Resources
Recommended books and study tools for exploring the Methodist Confession and historic Christian theology.
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Reference Books
The Story of Christian Theology
by Roger E. Olson
Roger Olson’s *Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform* traces the development of Christian theology from the second-century apostolic fathers through major movements such as the early church councils, the Reformation, and modern theological trends. Central to this narrative is salvation, seen as the unifying theme throughout the diverse theological traditions and reforms.
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Study Notes
Structure
Twenty-five Articles of Religion, adapted by John Wesley in 1784 from the Church of England's Thirty-Nine Articles, trimmed of articles Wesley found inapplicable to the American context. A twenty-fifth article was added addressing the duty of Christians toward civil government.
Purpose
Prepared for the newly organized Methodist Episcopal Church in America following the Revolutionary War, the Articles provided doctrinal standards for a church now independent of the Church of England, grounding the Methodist revival in recognizable historic orthodoxy.
Usage
Adopted at the Christmas Conference (1784) as the doctrinal standard for American Methodism, they remain a foundational doctrinal reference in the United Methodist Church, Free Methodist Church, and related Wesleyan bodies worldwide.
Influence
Helped establish Methodism as a doctrinally grounded movement — not merely an experiential revival — and shaped the Wesleyan tradition's distinctive engagement with Scripture, prevenient grace, free will, and entire sanctification across dozens of global denominations.