11/22/2023 0 Comments Picture of quadrilateralIt arbitrates between contrary arguments and competing interpretations of Scripture. It empowers us to make sense of the Scriptural text and historical tradition. While reason does not contribute any substance to our beliefs, it brings logical coherence. Next, Wesleyans believe Scripture and tradition must be assisted by reason. For example, we believe that every human being potentially can be saved Christians can lose saving faith and people can be freed in present life from the power and nature of sin. Third, with the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition, we reflect a particular bias in doctrinal differences among Christian denominations and theological traditions. Second, with evangelical Protestantism, our interpretation of Scripture is shaped by certain priorities: salvation by grace through faith and the necessity of genuine personal conversion. We embrace, therefore, consensual doctrines of Christianity like the Trinity and the incarnate Son of God’s divine and human natures. First, our Wesleyan beliefs are informed by historic Christian orthodoxy, most notably, the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian creeds, classical statements of Christian faith. We turn to Christian tradition to clarify and illuminate our work in biblical exegesis. Tradition, which is how the church has historically interpreted Scripture, is crucial to our reading of it. The Bible is given to the church by God and is meant to be interpreted in the church. They are ancillary sources, not usurpers of Scripture’s primacy, helping us grasp God’s word with greater clarity.Īs Wesleyans, we do not read the Scriptures in isolation from the larger Christian community but in alignment with it. They function as cooperative partners in our interpretation of the Bible, not as judges. When detailed exegesis among the best of biblical scholars fails to stem the tide of debate, we turn to tradition, reason and experience to clarify our understanding. Scripture alone rarely settles controverted points of doctrine or practice. Questions arise, however, over interpretation. We embrace the best interpretive practices of exegesis to arrive at sound understanding. It is the written Word of God and “superior to all human authority.” Wesleyans join with all evangelical Protestants in affirming that we “believe neither more nor less than what is manifestly contained in, and provable by, the Holy Scriptures.” Our theology is grounded in sound biblical teaching. The Bible as found in the Old and New Testaments is the foundation and standard for what we believe and practice as Wesleyans. More specifically, it recognizes the primacy and authority of Scripture as understood through the light of tradition, reason and experience. It provides a sound defense or foundation for what we believe. The “Wesleyan Quadrilateral” - a term first coined by Methodist theologian Albert Outler - is a way to understand our four-sided approach to answering questions about Christian belief and practice. Historically, it serves as a metaphor to describe a defensive military fortification. In geometry, the simplest form of a quadrilateral is a square or rectangle. “Quadrilateral” comes from the Latin quadri, meaning four and latus, meaning side.
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