What role do doctrinal standards play in the life of the church? In this episode, Dr. Joel Chopp explains why confessions matter, how the proposed Articles of Faith would function in the Global Methodist Church, and what faithful Wesleyan confessionalism looks like.
The discussion develops from Joel’s brand new article “Wesleyan Confessionalism and Theological Education,” which was just published in the most recent edition of the Asbury Herald. We discuss:
What doctrinal standards are
Who doctrinal standards are for
Why some Methodists reject confessionalism
Why other Methodists are committed to normative doctrines
What we can learn about confessions from other Protestants
Why not all the articles in the proposed Articles of faith should not be distinctly Wesleyan
The guardrail function of doctrine
How we know what Scripture affirms
And more!
Listen using the podcast player above. Or, if you prefer video, watch the full conversation on the Theology Project YouTube Channel by clicking the button below.
At the end of our conversation, Joel recommended two books for anyone who wants to dig in deeper to the way doctrine functions in the church. Here they are:
Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline: A History of the Wesleyan Tradition in the United States by Kevin Watson
Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition by Thomas Oden
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Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission.
