The Doctrine of New Creation in the Theology of John Wesley

The Doctrine of New Creation in the Theology of John WesleySyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/2MDUN87K/tei

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Hoo-JungLeeThe Doctrine of New Creation in the Theology of John Wesleyhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/2MDUN87Khttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/2MDUN87Khttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/2MDUN87K1991The purpose of this dissertation is to clarify the doctrine of new creation in the theology of John Wesley. And the basic assumption that guides my inquiry is that there can be a new hermeneutical clue--a transformative, dynamic teleology of re-creation--which helps to re-read Wesley’s theology. According to this re-reading, Wesley views the true nature of Christian religion as the restoration of the image and likeness of God. This larger scheme overcomes the tendency toward an individualistic reading of salvation that results from an interpretation of Wesley based on the ordo salutis. After clarifying the centrality of a dynamic teleology, the implications for Wesley’s religious epistemology are discussed. Seen in this wider context, the ‘spiritual senses’ function as a medium through which we grasp the true revelation of God’s love. Whether obscured or lost because of the Fall, these new senses are awakened by the Spirit of God in the new birth. But the final goal of this spiritual apprehension is the perfection of our potential in terms of the entire renewal and sanctification in the image and likeness of God. Finally, the historical sources of Wesley’s dynamic teleology of new creation are investigated. Foremost for this inquiry is his reading of the Macarian homilies that reflect the early Syriac tradition. Against Outler’s opinion that Gregory of Nyssa is the prime influence on Wesley’s concept of perfection (teleiosis), this dissertation argues that Macarius and the Syriac tradition deserve proper recognition as a major source for what is distinctive in Wesley’s understanding of perfection, sanctification, and the spiritual senses. In the theology of Macarius, we find a great many parallels to Wesley’s teleological orientation that enables us to regard it as a presupposed substructure for the Wesleyan synthesis. As a result, Wesley’s theology is connected to primitive Christianity through the ancient Syriac tradition. Lee, Hoo-Jung. “The Doctrine of New Creation in the Theology of John Wesley.” Ph.D. dissertation, Emory University, 1991. Hoo-Jung Lee, The Doctrine of New Creation in the Theology of John Wesley (Ph.D. dissertation, Emory University, 1991).John WesleyPseudo-MacariusSyriac influence [Europe]XVIII CEcreationimago Deisoteriology