John Wesley as a Public Theologian

Wesley’s Context

150 years of political instability Entrenchment of “English Liberties” Constitutional balance of power Tumult over “Liberty” Hegemony of the Church of England Toleration of Dissenters – Restrictions

on Catholics. Deism

Thoughts upon Slavery

Idealised description of African Societies

Justice, morality and order a consequence of Islam and African traditional religion

Cruelty of the slave trade and slavery Slavery as an institution in ethically

wrong Sets the Bible aside

All humans have a natural right to liberty therefore all slavery is unjust

Cruelty of slavery is incompatible with mercy

No necessity to mistreat slaves Slave resistance is a product of

natural liberty

Wesley’s Non-Religious Argument

Non-engagement on Biblical exegetical debate

Empirical evidence – Portray the character of slavery Falsified the views of slavery’s

supporters No ideal slavery – slavery was the actual

existing slavery The evidence was contested Wesley ignores the counter arguments

Natural law and natural liberty Dominant discourse for interpreting

society Dimension of English identity Central to the debate on the deregulation

of slavery All people and not only the English have a

right to liberty Argument was contested Radicalisation of the argument

against slavery

Wesley and Contemporary Public Theology

Engagement with a concrete issue. Ethical analysis influenced by social

fracture Resonance with the context Non-religious discourse rooted in

theology Particularity and commonality Public theology and church theology