List of Methodist theologians
Encyclopedia
Methodist theologians include those theologians affiliated with any of the Methodist denominational churches such as The United Methodist Church, independent Methodists, or churches affiliated with the Holiness Movement
including the Church of the Nazarene
, the Free Methodist Church
, the Wesleyan Methodist Church
, the Pilgrim Holiness Church
, and the Wesleyan Church
, as well as other church organizations.
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
including the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
, the Free Methodist Church
Free Methodist Church
The Free Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement. It is evangelical in nature and has its roots in the Arminian-Wesleyan tradition....
, the Wesleyan Methodist Church
Wesleyan Methodist Church
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was a Methodist denomination in the United States organized on May 13, 1841. It was composed of ministers and laypeople who withdrew from the Methodist Episcopal Church because of disagreements regarding slavery, church government, and the doctrine of holiness...
, the Pilgrim Holiness Church
Pilgrim Holiness Church
Pilgrim Holiness Church is a religious denomination associated with the holiness movement that split from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1897. It was first organized in Cincinnati, Ohio as the International Holiness Union and Prayer League...
, and the Wesleyan Church
Wesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
, as well as other church organizations.
Proto-Methodist theologians
- Jacobus ArminiusJacobus ArminiusJacobus Arminius , the Latinized name of the Dutch theologian Jakob Hermanszoon from the Protestant Reformation period, served from 1603 as professor in theology at the University of Leiden...
- ordained pastor of the Dutch Reformed church, studied under Theodore BezaTheodore BezaTheodore Beza was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the Reformation...
and rejected the teachings of John CalvinJohn CalvinJohn Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, inspired the RemonstranceFive articles of RemonstranceThe Five Articles of Remonstrance were theological propositions advanced in 1610 by followers of Jacobus Arminius who had died in 1609, in disagreement with interpretations of the teaching of John Calvin then current in the Dutch Reformed Church...
and the soteriologicalSoteriologyThe branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation and redemption is called Soteriology. It is derived from the Greek sōtērion + English -logy....
system now known as ArminianismArminianismArminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants...
. - Hugo GrotiusHugo GrotiusHugo Grotius , also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law...
- playwright, poet, and humanist philosopher of the AristotelianAristotleAristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
tradition, systematized Arminianism and developed the moral government theoryAtonement (governmental view)The governmental view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology concerning the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Arminian circles that draw primarily from the works of Hugo Grotius...
of Christ's atonement.
18th century
- John WesleyJohn WesleyJohn Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
- Charles WesleyCharles WesleyCharles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
- John Fletcher
- Thomas CokeThomas Coke (bishop)Thomas Coke was the first Methodist Bishop and is known as the Father of Methodist Missions.Born in Brecon, south Wales, his father was a well-to-do apothecary...
- Joseph Benson
19th century
- Adam ClarkeAdam ClarkeAdam Clarke was a British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar, born in the townland of Moybeg Kirley near Tobermore in Ireland...
- Biblical theologianBiblical TheologyBiblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament...
uncomfortable with systematic approaches to Christian theologyChristian theology- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
, argued that Christ's Sonship began with the IncarnationIncarnationIncarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
. Wrote a single volume theoogy. - Richard Watson - outspoken British abolitionist, wrote against ClarkeAdam ClarkeAdam Clarke was a British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar, born in the townland of Moybeg Kirley near Tobermore in Ireland...
in defense of the eternal Sonship of Christ, one of the first theologians to systematize Wesley's theology. - Phoebe PalmerPhoebe PalmerPhoebe Palmer was an evangelist and writer who promoted the doctrine of Christian perfection. She is considered one of the founders of the Holiness movement in the United States of America and the Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom.- Early life :Palmer was born Phoebe Worrall in New York...
- Jabez BuntingJabez BuntingJabez Bunting , English Wesleyan divine, was born of humble parentage at Manchester. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School, and at the age of nineteen began to preach, being received into full Connexion in 1803...
- bishop and author of numerous articles and published sermons. - Timothy Merritt
- Wilbur FiskWilbur FiskWillbur Fisk , also known as Wilbur Fisk, was a prominent American Methodist minister, educator and theologian. He was the first President of Wesleyan University. Willbur Fisk (August 31, 1792 – February 22, 1839), also known as Wilbur Fisk, was a prominent American Methodist minister,...
- religious educator, favored ending slaverySlaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
progressively (rather than in the revolutionary way proposed by other notable abolitionists, so as to avoid a split in the Church), early influence on the temperance movementTemperance movementA temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
. - Nathan BangsNathan BangsNathan Bangs, was an American Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition. Born in Stratford, Connecticut, he received a limited education, taught school, and in 1799 went to Upper Canada in search of work as either a teacher or a land-surveyor...
