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In a single, convenient volume, readers can now look up John Wesley's own statements of his theological beliefs. Reprinted from the 1954 work, A Compend of Wesley's Theology, the book includes Wesley's most significant statements on the essential questions of Christian doctrine, culled from over thirty of his works.

A study of the Wesleyan tradition in the light of current theological debate. Issues of vital importance and interest to contemporary Christians are covered in this complete picture of Wesleyan theology. Colin Williams examines the main beliefs of John Wesley--authority and experience, salvation, original sin, repentance and justification, atonement, the work of the Holy Spirit, doctrine of the church, Christian perfection, and eschatology--in a search for insights which Methodism should share with other Christians concerning issues that divide the churches. A deeper perspective is added to the study through a comparison of Wesley's views with beliefs of other reformers such as Calvin and Luther and, in many instances, with the Roman Catholic view. In a world caught up in a new revival of the Spirit, John Wesley's own heart-warming experience and history-making religious reforms continue to inspire and guide Christians of all denominations.

For the first time, students of Wesley have access to Albert C. Outler's widely acclaimed "introduction" to Volume 1 of The Works of John Wesley in a single inexpensive paperback. No student of John Wesley will need to be reminded of Albert Outler's stature, or the significance of his contribution to twentieth-century Wesleyan studies. Contents A Career in Retrospect The Preacher and His Preaching The Sermon Corpus Theological Method and the Problems of development Wesley and His Sources On Reading Wesley's Sermons

This volume, first published in German in 1976, still stands as the most definitive, comprehensive treatment of John Wesley's social ethics. John Wesley's Social Ethics offers a balanced treatment that dispels notions that Wesley can easily be categorized as only an evangelist or only a social reformer. It demonstrates that Wesley's theological and spiritual concerns were catalytic in his social program. It encourages a rethinking of the importance of theology for social ethics in the Methodist tradition.

This guide to contemporary preaching focuses on exciting and innovative ideas that have recently emerged. Wilson demonstrates with clarity and detail how Scripture and personal experience can be used to train the imagination, thus strengthening and enlivening the task of preaching.

This book is designed for the minister's use, not only in the study while planning services of Holy Communion, but also at the Lord's Table while conducting service.

This provocative volume illuminates a dimension of John Wesley's theology that has received insufficient attention: his deep and abiding commitment to the poor. By focusing on the radical nature of Wesley's "evangelical economics," Theodore W. Jennings, Jr., provides an important corrective to the view that Wesley was concerned with the salvation of souls only, and not also with the social conditions of human beings.

David Lowes Watson wants to remove a major blockage in the church--the self-centered pursuit of spiritual amphetamines--by acknowledging the responsibilities of universal salvation and the demands placed upon faithful discipleship: How can Christians effectively hold the tension between the gospel and the seductions of the world? How can we be committed to the church in a way that guards against thoughtless or self-centered discipleship? How can we be committed to discipleship in a way that guards against theological procrastination? David Lowes Watson demonstrates through careful biblical exegesis that all persons are the benefactors of divine grace, but that persons known as Christians are called to a disciplined discipleship. When identifying the role of the clergy and laity as facilitators of these disciplined leaders, Watson explains why no person has the right to declare who is inside or outside of God's universal love.

Here are 52 easy-to-follow "how-to" session plans for introducing young children to worship. Carolyn C. Brown uses her many years of experience as a Christian educator to show How to use the church school hour to introduce children to worship and to prepare them for the day they will participate in the church's worship; How to learn and explore the meaning of the Lord's Prayer and other elements of the worship service; and How to become familiar with the sacraments and celebrate the seasons of the church year. For every church wishing to make the church school a valuable introductory worship experience for children, Gateways to Worship is the ideal resource.

The pastoral ministry is in danger of losing its focus, say the authors of this perceptive and timely study. Specialization in preaching, counseling, evangelism, administration, and education has diffused the impact of practical theology. And because of competing ideas as to what now is central, the very image of ministry may be breaking down. Foundations for a Practical Theology of Ministry responds to the problem by introducing a specific method for doing practical theology which will be welcomed by concerned church leaders everywhere. Presenting a realistic, workable answer to those who call for a revival of this vital discipline, Drs. James N. Poling and Donald E. Miller propose that the unifying image for ministry becomes the formation of the community of faith. After developing this as the most appropriate base for the practice of theology, they carefully outline their method and show how it will work by demonstrating its success in the actual experiences of typical congregations. For Christian leaders who seek to renew the integrity of ministry and restore the character of pastoral leadership, this significant book will provide a solid foundation. And for individuals interested or involved in education for the future of the church, this important resource will prove invaluable.

Highly acclaimed and widely used, this text shows what church tasks must be undertaken, why they are important, and the guiding theological principles required to achieve them. Alvin J. Lindgren clarifies the present confusion about what church administration is and what its place in the church should be. He provides a concept of church administration for the student of theology, and a new, more effective overview for the working pastor frustrated by current demands and procedures.

Answers the question "Why start new churches?" and shows how to reverse the decline of new church development. Schaller offers tested advice based on more than thirty years of working with leaders responsible for developing new churches.

Shows how to spiff up your storytelling skills, plus plenty of ideas for dance, movement, and drama techniques. This revised volume combines two classic resources by author Dorothy Jean Furnish: Exploring the Bible with Children, a bestseller, and Living the Bible with Children, which shows how to put the principles of the first book into practice. This new combination offers professional and lay Christian educators a current, reliable source book to help children really understand and experience the Bible. You'll learn more about what to tell children about the Bible and what methods are best to use with children. These methods include storytelling techniques, dance, movement, drama techniques, and the "meaning" of words for children.

This volume is intended to set in historical context the official United Methodist theological statements in the Disciplines of 1972 and 1988, and to foster reflection on and discussion of the 1988 statement.

"We would be naive to think that we can hear these narratives with the same clarity that the first hearers did. An equal naivete, however, would be to suggest that we have no access to their situation, or that it is irrelevant to know how the texts originally functioned. One way to proceed is to juxtapose narratives with issues faced by the people of God in the context to which the narratives were addressed. To lay contextual issues alongside narrative should enable illumination of the text, and give breadth and depth to the results of one's interpretation. This approach has the advantage of avoiding an abstract concern about what the author might have 'intended.' Rather, in the juxtaposition of context and text, we are concerned about what issues faced by the audience might have been addressed." "Although the Word of God is always addressed to a particular situation, the insights gained through hearing it will assist in the hearing of a Word in the contemporary situation." (excerpts from the Introduction, by Terence E. Fretheim)

In this Song of Ascents not one single note is here by right. I deserve nothing; I have everything. God is the heart of this everything. I have everything - everything I need, and more. ... What I had - Jesus, God, the Kingdom of God - was all I wanted and needed. I didn't want anything different. I only wanted more of what I had. (from the Introduction)

In this introductory treatment of Christian education, the authors assume that "religious education begins with the basic human need to make meaning. The church and its education fail when they do not take into account people's life experiences and their search for faithfulness." Teachers and pastors learn first to understand how their own meanings have been shaped, then to name and clarify how religious meaning is transmitted and transformed through personal experience. Several personal and congregational "stories" are woven throughout the text to help the reader better understand how meaning, learning, and vocation converge as Christians grow in faith and understanding. Readers are encouraged to apply new insights to their own lives through activities that are suggested throughout the text. A Key Concept Index provides easy access to primary terms and ideas.