The Authority of the Church in the World:  A United Church of Christ Perspective, Rev. Dr. Susan E. Davies
 

The Wesleyan Holiness Expression of the Authority of the Church in the World

Dr. Don Thorsen, Ph. D.
C.P. Haggard Graduate School of Theology 

Introduction: What Is the Wesleyan Holiness Movement?

Wesley Connection

The American Holiness Movement traces its historical, theological and ecclesiastical roots to the British Methodist movement, founded by John Wesley (1703-1791).  Wesley sought to renew the Church of England, and revival spread.  He balanced a variety of concerns that his contemporaries often separated.  For example, Wesley emphasized faith and good works; personal devotions and sacramental practice; personal piety and social action; justification and sanctification; evangelism and Christian nurture; and commitment and civility. 

Wesleyan Holiness Movement

The origin of the Methodist Church began in the United States due to the outset of the American Revolution.  Wesley influenced more than Methodism; he influenced the entire character of American Christianity.  During the nineteenth century, Wesley’s influence contributed to the rise of the American Holiness Movement and its emphasis upon holy living.  It received impetus through camp meeting revivals, the ‘deeper life’ theme of such Christian leaders as Charles Finney and Phoebe Palmer, and the formation of denominations wanting to stem the decline of holiness emphases in Methodist churches. 

Holiness

The Wesleyan Holiness Movement has a multifaceted understanding of the concept of ‘holiness’.  First, God is holy, and God’s holiness represents that which is spiritually whole, well, pure, or perfect (Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8)[1].  Thus, when God calls people to be holy, they should respond by consecrating themselves entirely to God.  By God’s grace, they may become more holy through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit (Leviticus 11:44-45; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15).  Although members of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement recognize the problems of sin and evil in the world, they are confident of the power of God’s grace to transform individuals (Romans 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:24).  It is their belief that God sanctifies believers, transforming them into greater Christ-likeness.  As they respond to God’s grace, consecrating themselves entirely to God as Lord of their lives as well as Savior, God gives even greater blessings of the fruit of the Spirit and of empowerment to better love God and others (Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 6:1).  This entire sanctification (sometimes known as Christian perfection) does not represent Christ-like perfection or sinless perfection (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 John 1:9).  Instead, it represents a view of the Christian life, intending to love God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:28-30; Hebrews 12:14ff.; 1 John 3:4-10). 

Members of the Wesleyan Holiness tradition are also confident about the power of God’s grace, working in and through the lives of believers, to transform the world.  Transformation includes both evangelism and care for the physical, social, and other dimensions of life, just as Jesus ministered to the holistic needs of people (Psalm 82:3; Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 John 3:16-18).

Sidetracks

Sometimes the American Holiness Movement departed from its Wesleyan roots.  During the nineteenth century, some in the tradition focused too narrowly upon a kind of perfectionism that sought an eradication of sin.  This aberration of Wesley tended to withdraw Christians and the church from the world, focusing on privatized experiences rather than on experiencing God in ways that enable love for both God and others. 

Another departure arose with the so-called fundamentalist-modernist controversy of the twentieth century.  Those influenced by fundamentalism became preoccupied with individualistically oriented issues, and those influenced by modernism became preoccupied with socially oriented issues.  Both tended to diminish the balanced quality of holiness.  

Authority of the Church in the World

De Facto Authority

In a sense, it is a moot point to argue whether the church has authority in the world.  Since the church exists, it cannot help but interact with the world, influencing it as well as being influenced by the world.  The church has de facto authority, since its existence requires it to relate to the world and vice versa.  The more important question has to with the nature or quality of the church’s authority. 

Divine Authority

The Wesleyan Holiness Movement would argue that all church authority ultimately derives from God, who in sovereign love created the world (Matthew 28:18; John 5:27).  God created humanity in God’s image and gave people the task of having dominion (caretaking or care-giving) responsibilities with regard to the world (Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 8:3-6).  Thus, Christians relate to the world in ways that reflect God’s relations to the world, or in ways that reflect God’s guidance, especially as revealed in scripture.  Thus, expressions of the authority of the church in the world are expressions of derived authority—authority derived from the sovereign authority of God in the world (Matthew 28:18-20; Titus 3:14; 1 John 3:16-18). 

