Part of a series on Methodism

John Wesley

George Whitefield

Background Christianity Protestantism Pietism Anglicanism Arminianism Calvinism For the Methodist school of ancient Greek medicine, see Methodism (history of medicine) Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Arminianism Methodism United Methodist Church George Whitefield John Wesley Francis Asbury Charles Wesley Pietism African Methodist Episcopal Church Thomas Coke (Methodist) Prevenient Grace Christian perfection Atonement (Governmental view) List of Methodist theologians Imparted righteousness World Methodist Council Template:Methodism Methodist Church... John Wesley (June 17, 1703 – March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... George Whitefield (December 16, 1714 - September 30, 1770), was a minister in the Church of England and one of the leaders of the Methodist movement. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late-17th century to the mid-18th century. ... The term Anglican (from Medieval Latin ecclesia anglicana, meaning the English Church) is used to describe how the people, institutions and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the state established Church of England, the Anglican Communion. ... For the Armenian nationality, see Armenia or the Armenian language. ... Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes Gods sovereignty in all things. ...

Doctrinal distinctives Articles of Religion Prevenient Grace Governmental Atonement Imparted righteousness Christian perfection The Articles of Religion are an official doctrinal statement of American Methodism. ... Prevenient grace is a Christian theological concept rooted in Augustinian theology[1] and embraced primarily by Arminian Christians who are influenced by the theology of John Wesley and who are part of the Methodist movement. ... The Governmental view of the atonement (also known as the moral government theory) is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Arminian circles. ... Imputed righteousness, in Methodist theology, is that gracious gift of God given at the moment of the new birth which enables a Christian disciple to strive for holiness and sanctification. ... Christian Perfection is a Christian doctrine which maintains that after conversion but before death a Christians soul may be cleansed from the stain of original sin. ...

People Richard Allen Francis Asbury Thomas Coke Albert C. Outler Charles Wesley Bishops · Theologians Richard Allen (14 February 1760 - 26 March 1831) was born a slave of Benjamin Chew at Germantown, Pennsylvania (now a part of Philadelphia), but his family was soon sold to Stockley Sturgis whose plantation was near Dover, Delaware. ... Francis Asbury (1745-1816) was born at Handsworth, near Birmingham, England of Methodist parents. ... The Right Reverend Thomas Coke, M.A., D.C.L. (9 September 1747-2 May 1814) is known as the Father of Methodist Missions. ... Albert Cook Outler (1908-1989) was a 20th century American Methodist theologian and philosopher. ... Charles Wesley (12 December 1707 - 29 March 1788) was a leader of the Methodist movement, the younger brother of John Wesley. ...

Largest groups World Methodist Council United Methodist Church AME Church Church of the Nazarene British Methodist Church The World Methodist Council is a group composed of most of the worlds Wesleyan / Methodist denominations, working toward mission and unity. ... This article is about the current denomination africa. ... The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church, is a Christian denomination founded by Bishop Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816. ... The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant denomination within the tradition of evangelical Methodism. ... The Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest Wesleyan / Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain and the Isle of Man. ...

Related movements Holiness movement Salvation Army Personalism Pentecostalism The Holiness movement is composed of people who believe and propagate the belief that the carnal nature of man can be cleansed through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit if one has had his sins forgiven through faith in Jesus. ... Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organization founded in 1865 by one time Methodist minister William Booth. ... Personalism is the school of thought that consists of three main principles: Only persons are real (in the ontological sense), Only persons have value, and Only persons have free will. ... The Pentecostal movement within Evangelical Christianity places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. ... This box: view • talk • edit

The governmental view of the atonement (also known as the moral government theory) is a doctrine in Christian theology concerning the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Arminian circles that draw primarily from the works of Hugo Grotius, the governmental theory teaches that Christ suffered for humankind so that God could forgive humans apart from punishment while still maintaining divine justice. For other uses, see Atonement (disambiguation). ... Given the overwhelming influence exercised by Christianity, especially in pre-modern Europe, Christian theology permeates much of Western culture and often reflects that culture. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... For the Armenian nationality, see Armenia or the Armenian language. ... Hugo Grotius (Huig de Groot, or Hugo de Groot; Delft, 10 April 1583 – Rostock, 28 August 1645) worked as a jurist in the Dutch Republic and laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Meaning

The governmental theory arose in opposition to Socinianism [1] . Grotius wrote Defensio fidei catholicae de satisfactione Christi, in which he utilized "governmental" semantics drawn from his training in law and his general view of God as moral governor (ruler) of the universe. Grotius demonstrated that the atonement appeased God in the divine role as cosmic king and judge, and especially that God could not have simply overlooked sin as the Socinians claimed. Socinianism summarises the beliefs of the Socinians, followers of Laelius Socinus (died 1562 in Zürich) and of his nephew Faustus Socinus (died 1604 in Poland). ...

