Customer Reviews

John Wesley's 'A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.' The Annotated Edition.

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Mark Olson has taken a classic work and made it user friendly. If you want to understand what Wesley's "Plain Account" is all about, without having to read all that is contained in Wesley's Collected Works, this is the book for you. This book can be used by anyone to deeper their understanding of Wesley's classic work. For those new to Wesley, this book will aid your understanding of the classic doctrine of Christian perfection. For those who consider Wesley a good friend, the annotations (notes) will aid you in your quest to "mine the depths of Wesley's mind" (p. 10).

Those in the Wesleyan tradition owe a deep debt of gratitude to Mark Olson for his labor of love.

I have used this book to aid me in my own study of Wesley's thought and in teaching the classic doctrine of holiness to those who felt the call of God on their lives.

Ken Neighoff
Pastor, Bellefontaine Church of the Nazarene

Mark K. Olson has produced a valuable resource for both the serious scholar as well as the casual observer of John Wesley. This book is packed with information and sidenotes that lead the reader to a deeper understanding of both John Wesley as well as his theology. It brings Wesley to life, making him real to the modern reader and assisting us in understanding him more completely. Reverend Olson brings forth valuable information that would take many of us months if not years of research to compile and puts it right at our fingertips. Do not make the mistake of leaving this out of your library, if you do you will regret it. Finding out that this is just the first in a 3 book series is like finding a lost treasure and I personally can not wait for the next book in the series. Enjoy Mr. Wesley more than you ever have before through the eyes of a serious and devoted scholar. It is clear that that is just what Rev. Olson is.

If you want to learn about Wesley's doctrine on holiness, or about the Plain Account, then this is a must read.

The book offers a very good introduction explaining when and why Wesley wrote the Plain Account. The historical information is helpful in understanding the context.

The annotations/commentary is very thorough. Included are many quotations from Wesley's other writings the illuminate what he wrote in the Plain Account. There are many quotations from Wesley specialists included too, like Maddox, Outler, Collins, and others. Not only historical information given but also the flow of Wesley's argument throughout the book.

The entire text has been placed into chapter and verse. This allows for easy cross referencing.

The indices are very complete. There is timeline on the P.A. in Wesley's lifetime, the subject index is specific and easy to use. An added bonus is a listing of hundreds of Wesley's letters that deal with Christian perfection for further study.

The bibliography is very good too.

If you want to study the Plain Account then this book is for you.

This is an excellent book that I used as a devotional. It is a compilation of John Wesley's reflections on the subject of entire sanctification from the years 1722-1777. Christian perfection or entire sanctification is loving God with all of your heart soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself.

The idea of entire sanctification is in contrast to the idea of total depravity. Even as sin had affected every area of our lives before Christ; so in Christ, God desires us to be sanctified wholly in spirit, soul, and body- in other words, our entire being. It is being restored to our original condition and purpose.

This book is the result of 40 years of thinking and preaching about a subject (perfection) that was dear to Jesus and the Apostles heart but disparaged by so much of Christendom. The same is true today. How many times have you heard it said, "Christians aren't perfect" but you never hear, "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Jesus) or Aim for perfection" (Paul).

I wholly recommend this book but for only those who are seeking to be more like Christ. In answering the question, "in what manner shall we preach sanctification?" Wesley answers, "Scarce at all to those who are not pressing forward; to those who are, always by way of promise; always drawing, rather than driving."