The Wesleyan revival, catalyzed by John and Charles Wesley, cannot be fully appreciated without situating its theological contributions within the broader Christian tradition. The revival’s emphases on holiness, grace, and ecclesial renewal resonate with themes explored by the Patristic and Medieval theologians, whose works addressed foundational questions about the nature of God, Christology, the Church, and divine grace.
This paper explores the interplay between Wesleyan theology and the theological legacies of the Apostolic, Ante-Nicene, Nicene, and Medieval Fathers. Drawing on figures such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, and Augustine, as well as Medieval luminaries like Anselm of Canterbury, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and Thomas Aquinas, this analysis demonstrates how the Wesleyan movement reappropriated ancient insights while responding to the unique challenges of the eighteenth century. It also identifies areas of theological divergence, particularly in relation to contemporary issues within the United Methodist Church (UMC).
Patristic Foundations in Wesleyan Theology
The Apostolic and Ante-Nicene Fathers
The Apostolic Fathers—such as Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp—offered early formulations of Christian ecclesiology and sanctification, themes that resonate deeply with Wesley’s theology. Ignatius’s epistles, particularly his call to maintain unity within the Church, parallel Wesley’s emphasis on “connectionalism,” which he institutionalized through Methodist conferences and societies.¹
Justin Martyr’s First Apology provides a theological framework for understanding grace and the Logos, describing Christ as the unifying principle of all creation.² This theological vision finds an echo in Wesley’s articulation of prevenient grace, which underscores the universality of God’s salvific initiative.
Irenaeus of Lyons, in Against Heresies, articulated a theology of recapitulation, asserting that Christ restored humanity by assuming its nature and reversing Adam’s disobedience.³ Wesley similarly emphasized the transformative power of Christ’s atonement, which enables believers to participate in God’s redemptive work through sanctification.⁴
The Nicene Fathers
The Nicene Fathers, including Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Basil the Great, advanced critical doctrines of Christology and Trinitarian theology that undergird Wesley’s vision of holiness. Athanasius’s On the Incarnation asserts that Christ became human so that humanity might partake in divine life—a theme Wesley echoed in his doctrine of Christian perfection, which envisions believers as restored to God’s image through the Spirit.⁵
Cyril of Jerusalem’s Catechetical Lectures stress the transformative role of baptism and the Eucharist, sacraments that Wesley embraced as means of grace.⁶ Similarly, Basil’s On the Holy Spirit highlights the Spirit’s sanctifying work, which aligns with Wesley’s understanding of the Spirit as the agent of holiness.⁷
The Nicene Creed itself, with its emphasis on the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son, reinforced a theological vision that Wesley inherited and adapted to emphasize relational and participatory grace within the life of the believer.
Augustine and the Doctrine of Grace
Augustine of Hippo is arguably the most influential Patristic theologian for Wesley’s soteriology. Augustine’s doctrine of grace, as articulated in Confessions and On Nature and Grace, profoundly shaped the Western theological tradition. While Wesley rejected Augustine’s determinism and predestinarianism, he retained Augustine’s emphasis on the necessity of divine grace for human salvation.⁸
Wesley’s prevenient grace parallels Augustine’s description of gratia praeveniens, which enables the will to respond to God’s call. However, Wesley diverged from Augustine by affirming human cooperation in the process of sanctification. For Wesley, grace restores the freedom of the will, enabling believers to actively pursue holiness in partnership with God.⁹
Medieval Theological Contributions
The Medieval period introduced systematic approaches to theology that provided a framework for Wesley’s own synthesis of doctrine and practice.
Anselm and the Atonement
Anselm of Canterbury’s Cur Deus Homo articulated the satisfaction theory of atonement, arguing that Christ’s death satisfied the demands of divine justice.¹⁰ Wesley appropriated elements of Anselm’s soteriology, emphasizing that Christ’s atonement reconciles humanity to God while also initiating a transformative process of sanctification. Unlike Anselm, however, Wesley placed greater emphasis on the relational and participatory dimensions of grace.¹¹
Bernard of Clairvaux and Mystical Theology
St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God offered a vision of love as the highest expression of the Christian life, a theme that profoundly influenced Wesley’s doctrine of perfection.¹² Bernard’s assertion that love for God progresses through stages—from self-love to pure love of God—parallels Wesley’s belief that sanctification is a progressive work of grace culminating in perfect love.
