This study focuses on conversion and holiness in the teaching of John Wesley, because his contribution to the understanding of the Christian faith and to the life of the Church was made primarily through his teaching and preaching on these topics. These are the two areas where Wesley's theology is distinctive and at times controversial. The book contains twenty-four relatively short chapters, each devoted to one specific topic.The first chapter of the book gives a fairly short account of Wesley's spiritual journey in order to provide a background for the remaining chapters. Chapters 2 to 15 are devoted to the central topics in Wesley's teaching—topics to which he devoted most of his time and energy. These include The Corruption of the World, Salvation by Grace Alone, Faith, Witness of the Spirit, Regeneration, Holiness, Good Works by the Christian, Sin in the Christian, and Entire Sanctification. Chapters 16 to 21 deal with topics which were not normally the main subject of Wesley's preaching, but which formed part of the background to his teaching and on which, when necessary, he expressed definite views. These topics include Atonement, Prevenient Grace, Good Works before Conversion, Wesley's Arminianism, and Baptism. In all of the above chapters the author offers a detailed analysis of the teaching of Wesley, supported by a very large number of references to his many writings. These references are given in footnotes rather than endnotes so that readers can have easy access to them. The author also gives very many references to the views of Wesleyan scholars of past and present. However, these references are confined to the footnotes, in order to ensure that the main text is based entirely on the teaching of Wesley himself.The final section of the book contains three chapters which offer the author's own reflections on the Wesley legacy. He focuses on three major themes in Wesleyan theology—sola gratia (grace alone), sanctification, and assurance. He suggests that Wesley's teaching on these issues is of enduring value and are particularly relevant for Christians today. A particularly interesting point is the fact that Wesley's understanding of “sola gratia” provides a solid basis for the recent official and historic agreement between the Methodist, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Churches on this issue which had been the central point of divergence at the time of the Reformation. A further point of interest is the author's emphasis on the importance of Wesley's teaching on the Witness of the Spirit. He suggests that this emphasis on immediate religious experience is an important affirmation of a key aspect of the Christian faith—one which Christian leaders and scholars have often failed to emphasize. He suggests that this crucial Wesleyan theme finds echoes in certain recent strands in various Christian Churches, particularly in charismatic renewal and Ignatian discernment.
The changing face of the world solidly impacts the nature of mission. Donal Dorr demonstrates why engagement with other religions and cultures demands that missionaries understand the importance of dialogue and also forces issues such as inculturation, the struggle for liberation of the poor and oppressed, and the need for reconciliation in conflict-torn regions.
Theologian and missionary priest Donal Dorr lays out the possible elements of a Creed--a statement of Christian belief--that takes into account our contemporary standpoint in relation to ecology and our understanding of an evolving universe. He considers the radically different cultural situation in which we live today and the deeper understanding of our faith, which has evolved over the centuries.
In a world that questions more and more the quality of leadership in churches and politics, Donald Dorr proposes a spirituality that supports authentic leadership. Addressing primarily those who lead volunteer or non-governmental agencies and religious organizations, the author holds that they should provide a model of effective, humane leadership for the business world, public service, and politics. Dorr focuses on scriptural sources for a spirituality of leadership, and draws insights from various spiritual traditions in the history of the church. He emphasizes the surprisingly strong and consistent democratic tradition within Christianity. He also draws on key elements in the thinking of political philosophers and management theorists. In the heart of the book the author describes four different kinds of leaders and outlines five styles or manners in which good leadership is exercised. Dorr concludes with a discussion of techniques for individual and communal discernment and the use of intuition in decision making. Donald Dorr is a missionary who has worked for many years in leadership training and conducting spirituality workshops. He is the author of eight previous books, including the prize-winning Spirituality and Justice.
This title is a response to the hunger for a spirituality which both touches the heart and appeals to the intelligent mind. Donal Dorr explains why a lot of people who are searching for a satisfying spirituality have become disillusioned with formal religion.
The issue of leadership has become a matter of considerable concern in the churches, in other religions, and in the political world. This book explores the nature of leadership and proposes a spirituality, which supports authentic leadership. It is addressed to those who are called to exercise leadership.
This book starts with a survey of a variety of everyday spiritual experiences, then moves on to offer a Christian interpretation of the mystery of life and of the personal call of each individual.
At the heart of this book lies an ambiguity about the word mission. At times the word has a rather restricted meaning where it refers mainly to work on the foreign missions. At other times, or for other people, its meaning is much more general: it refers not so much to a particular kind of work, as to a sense of being called upon to undertake some important enterprise, with a corresponding attitude of willingness to break new ground and to work on a new frontier, outside the established structures. The aim of this book is to bridge the gap between these two understandings of the word mission.
Examines the relationship between prayer and spirituality and the concern for justice. Includes guided mediations and other resource material, including an introduction to the Enneagram personality typology system. The appendix gives guidelines for beginning a group. The author is a member of St Patrick's Missionary Society in Ireland whose other works include TOption for the Poor' and TThe Social Justice Agenda'. First published in Ireland by Gill and Macmillan (1990).
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