성결의 해석학으로서의 웨슬리의 체험 신학

Abstract

It is regrettable that Theology of J.Wesley is regarded only as a kind of practical wisdom. If this view is right, then it means that theology of J.Wesley may have no ability to cope with modern scepticism. In modern time it is common thing for some wesleyan scholars to see J.Wesley as a practical theologian, but not a systematic theologian. Even though they acknowledge that his theological insight is so creative that even a exhaustive presbyterian cannot but accept the way of wesleyan way of christian life, they hesitate to evaluate the real deep meaning of this practical efficiency of his theological system. That is to say, we need to look into more closely the metaphysical dimension of this practical usefulness. We want to reevaluate this characteristics of the theology of J.Wesley and to find a more appropriate concept of science which corresponds to the reality which J.Wesley brings us with his particular concept of Christian Perfection. We presuppose that the concept of science which comes from phenomenological tradition can be useful in articulating the new concept of theology. As a test we want to articulate how J. Wesley treats the human freedom as the theological object. We find that J.Wesley understand the phenomenon of human freedom as a reality of God’s grace. According to him, the reality of grace of God take a shape as human freedom. Upon this reality can he build up the understanding of holiness as a composite of human freedom and God’s grace. Through the understanding of law as a kind of gospel, as a pre-given another form of gospel, the heteronomous aspect of God’s grace becomes evident and it shows the mystery of morality which is accounted as a revelation of God. Though this understanding of human freedom, which culminate at the understanding of Holiness as the realization of God’s eschatological revelation, we can anticipate that the concept of theology corresponding to Wesleyan reality has the phenomenological and hermeneutical aspects.