- Arminian apologist, first editor of the Methodist magazine Christian AdvocateChristian AdvocateThe Christian Advocate was a weekly newspaper published in New York by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It began publication in 1826 and by the mid-1830s had become the largest circulating weekly in America with more than 30,000 subscribers and an estimated 150,000 readers....
, opposed the antinomianismAntinomianismAntinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
of the New Light Baptist community. Wrote six significant theological letters to a Presbyterian pastor, Rev. S. Williston. - Hugh Price HughesHugh Price HughesHugh Price Hughes , was a Welsh Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition. He was the founder of the Methodist Times and the first superintendent of the West London Methodist Mission, a key Methodist organisation today...
- WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
social reformer, first editor of the Methodist Times and first superintendent of the West London Methodist MissionWest London Methodist MissionThe West London Methodist Mission was established in 1887 under the leadership of Hugh Price Hughes, a leading voice in Methodism and in Non-Conformity, and has a long track record as a Methodist ministry and as a spiritual home for "good works". Its early days are very much associated with its...
. - William Burt PopeWilliam Burt PopeWilliam Burt Pope was an English Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition.Ordained in 1842, Pope became a successful linguist and translator of German anti-rationalist critics. He taught at Didsbury Wesleyan College in Manchester, England from 1867 to 1886...
- wrote a 3-volume systematic theology. - Minor Raymond - wrote a 3-volume systematic theology
- Thomas N. Ralston - wrote a large one volume theology
- Amos Binney
- Daniel D. Whedon -
- John MileyJohn MileyJohn Miley was an American Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition who was one of the major Methodist theological voices of the 19th century....
- wrote a two-volume systematic theology (1893). Rejected the penal substitutionPenal substitutionPenal substitution is a theory of the atonement within Christian theology, developed with the Reformed tradition. It argues that Christ, by his own sacrificial choice, was punished in the place of sinners , thus satisfying the demands of justice so God can justly forgive the sins...
theory of the atonement and advocated a moral government theory. - James StrongJames Strong (theologian)James Strong was an American Methodist biblical scholar and educator, and the creator of Strong's Concordance.-Biography:...
- Borden Parker BowneBorden Parker BowneBorden Parker Bowne was an American Christian philosopher and theologian in the Methodist tradition. In 1876 he became a professor of philosophy at Boston University, where he taught for more than thirty years. He later served as dean of the graduate school. Bowne was an acute critic of positivism...
- wrote numerous books on various theological themes; renowned as a philosopher and theologian. - Thomas O. Summers - A significant editor and publisher. Published his own 2-volume systematic theology (out of print and not available online)
- Martin RuterMartin RuterRev. Martin Henry Ruter, D.D. was a prominent Methodist minister, missionary and educator of the early 19th century....
- Henry Clay DeanHenry Clay DeanHenry Clay Dean was a Methodist Episcopal preacher, lawyer, orator and author who was a critic of the American Civil War and the Lincoln Administration.-Early life and education:...
- Henry Clay MorrisonHenry Clay MorrisonNot to be confused with Henry Clay Morrison , a Methodist bishop from Tennessee.Henry Clay Morrison was a Methodist evangelist, editor, and president of Asbury College....
- Daniel Parish KidderDaniel Parish KidderDaniel Parish Kidder was an American Methodist Episcopal theologian and writer, born at Darien, Genesee County, Co., N.Y..He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1836, entered the ministry, and in 1837 went as a missionary to Brazil, where he was the first to preach a Protestant sermon in some...
20th century
- Edgar S. BrightmanEdgar S. BrightmanEdgar Sheffield Brightman was a philosopher and Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition, associated with Boston University and liberal theology, and promulgated the philosophy known as Boston personalism....
- Christian pacifist, associated with process philosophyProcess philosophyProcess philosophy identifies metaphysical reality with change and dynamism. Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, philosophers have posited true reality as "timeless", based on permanent substances, whilst processes are denied or subordinated to timeless substances...
and liberal theologyLiberal ChristianityLiberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
of the school known as Boston personalismPersonalismPersonalism is a philosophical school of thought searching to describe the uniqueness of a human person in the world of nature, specifically in relation to animals...
. - Justo GonzalezJusto GonzalezJusto L. González is a Cuban-American Methodist historian, theologian, a prolific author, and an influential contributor in the development of Latino/Latina [Hispanic] theology.-Education:...
