Books by "S T Kimbrough Jr."
4 books found
The Lyrical Theology of Charles Wesley, Expanded Edition
by S T Kimbrough
2013 · Wipf and Stock Publishers
Revised with Comprehensive Scriptural Index to Wesley's PoetryThe theology of Charles Wesley is expressed primarily in hymns and sacred poems-that is, in a literary and liturgical form of art. Wesley's theological concerns, as seen through his hymns and poems, include inquiries into the meaning of the church's sacred rites, festivals, and seasons (Holy Communion, Baptism, Advent, Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost), and a host of other theological concerns, such as conversion, sanctification, perfection, holiness, grace, and love. These theological concerns are spread throughout his repertory of over 9,000 hymns and poems.There are two primary purposes of this volume: first, to prepare the reader to read Wesley's poetry, given the plethora of literary, theological, and societal influences on his thought and writing; and second, to bring together a collection of his hymns and sacred poems that are representative of his theological perspectives. Thereby the reader is given the opportunity to become better equipped to grasp the meaning of Wesley's profound lyrical theology and its implications for contemporary theology and life.
The poems in this collection ask—How can we become just people? What is human justice? Is there a justice that is equal and/or appropriate for all human beings? How can an individual in action, speech, and behavior be just? How does one think of oneself as just in interaction with others? These poems also address prevalent injustices to children and of society’s frequent denial of its responsibility to them, the privileged and the underprivileged. Further, how do we wish to live in a society—isolated, completely independent, self-centered? Living in a society implies association with others. How do we wish to relate to others? The poems query: how will the governments under which we live initiate and execute just rule and governance for all citizens? The book concludes with a lyrical case study of apartheid, especially in Israel that claims to be a democracy. Some of the poems acknowledge that the US’s democracy has failed in many ways and has an ongoing need of recovering the principles of justice and equality. Americans know well the meaning of ethnic cleansing in their own land. The poems here make no claim at successful resolutions to the issues raised. They do point to the ongoing need of repentance for wrongs done, and for steering a steady course to guarantee the rights of freedom and justice for all people.
This volume is the first attempt to explore Charles Wesley's understanding of "participation in the divine nature," often described by the church fathers as deification and/or theosis, within the full spectrum of his prose and poetical compositions and in relation to many of the church fathers. While the Eastern Church has been the primary harbinger of the doctrine of deification from the patristic era to the present, Charles Wesley's theology illustrates that this emphasis is by no means absent in the West. Though patristic influences on Charles Wesley's thought are primarily through secondary sources such as the writings of Lancelot Andrewes and Richard Hooker, as well as through the influence of his brother John, this volume underscores prominent resonances with the church fathers. The extent of these resonances in Charles's theology as regards "participation in the divine nature" is so widespread in his writings that they form the matrix of his ideas of salvation, perfection, and holiness, all of which are intimately bound with life lived in and through the Eucharist. If taken seriously, Charles Wesley's ideas on "participation in the divine nature" will require a rethinking of the role of Wesleyan theology in spiritual formation and in ecumenical conversation.
The theological concerns of Charles Wesley are expressed primarily through his repertory of over 9,000 hymns and sacred poems. They include inquiries into the meaning of the Church's sacred rites, festivals, and seasons (e.g., Holy Communion, Baptism, Advent, Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost) and a host of other concerns, such as conversion, sanctification, perfection, holiness, grace, and love. This volume prepares the reader to read Wesley's poetry, showing the plethora of literary, theological,and societal influences on his thought and writing; and brings together a collection of hymns and sacred poems that are representative of his theological perspectives. The reader is given the opportunity to become better equipped to grasp the meaning of Wesley's profound lyrical theology and its implications for contemporary theology and life.