From the introduction to Will Willimon’s United Methodist Beliefs: A Brief Introduction:
To be truthful, many of our fellow Christians regard the phrase “Methodist beliefs” as an oxymoron. We Methodists, as heirs of Protestant pietism, are not well known nor widely admired for our theology. Presbyterians and Lutherans are notorious for enjoying the act of thinking. We Wesleyans are better known for our feelings and our busyness, our allegedly “warm hearts” and active hands rather than our clear heads and sound doctrines. Well, if you are thinking that about Methodist thinking, I intend to disabuse you of that thought. United Methodist theology is something quite beautiful in its own way—our special contribution to the liveliness of the body of Christ.[†]
† William H. Willimon, United Methodist Beliefs: A Brief Introduction (Louisville: WJK, 2007), xi.
August 22, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Willimon’s book is great. Every Methodist should read it!
August 22, 2012 at 4:49 pm
I’m surprised at how good it is!