Thomas Aquinas and Holiness
Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, developed a comprehensive theology of virtue and grace that aligns with Wesley’s holistic vision of holiness. Aquinas’s distinction between sanctifying grace and actual grace provides a framework for understanding Wesley’s emphasis on prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace.¹³
While Aquinas rooted virtue in the intellectual and volitional faculties, Wesley expanded this framework to include the affections, emphasizing the transformative role of the Holy Spirit in shaping the believer’s desires and actions.¹⁴
Wesleyan Theology in Contemporary Perspective
The engagement of Wesleyan theology with Patristic and Medieval insights underscores its depth and continuity within the broader Christian tradition. However, the divergence between Wesley’s scriptural holiness and the progressive ethos of the contemporary UMC highlights the challenges of maintaining doctrinal integrity amid cultural shifts.
The progressive reinterpretation of holiness within the UMC, which emphasizes inclusion without accountability, departs from the Patristic and Medieval understanding of sanctification as a process of transformation in conformity to God’s will. The ordination of LGBTQAI+ clergy and the celebration of same-sex unions, while celebrated as acts of justice, raise questions about the theological foundations of these practices. As noted in Postmodern Hermeneutics and the Reformation of Ecclesial Paradigms, the prioritization of experience over Scripture risks undermining the coherence of the Wesleyan theological heritage.¹⁵
Conclusion
The Wesleyan revival represents a unique synthesis of biblical, Patristic, and Medieval theological insights, brought to life in a dynamic movement of renewal and reform. By drawing on the writings of figures such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Augustine, and Aquinas, Wesley articulated a theology of grace and holiness that remains both profound and practical. However, the contemporary challenges facing the UMC reveal the tension between Wesley’s scriptural fidelity and the pressures of cultural accommodation.
In recovering the theological richness of the Patristic and Medieval traditions, the Wesleyan movement has an opportunity to reaffirm its identity as a community grounded in holiness, grace, and the transformative power of the Spirit. As global Methodism continues to grow, it must navigate these tensions with a commitment to both tradition and innovation, ensuring that the vision of its founders remains a guiding light in the twenty-first century.
Footnotes
1. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, in The Apostolic Fathers, Vol. 1 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1912), 123.
2. Justin Martyr, First Apology, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 190.
3. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 497.
4. John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions (London: Epworth Press, 1964), 125.
5. Athanasius, On the Incarnation, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 39.
6. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 128.
7. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit (New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1980), 42.
8. Augustine, Confessions, translated by Henry Chadwick (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), 141.
9. Richard P. Heitzenrater, Wesley and the People Called Methodist (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), 231.
10. Anselm, Cur Deus Homo, in The Major Works (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 175.
11. John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1966), 72.
12. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God (New York: Macmillan, 1926), 63.
13. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, in The Basic Writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, Vol. 1, edited by Anton C. Pegis (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1997), 225.
14. Randy L. Maddox, Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1994), 98.
15. “Postmodern Hermeneutics and the Reformation of Ecclesial Paradigms,” Point of Reference, accessed November 14, 2024, https://www.pointofreference.info/post/postmodern-hermeneutics-and-the-reformation-of-ecclesial-paradigms-evaluating-cultural-and-theologi.
16. Augustine, On Nature and Grace, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5, edited by Philip Schaff (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 130.
17. Cyril of Alexandria, On the Unity of Christ (Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1995), 89.
18. Origen, On First Principles, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, translated by G.W. Butterworth (New York: Harper & Row, 1966), 41.
19. John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions, 204.
20. Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 325.
21. St. Basil the Great, Letter 2: On the Spirit of Holiness, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 64.
22. Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses, translated by Abraham J. Malherbe and Everett Ferguson (New York: Paulist Press, 1978), 101.
23. St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 10 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 112.
24. Bernard of Clairvaux, The Steps of Humility and Pride (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1974), 56.
25. Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (Mineola: Dover Publications, 2003), 49.
26. Michael Psellos, Chronographia, translated by E.R.A. Sewter (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966), 213.
27. Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction, 6th ed. (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017), 332.
28. Athanasius, Letters to Serapion, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 312.
29. Jean Miller Schmidt, Kenneth E. Rowe, and Russell Richey, American Methodism: A Compact History (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012), 146.
30. John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (London: Epworth Press, 1765), 93.