Exactly how much Methodist preachers and theologians use the Wesley Quadrilateral might be questioned in today's world of letting secular culture shape reasonable thinking about the ways of God. Actually, John Wesley never formulated this formal structure for theological thinking. It was a Wesleyan scholar named Albert Outler who in 1964 noted it present in Wesley's works and put this concept into the minds of many a theological thinker. According to the Wesley Quadrilateral, there are four things which should be employed in coming to theological conclusions. Those four things are scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.
The Wesley Quadrilateral always seemed useful in moving toward sound theology. And, even as a retired preacher, it still seems like useful markers for the journey. One other thing which I have often used in trying to reach sound theology is the practice of taking what is believed to its logical conclusion. Where what we say we believe takes us has come to be an important consideration. If we say we believe in capital punishment, would we then be willing to be the executioner? If we say we believe in living more simply, what do we do with all our accumulations? If we say we believe that God heals, are we willing to put ourselves out there in a visible way as we pray for the healing of those around us?
The questions go on and on and on. Is life really sacred from its beginning to its end and if such is true, how do we then deal with the vulnerabilities at both ends of the spectrum? We do not need big theological books to figure out what beliefs are sound and true. Even as the Wesley Quadrilateral serves to guide us, so does the Holy Spirit who dwells within in and who has the distinctive purpose of guiding us into truth. Too many times we depend on what others are thinking and saying and forget about the truth that is seeking to surface from within our own lives.
The Wesley Quadrilateral always seemed useful in moving toward sound theology. And, even as a retired preacher, it still seems like useful markers for the journey. One other thing which I have often used in trying to reach sound theology is the practice of taking what is believed to its logical conclusion. Where what we say we believe takes us has come to be an important consideration. If we say we believe in capital punishment, would we then be willing to be the executioner? If we say we believe in living more simply, what do we do with all our accumulations? If we say we believe that God heals, are we willing to put ourselves out there in a visible way as we pray for the healing of those around us?
The questions go on and on and on. Is life really sacred from its beginning to its end and if such is true, how do we then deal with the vulnerabilities at both ends of the spectrum? We do not need big theological books to figure out what beliefs are sound and true. Even as the Wesley Quadrilateral serves to guide us, so does the Holy Spirit who dwells within in and who has the distinctive purpose of guiding us into truth. Too many times we depend on what others are thinking and saying and forget about the truth that is seeking to surface from within our own lives.
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