The Quadrilateral Substitute

The Wesley Quadrilateral states that good theology is based first on Scripture and then on tradition, reason, and experience.  It served the early Methodist movement well from the eighteenth century world of John Wesley until recently.  Today the Quadrilateral of Wesley would be called an anachronism, or something which simply no longer works in a society as complex as ours.  And while everyone may not be a fan of Wesley, what our culture has put in place of something like the Quadrilateral is leading us into dangerous theological waters.

 

What our culture is substituting for something like the Wesley Quadrilateral is common consensus.  If enough people declare it to be true, then it must be true.  If enough people declare it to be the way, then there can be no other way.  The theology of the church and so many who lead it is being shaped more by the reasoning of men and women instead of the mind of God as it is revealed to us through the Sacred Word.   In the days of the Old Testament prophets most of the Hebrews were worshiping at the altar of the Lord and the altar of Baal.  Everyone was doing it so it had to be good.

One thing which is sure to change is the majority opinion.  What is true today was likely not true yesterday and may not be true tomorrow.  Theology based on common consensus has no roots.  It is blown one way and then another.  It ignores what has been tested by people of faith for centuries and centuries.  Many times it even ignores the Scripture.  Perhaps, I am just an old fashioned, narrow thinking preacher, but actually, I see myself apprehensive about the logical conclusions to which we must surely go given some of the theological disarray present in the church today.