John Wesley and the New Testament

When I was a graduate student my first serious exposure to John Wesley was in a directed readings course in which I was guided by a former Roman Catholic priest who had a deep interest in Martin Luther. He knew little about Wesley. My second readings course on Wesley was guided by an Anglican scholar who had little interest in the Wesleys. I always had the impression that he thought Wesley was a little lower than a real Anglican and that really, John and Charles Wesley were not worthy of serious study.

Perhaps it was a product of my own determination to find out for myself whether Wesleyan theology has any merit that I pursued my own study of these two brothers. It helped, I think, that I had heard their names within my own tradition in The Salvation Army; but what I had heard was rather sketchy.

Since my graduate school days I have continued to read about John and Charles Wesley. I have read many of John's sermons and other writings; and I have read many books and articles about him. What I have come to recognize in the process is that my own Christian faith has been formed deeply by my Wesleyan heritage.

It is with this background in mind that I want to share some impressions of a book that I have just read. It is Joel B. Green's book, Reading Scripture as Wesleyans (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010).

First of all, I am not sure what I expected, but the book is quite different from what I had anticipated. Green sets out to recount how Wesley himself interpreted many of the individual books in the New Testament, especially in his sermons and in his Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament. This is a surprisingly fruitful enterprise. More than simply a chronicle of all of Wesley's references to the individual NT writings, Green produces a vibrant interaction with Wesley and his interpretation.

Second, Green not only introduces readers to the ways in which Wesley interpreted the NT writings, but he also introduces us to Wesleyan theology more generally. As he presents Wesley's use and interpretation of each individual NT book, Green draws from it the contribution that it has made to Wesleyan theology. This is a valuable effort for those who are interested in the broad shape of Wesleyan thought. Reading this book carefully repays us with a better understanding of the New Testament and of John Wesley's theology.

Finally, reading this book confirmed for me that Wesley was one who was inclined to read the whole of Scripture, not just a few favourite books or passages. He didn't privilege some writings such as the letters of Paul to the exclusion of others. Rather, I think Wesley was able to hear the multitude of voices in the Bible without tuning out any (or at least many of them) entirely. This, I think, is part of the genius of Wesley.

So, after having read Green's book, I think I want to read it again. This time, I think I will be able to appreciate even more the achievement that it represents: helping us to read the New Testament alongside Wesley.