The History of Christian Theology

Lecture 27: From Puritans to Revivalists

Methodist Revivalism competed with Edwardsean Revivalism. Based on the

Arminian theology of John Wesley, it could simply exhort people to believe.

Theologically, a major appeal of Methodist theology was its Arminian

Revivalism. Methodist preachers had no Calvinist hesitation about making

promises of grace to all and urging everyone to choose to accept them.

Although they denied that anyone has the ability to believe Christ and obey

him without grace, they taught that grace was equally available to everyone.

The Methodist doctrine of prevenient grace (very different from Calvinist

and Augustinian versions of this doctrine) meant that all who heard the

Gospel were able, by grace, to choose faith in Christ and salvation. Hence

the key Arminian conviction that it is ultimately up to us whether we are

saved by our choice to accept Christ in faith.

John Wesley began the Methodist revival in England in the 1740s, about the

same time as the Great Awakening in New England. Methodists became the

fastest-growing denomination in early 19th century America, in part because

of their success as Revivalists. Because of the success of the Methodists,

Wesley is the most inÀ uential Arminian theologian ever.

Methodist Revivalism primarily addressed the problem of nominal

Christianity. Wesley tightly linked the concepts of justi¿ cation and

sancti¿ cation. Long before Finney, Wesley taught that by the grace of

the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of believers, Christian perfection

was possible. Ŷ

Edwards, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God.

———, Freedom of the Will.

———, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

———, A Treatise concerning Religious Affections.

Finney, Lectures on Revival.

Wesley, “The Scripture Way of Salvation.”

Suggested Reading