Christian Perfection
Methodism belongs to a Christian theological tradition known as Arminianism, which takes its name from the theologian Arminius, usually contrasted with Calvin.
Calvin was a barrister and never ordained. He was a preacher and insisted upon punctuality, so he sold pocket watches. He made a fortune and founded the first bank in Geneva; an entrepreneur as well as a spiritual leader. John Wesley the founder of Methodism had profound problems with Calvin’s followers.
Arminius’ based his theology on Calvin’s. The main difference, in the public mind, is Calvinists believe in the pre-determined election of believers to salvation. Arminians believe salvation is possible for all believers. Fascinating as this debate may be, I do not intend to pursue it here (sighs of relief all round).
Wesleyan Arminianism
This topic is an aspect of Wesleyan Arminianism called Christian Perfection. This is Methodism’s most radical doctrine. What it means is God’s love can be perfected in any believer; they do not stop sinning, indeed they experience greater awareness of their sins, as their life in prayer and devotion to God develops.
So, the first step the believer takes is justification. They enter a relationship with God and then over a lifetime, grow in faith and expression of God’s love. Notice perfection is not an end state, it is essentially ongoing growth into God’s love.
The invitation is to dig deeper; to study the scriptures, pray regularly and above all practice loving in the world. Believers are aided in this by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit, who acts as a guide. Some people argue perfection is solely the work of the Spirit; another debate I shall not pursue here.
Christian perfection implies you dig deep into your own tradition to reach out into the world. This doctrine unites Christians because as we explore our own traditions, the stories told by our fellow believers, we find common ground. Unity is common ground discovered and not something negotiated; we discover it by reaching out to others in love.
Truth as Conversation
Note this is an alternative take on what I wrote in my last post about truth as conversation. There I started with conversation and suggested it generates new insights. Here the point is dig into your tradition, the deeper you go the more you will find common ground with people in other traditions.
This blog is about building community online and in this sequence of posts, I’m exploring how to equip ourselves for working in community. The Internet enables anarchic free-for-alls, through trolling or unethical marketing. It also enables collaboration around the world through non-hierarchical networks. This is not a new vision and it is at the root of many of the greatest thinkers in all religious faiths.
Building community means we must cultivate the ability to share with those who do not hold to the same beliefs as we do. Trolling is one example of behaviour where someone is unsure of their beliefs. The temptation is to get your retaliation in first. Encounters between people who are sure of their chosen tradition are quite different. For them an encounter with a new idea is an opportunity for deeper exploration of their own tradition.
We have a long way to go and my next port of call is at a theological idea, incarnation, literally “in the flesh”. A moment’s reflection and you will see this could be highly relevant!