching and ministry. The book helps readers to grasp Wesley's essential teachings in an accessible form so that the person desiring to go directly to Wesley's own writings (which fill eighteen volumes) will know exactly where to turn. This volume focuses on the main doctrinal teachings of Wesley. Subsequent volumes in this series will deal with his pastoral and ethical teachings.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The first presentation of John Wesley's doctrinal teachings in a systematic form that is also faithful to Wesley's own writings. Wesley was a prolific writer and commentator on Scripture, yet it is commonly held that he was not systematic or internally consistent in his theology and doctrinal teachings. On the contrary, Thomas C. Oden intends to demonstrate here that Wesley displayed a remarkable degree of consistency over sixty years of preaching and ministry. The book helps readers to grasp Wesley's essential teachings in an accessible form so that the person desiring to go directly to Wesley's own writings (which fill eighteen volumes) will know exactly where to turn. This volume focuses on the main doctrinal teachings of Wesley. Subsequent volumes in this series will deal with his pastoral and ethical teachings.

About the Author

Thomas C. Oden (PhD, Yale) is Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University. He is an ordained Methodist minister and the author of many books, including The Rebirth of Orthodoxy: Signs of New Life in Christianity, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity, Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition, John Wesley's Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine, and his three-volume work Systematic Theology.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (November 7, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031075321X
• ISBN-13: 978-0310753216
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #682,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Other Denominations & Sects

More About the Author

Thomas C. Oden (Ph.D., Yale University) recently retired as Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology at The Theological School of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He is general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and author of numerous theological works, including a three-volume systematic theology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest books in Wesleyan scholarship, June 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: John Wesley's scriptural Christianity (Paperback)

This book is a must read reference for any Methodist or Holiness pastor whose tradition values what John Wesley has wrote. Thomas C. Oden gives a Biblical framework for what Wesley wrote in a manner that is far easier to deal with than Wesley's journals.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real time saver, March 27, 2003

By 

Eric N. Landstrom (Nevis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John Wesley's scriptural Christianity (Paperback)

In the introduction of this work, Oden is careful to distinguish his efforts from those of Outler. Oden notes that he is primarily a systematic theologian and that Outler was primarily a historical theologian. Hence, Oden writes, "My method is primarily systematic, Outler's historical." The bottom line for the reader is that you can either pick and read through Wesley's works trying to remember where he addressed certain subjects or you can pick up a copy of this book. Throughout this effort, Oden quotes from and abstracts-in contemporary prose-Wesley's writings subject by subject and then orders it all in a systematic fashion proving the overall consistency, width and depth of the material Wesley covered throughout his lifetime. In addition, Oden heavily references each subject and topic so that you can then read the context from the material he drew from. Of further interest, Oden offers suggested reading should a topic peak the readers interest to the point that they would like to learn more from other Christian thinkers. At the back of the book Oden provides both Scripture and subject indexes. Hands down this is an invaluable reference for topical Wesleyan studies and it is the closest you'll come to a systematic theology written by Wesley himself.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Systematizing of John Wesley's Theology, February 27, 2010

By 

J. Robert Ewbank (Mobile, Alabama) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: John Wesley's scriptural Christianity (Paperback)

Thomas C. Oden has done a remarkable job in this book. John Wesley wrote sermons, tracts, hymns, notes on the Bible and other books such as the works, journals and letters. However, Wesley did not write a sytematic theology.

Oden contends that Wesley wrote about all of the areas of theology and his sermons were written to cover all aspects of systematic theology. This was apparently the method used by those of his day to write theologically. Wesley wrote for his ministers and people in his church so that they would have his thinking on all aspects of theology.

Oden has gathered Wesley's thought systematically, in a form that Wesley did not do and it is remarkable how excellent this job was done.

This book should be up front and center for all ministers and lay people who want to know what Wesley thought and find the entrances or documentation in Wesley's works to follow up.

Great job.

J. Robert Ewbank, author of "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"