- José Miguez Bonino
- Robert Newton FlewRobert Newton FlewRobert Newton Flew Robert Newton Flew Robert Newton Flew ((1886–1962) was an English Methodist minister and theologian, and an advocate of ecumenism among the Christian churches.-Family and education:...
- E. Stanley JonesE. Stanley JonesE. Stanley Jones was a 20th century Methodist Christian missionary and theologian.He is remembered chiefly for his interreligious lectures to the educated classes in India, thousands of which were held across the Indian subcontinent during the first decades of the 20th century...
- Albert C. KnudsonAlbert C. KnudsonAlbert Cornelius Knudson was a Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition, associated with Boston University and the school of liberal theology known as Boston personalism.-Biography:...
- Edwin LewisEdwin LewisEdwin Lewis was an American Methodist theologian primarily associated with Drew University in New Jersey.Born in Great Britain, Lewis traveled to Canada as a missionary before continuing his education in the United States...
- H. Orton WileyH. Orton WileyHenry Orton Wiley was a Christian theologian primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement...
- Georgia HarknessGeorgia HarknessGeorgia Elma Harkness was a Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition. Born in Harkness, New York, a town named after her grandfather, Harkness has been described as one of the first significant American female theologians and was important in the movement to gain ordination for women in...
- William Edwin Sangster (1900-1960) - Renowned preacher and theologian of the Wesleyan understanding of sanctification and perfection
- Albert C. Outler - Major influence on modern Methodist theology. Did groundbreaking work in recognizing John Wesley's stature as a theologian. Identified the "Wesleyan QuadrilateralWesleyan QuadrilateralThe Wesleyan Quadrilateral is a methodology for theological reflection that is credited to John Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement in the late 18th Century. The term itself was coined by 20th century American Methodist Albert C...
" as Wesley's distinctive methodology. Important in Ecumenical movement. Writings influence the paleo-orthodox movement. - Ralph Earle - Nazarene theologian and former president of the Evangelical Theological SocietyEvangelical Theological SocietyThe Evangelical Theological Society is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students with the stated purpose of serving Jesus and his church by advancing evangelical scholarship. It was established in 1949 in Cincinnati. The number of members in 2005 was over 4,200...
. - J. Kenneth GriderJ. Kenneth GriderJ. Kenneth Grider is a Nazarene Christian theologian and former seminary professor primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement. A member of the Church of the Nazarene, he graduated from the Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1947 and received his PhD...
- scholar of the Wesleyan holiness traditionHoliness movementThe holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
, served on the translation committee for the New International VersionNew International VersionThe New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
(NIV) of the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. - William M. Greathouse - a Nazarene theologian
- John B. CobbJohn B. CobbJohn B. Cobb, Jr. is an American United Methodist theologian who played a crucial role in the development of process theology. He integrated Alfred North Whitehead's metaphysics into Christianity, and applied it to issues of social justice.-Biography:John Cobb was born in Kobe, Japan in 1925 to...
- Young-Ho Chun
- Richard S. TaylorRichard S. TaylorRichard Shelley Taylor was a Nazarene educator and theologian. Taylor attended Northwest Nazarene College before receiving undergraduate degrees from Cascade College and George Fox, both in Oregon, in 1942 and 1944, respectively. He received a Master’s Degree from PLNU in 1945...
- a prolific theologian affiliated with the Church of the NazareneChurch of the NazareneThe Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
. - Vincent TaylorVincent Taylor (theologian)Reverend Dr Vincent Taylor D.D., F.B.A. was a Methodist Biblical scholar and theologian. He was elected to the Fellowship of the British Academy in 1954, specializing in theology. During his career, he was both Principal of Wesley College, Headingley, Leeds and, from 1930–58, Ferens Professor of...
- The people of The United Methodist Church
21st century
- William J. AbrahamWilliam J. AbrahamWilliam J. Abraham is a United Methodist pastor, theologian, and philosopher. A native of Ireland, he is currently the Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.Dr...
- Marcella Althaus-ReidMarcella Althaus-ReidMarcella Althaus-Reid was Professor of contextual theology at New College, University of Edinburgh. When appointed, she was the only woman professor of theology at a Scottish University, and the first woman professor of theology at New College in its 160 year history .She was born in Rosario, ,...
- first female professor of theology at the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 160 years, associated with feministFeminist theologyFeminist theology is a movement found in several religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and New Thought, to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those religions from a feminist perspective...
, liberationLiberation theologyLiberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, and queer theology. - Thomas Jay OordThomas Jay OordThomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is the author or editor of about twenty books and professor at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho...
