Politics Strangely Warmed : Political Theology in the Wesleyan Spirit

For centuries, Christians have wrestled with how to witness faithfully to the peaceable kingdom of God, while also living as citizens within an earthly nation-state. Differing theological traditions have offered wide-ranging contributions to the field of political theology, yet the Wesleyan tradition has too often remained largely silent. In this volume, Coates turns to two key figures within his own Wesleyan tradition--John Wesley and B. T. Roberts--in order to construct a distinctively Wesleyan political theology. He argues that embedded within Wesley's theology were the seeds of a radically people-centered, egalitarian politic, despite the fact that Wesley himself never fully realized these implications himself. Ultimately, however, the populism of B. T. Roberts and his work to organize the Farmer's Alliance of the late-nineteenth century would come to represent one concrete, historical manifestation of Wesley's theology in the public sphere. Here is a book not merely for academics interested in the Wesleyan tradition or political theology, but also for all followers of Christ who desire to see the church model the ethic of Christ before the worldly powers in the midst of this saeculum. ""In this book, Greg Coates examines John Wesley's understandings of the image of God and its consequences for political action, and the way in which one American Methodist, B. T. Roberts, followed them to a more consistent and helpful political praxis than Wesley himself did. He argues persuasively that Roberts, assuming Wesleyan commitments to the poor, holistic salvation, and a biblical eschatology, offers a framework for political and social engagement that promises freedom from the current false ideological alternatives we often face. It is a discussion that remains faithful to the scriptural story read and lived, in the light of tradition, experience, and reason. I commend it to all seeking to navigate through the electoral wildernesses around us."" --David W. Kendall, Bishop, Free Methodist Church, Indianapolis, IN ""Coates undertakes informed, yet critical, engagement with the central founding figures of his Free Methodist tradition, in seeking theological grounding and orientation for political engagement today. Thereby he not only establishes himself as an emerging voice in his field but models contextualized theological reflection for contemporary Christian life."" --Randy L. Maddox, William Kellon Quick Professor of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC ""Coates is an important new voice in Wesleyan Studies. His critical inquiry and appreciation for nuance allow him to breathe new life into well-worn Wesleyan ground as well as to offer welcome insights by including Wesley's American Holiness heirs in his search for a Wesleyan political theology. Alongside of this solid scholarship, Coates wants to give readers a way to put his ideas into practice. This book is a go-to resource for students of Wesley and for all Methodi...