‘Persecution never did, never could give any
lasting wound to genuine Christianity. But the
greatest it ever received, the grand blow which
was struck at the very root of that humble,
gentle, patient love which is the fulfilling of the
Christian law, the whole essence of true
religion, was struck in the fourth century by
Constantine the Great, when he called himself a
Christian, and poured in a flood of riches,
honours and powers upon the Christians, more
especially upon the clergy.’
lasting wound to genuine Christianity. But the
greatest it ever received, the grand blow which
was struck at the very root of that humble,
gentle, patient love which is the fulfilling of the
Christian law, the whole essence of true
religion, was struck in the fourth century by
Constantine the Great, when he called himself a
Christian, and poured in a flood of riches,
honours and powers upon the Christians, more
especially upon the clergy.’
I've read a bit, though not much, of Wesley in the past in one of my Church history classes. But in what I did read I did found some affinity between Wesley's holiness movement and the Anabaptist movement. From what I understand, Wesley's concept of Christian Perfection was that once a person is saved through faith, works of piety and devotion help a Christian overcome the sin and temptation that still remain within the flesh. Thus, Christians can in this lifetime give themselves completely over to God and attain 'perfection.' It is important to note however, that Wesley talked about this perfection as a goal, and not necessarily a plateau. His point being, a Christian must constantly guard against backsliding.
Similarly, Anabaptists talk about living in light of the reign of God and God's kingdom as something that is attainable in this life as well. Hence the emphasis on the beatitudes, peacemaking, justice, and Christian community. The Kingdom is not a far off, future reality or ideal. It is real and present and dictates how Christian disciples are to live and behave in this lifetime - the implications of asserting that Jesus is Lord.
So while Wesley and Anabaptist were perhaps dealing with different subjects, they were in many ways saying the same things with respect to Holiness/Christian Perfection and the Kingdom of God. The traditional dichotomy that I had always assumed was that Wesley was talking about personal piety whereas Anabaptist brought in the political/social/ethical dimension.
As with any dichotomy, I tried to hold both together in my faith journey. And being much more versed in Anabaptist theology, I understood the personal beliefs, faith, and devotion behind all the social implications of Kingdom of God. However, never before had I seen the social and cultural implications of Wesley's emphasis on holiness. The quote above helps me see that Wesley thought very much about the social/political/cultural, and had similar critiques of Christendom as Anabaptists do. As we move into (and are already in) a post-Christendom era in the West, many appreciate the teachings of the Anabaptist tradition. However, let's not neglect the voices of Wesley and others (I would add early Pentecostalism) who also challenged Christendom in their own ways.
Similarly, Anabaptists talk about living in light of the reign of God and God's kingdom as something that is attainable in this life as well. Hence the emphasis on the beatitudes, peacemaking, justice, and Christian community. The Kingdom is not a far off, future reality or ideal. It is real and present and dictates how Christian disciples are to live and behave in this lifetime - the implications of asserting that Jesus is Lord.
So while Wesley and Anabaptist were perhaps dealing with different subjects, they were in many ways saying the same things with respect to Holiness/Christian Perfection and the Kingdom of God. The traditional dichotomy that I had always assumed was that Wesley was talking about personal piety whereas Anabaptist brought in the political/social/ethical dimension.
As with any dichotomy, I tried to hold both together in my faith journey. And being much more versed in Anabaptist theology, I understood the personal beliefs, faith, and devotion behind all the social implications of Kingdom of God. However, never before had I seen the social and cultural implications of Wesley's emphasis on holiness. The quote above helps me see that Wesley thought very much about the social/political/cultural, and had similar critiques of Christendom as Anabaptists do. As we move into (and are already in) a post-Christendom era in the West, many appreciate the teachings of the Anabaptist tradition. However, let's not neglect the voices of Wesley and others (I would add early Pentecostalism) who also challenged Christendom in their own ways.