- Thomas C. OdenThomas C. OdenThomas Clark Oden is an American United Methodist theologian and religious author associated with Drew University in New Jersey. He was born in Altus, Oklahoma, and holds a Doctor of Literature from Asbury College....
- responsible in large part for founding the theological school known as paleo-orthodoxyPaleo-OrthodoxyPaleo-orthodoxy is a broad Christian theological movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries which focuses on the consensual understanding of the faith among the Ecumenical Councils and Church Fathers...
, associated also with the confessing movementConfessing MovementThe Confessing Movement is an Evangelical movement within several mainline Protestant denominations to return those churches to what the members of the movement see as theological orthodoxy....
. - Mercy OduyoyeMercy OduyoyeMercy Amba Oduyoye is a Methodist theologian known for her work in African women's theology. She is currently the director of the Institute of African Women in Religion and Culture at Trinity Theological Seminary in Ghana....
- Ghanaian feminist theologian. - Stanley HauerwasStanley HauerwasStanley Hauerwas is a Christian theologian and ethicist. He has taught at the University of Notre Dame and is currently the Gilbert T...
- theological ethicistMoral theologyMoral theology is a systematic theological treatment of Christian ethics. It is usually taught on Divinity faculties as a part of the basic curriculum.- External links :*...
and outspoken anti-nationalist Christian pacifist, studied under neo-orthodox theologian H. Richard NiebuhrH. Richard NiebuhrHelmut Richard Niebuhr was one of the most important Christian theological-ethicists in 20th century America, most known for his 1951 book Christ and Culture and his posthumously published book The Responsible Self. The younger brother of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard Niebuhr taught for...
, associated with narrative theologyNarrative theologyPostliberal theology began as a late 20th-century development in Christian Theology. It proposes that the Church's use of the Bible should focus on a narrative presentation of the faith as regulative for the development of a coherent systematic theology...
and was influential in the formation of the Ekklesia ProjectEkklesia ProjectThe Ekklesia Project is an ecumenical Christian group consisting of a network of Christians from across the various denominations to promote a more active and God-centered faith...
. - Christopher MorseChristopher MorseChristopher Morse is an American Christian theologian. He is Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Theology and Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.-Education:...
- developed a prescriptive type of via negativaNegative theologyApophatic theology —also known as negative theology or via negativa —is a theology that attempts to describe God, the Divine Good, by negation, to speak only in terms of what may not be said about the perfect goodness that is God...
, described as "faithful disbelief." - Marjorie SuchockiMarjorie Hewitt SuchockiMarjorie Hewitt Suchocki is an author and United Methodist professor emerita of theology at Claremont School of Theology. She is also co-director of the at Claremont....
- current director of the Whitehead International Film Festival, one of the leading thinkers in the field of process theologyProcess theologyProcess theology is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and further developed by Charles Hartshorne . While there are process theologies that are similar, but unrelated to the work of Whitehead the term is generally applied to the...
. - William H. WillimonWilliam H. WillimonWilliam Henry Willimon is a bishop in the United Methodist Church in the U.S., currently serving in North Alabama. He is best known as a theologian, writer, former Dean of the Chapel at Duke University, and as one of America's best known preachers...
- bishop of the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, sometimes associated with postliberal narrative theology, named one of the top twelve best preachers in the English-speaking world in a 1996 Baylor UniversityBaylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
survey. - Geoffrey WainwrightGeoffrey WainwrightGeoffrey Wainwright is a British Methodist theologian.Born in Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, in 1939, Geoffrey Wainwright is an ordained minister of the British Methodist Church. He received his university education in Cambridge, Geneva and Rome. He holds the Dr. Théol. degree from...
- Andrew S. ParkAndrew S. ParkAndrew Sung Park is a Korean American Methodist theologian. Park teaches at United Theological Seminary in Trotwood, Ohio. He specializes in systematic theology, global theology, cross-cultural theology, Asian American liberation theology, Christian mysticism, and the relationship between religion...
- systematic theologianSystematic theologyIn the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
and pioneer in Asian AmericanAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
liberation theologyLiberation theologyLiberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, associated with Christian mysticismChristian mysticismChristian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions...
and the debate over the relationship between religion and scienceRelationship between religion and scienceThe relationship between religion and science has been a focus of the demarcation problem. Somewhat related is the claim that science and religion may pursue knowledge using different methodologies. Whereas the scientific method basically relies on reason and empiricism, religion also seeks to...
. - I. Howard MarshallI. Howard MarshallIan Howard Marshall is Professor Emeritus of New Testament Exegesis and honorary research professor at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, specifically in the department of Divinity and Religious Studies...
- New Testament Theologian - The people of The United Methodist Church