Active Faith: Resisting 4 Dangerous Ideologies with the Wesleyan Way

By: Paul W. Chilcote

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Synopsis: Christians are invited to practice the way of Jesus by engaging in four formative practices representing central themes of the Wesleyan way: humility, hospitality, healing, and holiness. These four practices function as counterpoints to four growing dangers based on fear in the contemporary church and in society: 1. Christian fundamentalism 2. Nationalism 3. Dispensationalism 4. Antinomianism. Each of the four practices is an antidote related to the quest for a particular virtue as well, namely, truth, joy, peace, and love in resistance to these dangerous movements. Each of the four chapters discusses the relationship of these practices to scripture, identifying a signature biblical text or story related to each. They introduce the reader to a spiritual mentor who can help them understand and embrace the practice more fully. They describe contemporary forms of Christianity that distort or compromise our received faith tradition, directing their attention to a contemporary issue in which these distortions figure prominently and in which a progressive Wesleyan perspective offers an alternative vision of Christian authenticity. Finally, the chapters offer guidance showing how readers can engage in these practices on a very practical level.