Christianity the Wesleyan Way: Principles and Practices for Life and Ministry

Abstract

This book is one of a range of published resources from the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church and reflects the curriculum and approach of some patterns of training for public ministry in the UMC. Dr Germano is both an ordained member of the North Georgia Annual Conference, currently serving a congregation in Lawrenceville, and also a theological educator, with significant experience in—and an obvious passion for—ministerial formation in a Wesleyan spirit.The book is divided into four parts: the first offers an introduction to the context of early Methodism, including helpful sketches of the various Reformation movements that fed into its genesis. A second chapter orients readers toward the life and ministry of Wesley himself, and the first Methodists. Part 2 is the theological heart of the book and is framed by drawing on the threefold pattern of grace of Wesley’s mature theological understanding. Part 3 offers a more detailed pair of chapters on the means of grace, and the sacraments. Germano concludes with a final section offering some reflections on and suggestions for the living-out of authentic Wesleyan theology for—and practice of ministry in—the present age.There is no intent here to contribute to scholarship in the field of Wesleyan studies; what is presented is at its frequent best a helpful summary of the field, however, and it is grounded in and draws upon the work of many leading scholars. Germano’s approach enables him to build carefully on what has gone before as he elaborates his understanding of Wesleyan principles and practices, which is consistently couched in clear and accessible language as befits a training resource of this kind. A complete bibliography would have been a helpful additional resource, but the footnotes along the way are very full and thorough.The use of illustrations will perhaps feel more problematic for some. Germano seeks to reflect the substance of his theological exposition by the use of diagrams and visual representations. These will undoubtedly help those for whom the purely verbal is less helpful and are in general to be welcomed, but there might be a danger that others will feel that they slightly oversimplify the theological nuance of the topics being covered, especially in relation to justification. The overarching visual image of the ‘house’ of the authentic Christian experience of grace is, of course, Wesleyan at its root, and Germano helpfully embraces this metaphor.Another very memorable feature of the book is its inclusion of long and unedited passages of Wesleyan prose from sermons and printed works. This is surely helpful for the most part, in that these sections illustrate well and firmly undergird the points being made. Germano is to be commended for ‘trusting’ his readers with primary texts in this way and seeking to ensure that his teaching of Wesleyan theology is built on them, and not merely asserted. The sections are, however, very long in some cases: for some, perhaps too long, given that the book is intended as a ‘first introduction’ to Wesleyan theology, and that the eighteenth-century language and style will be quite challenging for some.Inevitably, given the book’s provenance, some will feel that Germano’s assessment of Wesley and his work is too uncritical (though it is by no means universally so), and will find elements of his theological exposition open to critique and challenge, perhaps especially in offering a very straightforward translation of ideas and doctrines to the present day. For all that, this is an engaged, heartfelt, informed, and academically grounded introduction to the main contours of Wesleyan theology by an experienced and thoughtful scholar-pastor. It will be of interest and use to many for training and formation purposes beyond the original constituency for whom it is written, and would be a valuable primer for those wanting an overview of—or a refresher course in—the subject matter. There is one appendix—on the social and cultural background to early Methodism—which is helpful and adds insight and understanding. It might have warranted a place in the main body of the book.