Making Disciples: Faith Formation in the Wesleyan Tradition

by Sondra Higgins Matthaei

How is it that we come to know ourselves as Christians? What were the elements of John Wesley’s work that contributed to spiritual formation for a Christian life, and how did these elements interrelate? Focusing on matters of formation and transformation in faith, Sondra Matthaei answers such questions in light of early Methodist practices of formation. Through research and dialogue with Wesleyan scholarship and constructive proposals related to the life of the church, this insightful study encourages faithful and imaginative approaches to spiritual formation in churches today. The focus of this book is on matters of formation and transformation in faith. The book answers the question "How do we come to know ourselves as Christian?" and analyzes this question in light of early Methodist practices of formation and an ecology of education within the Methodist movement. The reader will come to understand John Wesley's idea of character formation and moral transformation. The reader will understand how Christian and vocation are shaped through spiritual formation and will understand the role of structures and relationships (family, school, church, etc.) in spiritual formation.

220 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one for consideration in writing a research paper on a Wesleyan view of family faith formation. My biggest take-away was the way Matthaei brought the Wesley home to life, bringing me to a greater appreciation of Susanna Wesley and how her method of parenting really became a model for Methodist faith formation in so many little (and big ways). I found her three 'steps' of communion in faith formation intriguing, particularly in how she extracted it from Wesley's teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. Wesley can be a bit of a 'slippery fish' theological, so even if I didn't find her model as tight as it could have been, I understand how hard it can be to do a systematic analysis of Wesleyan models. For my purposes, I would have rather she focused on family faith formation, but she seemed to be trying to hit all the targets in relational faith formation. Certainly, she provided lots to think about as regards Wesleyan tradition as a heavily relational branch of the Christian faith.

[Taylor Loy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you already have a grasp of Wesleyan theology skip to the last chapter. Maybe the last 3.

[Jeff Bobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for with on the best summary of Wesley and what it means to be making disciples of Jesus Christ.

I recommend this for every United Methodist, pastor and lay, as a possible resource in helping the church understand what it means to make disciples.

I found the background on both John and Charles Wesley as well as the changes in their ministry and theology as they aged helpful and enlightening.

Maybe what I liked best about this book was it was both short and easy to read.

Highly recommended.

[J. Ewbank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthaei has done a good job of studying Wesley and putting forth her proposition about the ecology of faith formation as it applies to
Wesley's What to Teach, Who Shall Teach, and How to Teach. She has done a good service for us in investigating this area and seeing how this formula works out in the world of making disciples today. A good job.

J. Robert Ewbank "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"