Theology of Love

God’s guidance emphasizes that the church’s relationship to the world should promote love as well as faith and hope (Mark 12:28-31; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13).  Love is dynamic; it grows.  Christians—individually or corporately, especially in the church—need to attend to all matters and ministries that reflect God’s holy love (Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 3:17-18).  Love, holistically conceived, is concerned about the spiritual well-being of people, and it is concerned about their physical, emotional, social, political, and economic well-being (Galatians 5:22-26; Colossians 3:14).  Thus, Christians should be concerned about issues of justice, human misery, bondage, and ignorance—in their various manifestations—as well as concerned about issues of salvation from sin and its consequences (Psalm 82:3; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 56:1). 

Wesleyan Quadrilateral

Determining how to relate to the world represents an ongoing process.  It gives primacy to scriptural authority, but it also includes reference to church tradition, critical thinking, and relevant experience as genuine—albeit secondary—religious authorities.  Sometimes this fourfold understanding of religious authority is referred to as the ‘Wesleyan quadrilateral’.  The interdependent relationship between scripture, church tradition, reason and experience provides a constructive context in which to minister in ways that are both relevant and Christian. 

Expressions of Authority of the Church in the World

Transformation of the World

Since the time of Wesley, the Methodist and Holiness Movements promoted the transformation of the world.  This involved a transformation of people spiritually as well as a transformation of every other predicament of human existence.  Just as Wesley and his followers were confident in the power of God’s grace to transform people spiritually, they were confident in the power of God’s grace to transform other aspects of people’s lives.  Wesley’s doctrine of entire sanctification (or Christian perfection) highlights this confidence, affirming the possibility of God’s grace to purify one’s intentions to love God and one’s neighbor.  In practice, one may fail to live up to one’s intentions.  However, it was believed that Christians may increasingly love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, and their neighbor as themselves (Matthew 12:28-31).  Just as God provides grace for individual transformation, God provides grace to transform other aspects of society in need of redemption and healing.  That confidence in God’s grace extends to the possibility of transforming the earth itself in addition to those who inhabit it.  Such confidence inspires current ecological concerns. 

Ministry to Human Sin

Evangelism and missions occur for the sake of transforming individuals, providing for their spiritual well-being.  Wesley and subsequent members of the Wesleyan Holiness tradition actively seek to convert people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Such ministries re­flect the Christian concern to deal with the problem of sin and death that plagues humanity.  In this regard, members of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement are evangelically oriented in their expression of the authority of the church in the world.  They are also sacramentally oriented in upholding the various means of grace and spiritual disciplines for church worship, fellowship and ministry.  Thus, the church expresses its authority within the church as well as outside the church.  In fact, the church represents an ideal place for transformation to occur within individuals as well as in developing them to minister in the world.  God calls all members of the church to minister, according to the gifts and talents God gives them. 

Ministry to Human Misery, Bondage, and Ignorance

Members of the Wes­leyan Holiness tradition realize that the church needs to minister to a great deal more than only to the problem of sin.  People and society as a whole suffer from a variety of predicaments.  Jesus understood this and ministered to the holistic needs of people.  In a similar way, the church should express its authority in ministering to the various ways in which people suffer physically, socially, racially, politically, and economically.  People suffer from various types of bondage, whether it reflects that which is addictive or demonic, individual or social.  The church continually needs to discern how best to minister to the complex problems people have.  Finally, people suffer from various types of ignorance, to which the church may respond by providing instruction in all areas of life.  Wesley strongly promoted education for the practical needs of people as well as for their spiritual and theological needs. 

Final Transformation

Although the church is empowered by God’s Spirit to transform the world, there remains the caveat that—ultimately speaking—only God will bring about complete transformation.  However, that does not prevent members of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement from actively ministering in ways that meet all the immediate needs of people.