John Wesley’s 52 Standard Sermons


Book Description

The Rev. John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of the Methodist Church, was an enthusiastic preacher for the Lord, a prolific writer, and a prestigious Oxford scholar. For over two centuries, his treasured sermons have provided keen insight, deep analysis, and provocative applications of the great truths of the faith for minister and layperson alike. Utilizing both primary and secondary works, John Wesley's 52 Standard Sermons: An Annotated Summary presents a concise yet useful report on each of his messages. Additionally, other pertinent historical and theological information on Wesley's life, culture, intrinsic/extrinsic influences, his understanding of Christianity, and his powerful exhortations of spiritual (re)formation and public philanthropy are presented--all with the goals of helping readers understand Wesley's call for Christian Perfection, developing proficient evangelism, and pursuing personal sanctification and piety. For pastors, for theologians, and for everyday Christians, this book is a handy resource for understanding Wesley, his doctrine, and, moreover, it provides insight into the great biblical truths that Wesley considered relevant for following Christ's great commandments of loving God and one's neighbor.




Standard Sermons


Book Description

The 18th-century evangelist and revival leader John Wesley changed the face of Christianity almost entirely through his sermons. He recommended the several dozen sermons he regarded as his most definitive, which are all included in these 52 standard sermons. Sermon 1. Salvation by Faith Sermon 2. The Almost Christian Sermon 3. Awake, Thou That Sleepest Sermon 4. Scriptural Christianity Sermon 5. Justification by Faith Sermon 6. The Righteousness of Faith Sermon 7. The Way to the Kingdom Sermon 8. The First Fruits of the Spirit Sermon 9. The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption. Sermon 10. The Witness of the Spirit (Discourse 1) Sermon 11. The Witness of the Spirit (Discourse 2) Sermon 12. The Witness of our own Spirit Sermon 13. On Sin in Believers Sermon 14. The Repentance of Believers Sermon 15. The Great Assize Sermon 16. The Means of Grace Sermon 17. The Circumcision of the Heart Sermon 18. The Marks of the New Birth Sermon 19. The Great Privilege of those that are Born of God Sermon 20. The Lord our Righteousness Sermon 21. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 1) Sermon 22. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 2) Sermon 23. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 3) Sermon 24. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 4) Sermon 27. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 7) Sermon 28. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 8) Sermon 29. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 9) Sermon 30. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 10) Sermon 31. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 11) Sermon 32. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 12) Sermon 33. Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Discourse 13) Sermon 34. The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law Sermon 35. The Law Established through Faith (Discourse 1) Sermon 36. The Law Established through Faith (Discourse 2) Sermon 37. The Nature of Enthusiasm Sermon 38. A Caution against Bigotry Sermon 39. Catholic Spirit Sermon 40. Christian Perfection Sermon 41. Wandering Thoughts Sermon 42. Satan’s Devices Sermon 43. The Scripture Way of Salvation Sermon 44. Original Sin Sermon 45. The New Birth Sermon 46. The Wilderness State Sermon 47. Heaviness through Manifold Temptations Sermon 48. Self-denial Sermon 49. The Cure of Evil-speaking Sermon 50. The Use of Money Sermon 51. The Good Steward Sermon 52. The Reformaton of Manners




Christian Theologies of Salvation


Book Description

This text introduces the reader to the great variety of distinctive interpretations within the Christian tradition regarding theologies of salvation, distinctive interpretations expressed by a wide range of Christian theologians.




The Routledge Companion to John Wesley


Book Description

The Routledge Companion to John Wesley provides an overview of the work and ideas of one of the principal founders of Methodism, John Wesley (1703-91). Wesley remains highly influential, especially within the worldwide Methodist movement of some eighty million people. As a preacher and religious reformer his efforts led to the rise of a global Protestant movement, but the wide-ranging topics addressed in his writings also suggest a mind steeped in the intellectual developments of the North Atlantic, early modern world. His numerous publications cover not only theology but ethics, history, aesthetics, politics, human rights, health and wellbeing, cosmology and ecology. This volume places Wesley within his eighteenth-century context, analyzes his contribution to thought across his multiple interests, and assesses his continuing relevance today. It contains essays by an international team of scholars, drawn from within the Methodist tradition and beyond. This is a valuable reference particularly for scholars of Methodist Studies, theology, church history and religious history.




Spiritual Formation


Book Description

This book is a multichapter introduction to spiritual formation within the Christian tradition. Corneliu C. Simuț discusses spiritual formation from the views of several Christian thinkers, with a chapter devoted to each thinker. The concluding chapter notes common themes shared by each thinker. The author presents some key Patristic, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern, and Contemporary theologians in a way that is characterized by brevity, concision, and clarity. Thus, this small book is a useful introduction to spiritual formation from a Christian perspective. It would be helpful for a college student or young adult who seeks to be educated on the subject. The conciseness of the book is a benefit. Yet the book raises interesting questions for further pursuit. A very succinct – but comprehensive – historical presentation of sanctification through the lens of spiritual formation, a concept which has been revived in the past two decades, especially in Evangelical circles, this text is useful for a college course in spiritual formation or religion.




John Wesley


Book Description




After Arminius


Book Description

Inspired by the ideas of the Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius, Arminianism was the subject of important theological controversies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and still today remains an important position within Protestant thought. What became known as Arminian theology was held by people across a wide swath of geographical and ecclesial positions. This theological movement was in part a reaction to the Reformed doctrine of predestination and was founded on the assertion that God's sovereignty and human free will are compatible. More broadly, it was an attempt to articulate a holistic view of God and salvation that is grounded in Scripture and Christian tradition as well as adequate to the challenges of life. First developed in European, British, and American contexts, the movement engaged with a wide range of intellectual challenges. While standing together in their common rejection of several key planks of Reformed theology, supporters of Arminianism took varying positions on other matters. Some were broadly committed to catholic and creedal theology, while others were more open to theological revision. Some were concerned primarily with practical matters, while others were engaged in system-building as they sought to articulate and defend an over-arching vision of God and the world. The story of Arminian development is complex, yet essential for a proper understanding of the history of Protestant theology. The historical development of Arminian theology, however, is not well known. In After Arminius, Thomas H. McCall and Keith D. Stanglin offer a thorough historical introduction to Arminian theology, providing an account that will be useful to scholars and students of ecclesiastical history and modern Christian thought.




The Sermons of John Wesley


Book Description

Sixty Wesley sermons organized in a way that leads to Christian discipleship and formation.







Jacobus Arminius Stands His Ground


Book Description

On October 30, 1608, Jacobus Arminius presented his Declaration of Sentiments to the Assembly of the States of Holland and West Friesland in the Binnenhof at The Hague. First, Arminius sought to defend himself and his theological views from the spirited attacks of opponents such as Gomarus, Lubbertus, and Plancius. Second, Arminius hoped to bring to light the wrongdoings of the European church and its extremist understanding of certain Christian doctrines. Having trained in Geneva under Jean Calvin's successor, Theodore Beza (1519-1605), and having further expanded and honed his theology at the University of Leyden from both lectern and the pulpit, Arminius thoroughly presented his theological views in both oral and written form. He spoke in his native Dutch language to an assembly of his peers and religious authorities with the hopes of avoiding a theological rift in Holland--while at the same time hoping to remove a long-standing conflict with the Supralapsarian faction warring against him. Thus, Arminius' Declaration of Sentiments is a sophisticated, passionate appeal to reason, scripture, and community. With each section, Arminius seeks not only to demonstrate the error of the attacks on him, but also to point out how and why reconciliation can take place through a careful examination of various precepts of Christian thought.