Despite its origin, Grotius' view is most often contrasted with that of the satisfaction theory formulated initially by St. Anselm, which is held by the Roman Catholic Church, and developed further into the punishment theory held by most Lutherans and Calvinists. The satisfaction and punishment theories argue that Jesus received the full and actual punishment due to men and women. Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity that began with the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century. ... Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes Gods sovereignty in all things. ...

By contrast, governmental theory holds that Christ's suffering was a real and meaningful substitute for the punishment humans deserve, but it did not consist of Christ receiving the exact punishment due to sinful people. Instead, God publicly demonstrated his displeasure with sin by punishing his own sinless and obedient Son as a propitiation. Christ's suffering and death served as a substitute for the punishment humans might have received. On this basis, God is able to extend forgiveness while maintaining divine order, having demonstrated the seriousness of sin and thus appeasing his wrath. Substitutionary atonement is the act of restoring balances by substitution. ... In Christianity, Propitiation is a theological term denoting that by which God is rendered propitious, i. ...

A second feature of governmental theory is the scope of the atonement. According to governmental theory, Christ's death applies not to individuals directly, but to the church as an entity. Individuals then partake of the atonement by being attached to the church through faith. It is also, therefore, possible to fall out of the scope of atonement through loss of faith. This view contrasts especially with the punishment theory, which holds that Jesus' death served as a substitute for the sins of individuals directly.

This view has prospered in traditional Methodism and among most who follow the teachings of John Wesley, and has been detailed by, among others, 19th century Methodist theologian John Miley in his Atonement in Christ and his Systematic Theology (ISBN 0-943575-09-5) and 20th century Church of the Nazarene theologian J. Kenneth Grider in his 1994 book A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology (ISBN 0-8341-1512-3). However, according to Roger Olson, it is incorrectly associated with the governmental theory that all Arminians did agree with that view because as he states: "Arminius did not believe it, neither did Wesley nor some of his nineteenth-century followers. Nor do all contemporary Arminians" (Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities, p. 224). For the Methodist school of ancient Greek medicine, see Methodism (history of medicine) Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703 – March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Miley ( 1813- 1895) was an American Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition who was one of the major Methodist theological voices of the 19th century. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant denomination within the tradition of evangelical Methodism. ... J. Kenneth Grider is a 20th century Christian theologian primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement. ...

Variations of this view have also been espoused in the "New Divinity" school of thought (or "New England Theology") by the followers of the 18th century Calvinist Jonathan Edwards, though it is debated if Edwards approved of this view himself[2][3], and by 19th century revival leader Charles Grandison Finney. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a colonial American Congregational preacher, theologian, and missionary to Native Americans. ... A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held with an eye to encourage active members of a religious body and to provoke those outside of it to become part of it. ... See also: Charles G. Finney, 20th Century American author Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875), often called Americas foremost revivalist, was a major leader of the Second Great Awakening in America, which had a great impact on the social history of the United States. ...

See also

• Atonement
• Atonement (Satisfaction view)
• Justification (theology)
• Sin
• Substitutionary atonement

For other uses, see Atonement (disambiguation). ... The satisfaction view of the atonement (also known as the penal or punishment theory) is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed circles. ... In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of making or declaring a sinner righteous before God. ... Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral rule or the state of having committed such a violation. ... Substitutionary atonement is the act of restoring balances by substitution. ...

External links

• Concerning ... the Christian Doctrine of Satisfaction for Sin Edwards' treatise on the atonement, claimed by both Governmental and Punishment theorists.

Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a colonial American Congregational preacher, theologian, and missionary to Native Americans. ...

Pro

• The Governmental Theory of the Atonement by John Miley, arguing for the Moral Government theory
• Theory of Satisfaction by John Miley, arguing against the Satisfaction/Punishment view
• The Governmental Theory: An Expansion by J. Kenneth Grider
• Quotations about Jonathan Edwards' view of the atonement
• The Atonement by Albert Barnes, arguing for the Moral Government theory
• Historical Opinions as to the Nature of Christ's Atoning Death by Gordon Olson, arguing for the Moral Government theory

Con

• The Governmental Theory from Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology, which gives a concise exposition of atonement theories in general and, in this passage, argues against the Governmental theory.

• Modern Views of the Atonement An overview together with an argument for the punishment theory.
• The Atonement in Evangelical Thought, Part IV Critique of Andrew Fuller's governmental view; asserts distinction between Edwards and Grotius, with references.