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misstessamaye's review against another edition
2.0
This was an intriguing read for me. I read it with an open mind because I hadn't studied this doctrine heavily at all, but when I finished it I was quite confused. I think if Wesley had chosen a word other than “perfection” to describe what he is alluding to, it would be much less of an issue. He never states that some Christians are incapable of making mistakes; in fact, he blatantly states that he does not believe that. But the word “perfection” definitely leaves that impression if not explained fully and thoroughly; even then, sometimes it was confusing. He says that Christians are not infallible but are sinless, only to later say that perfection is not necessarily sinless. I don’t know if he fully understood what he was teaching or if he had fully processed it before he published it. I don’t know what I believe about Wesley’s definition of perfection in Christians, and reading his work didn’t help me form an opinion because I was confused by a few contradictions he made.
A life lived in love is pleasing to the Lord, even if mistakes are made in it, because it is a life lived with Him. I think this was Wesley’s main conclusion, and I concur with it wholeheartedly.
A life lived in love is pleasing to the Lord, even if mistakes are made in it, because it is a life lived with Him. I think this was Wesley’s main conclusion, and I concur with it wholeheartedly.
davehershey's review against another edition
3.0
Wesley lays out his argument for Christian perfection, explaining what it is and what it is not. Responding to critics, he argues it is not an absolute perfection (it does not mean the Christian knows everything God knows). It also does not mean no more growth is possible, the Christian continues to grow in love. Another thing it does not mean is that the Christian no longer relies on grace, actually the Christian who is perfected in love relies on grace more. Simply put then, Christian perfection is loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength and loving neighbor as self. It is being perfected, being filled with love. His arguments for it are biblical: God commanded it and God would not command something impossible.
I did not really like his style of argument as he reported on previous dialogues and such from throughout his life. It was as if I would go through old emails and sermons and copy/paste all points related to a topic. The argument is made and it is a thoughtful read, but it is not as engaging as a fresh paper.
Overall, whether one agrees with Wesley or not is secondary. Reading this was inspiring and should move anyone to pursue growth in grace and love of God.
I did not really like his style of argument as he reported on previous dialogues and such from throughout his life. It was as if I would go through old emails and sermons and copy/paste all points related to a topic. The argument is made and it is a thoughtful read, but it is not as engaging as a fresh paper.
Overall, whether one agrees with Wesley or not is secondary. Reading this was inspiring and should move anyone to pursue growth in grace and love of God.
bogxcross's review against another edition
4.0
Trying to understand Wesley's view of sanctification more clearly, while connecting it to Luthers view of justification.
michaelromeo's review against another edition
3.0
Starts out well and quite inspiring but soon becomes muddy and not a little self indulgent.
audra_spiven's review against another edition
4.0
This is another textbook read, and for whatever reason, the edition I read isn't represented on Goodreads. The one I chose is the eBook version of the edition I read, so it's the same cover--but I read the paperback.
Anyway, this book is a pretty quintessential piece of any discussion of the doctrine(s) of perfection, holiness, and/or sanctification. Sometimes it seems those words are interchangeable and sometimes not.
This book was easier to read than I expected it to be, given that I knew it was written in 18th-century language. And there were places where I got bogged down or confused, or even just frustrated by John Wesley's puzzling relationship with punctuation.
In any case, I think I got the gist of things well enough, and I'm glad I read this book. It's a good one to have in my bookcase and on my finished shelf.
Anyway, this book is a pretty quintessential piece of any discussion of the doctrine(s) of perfection, holiness, and/or sanctification. Sometimes it seems those words are interchangeable and sometimes not.
This book was easier to read than I expected it to be, given that I knew it was written in 18th-century language. And there were places where I got bogged down or confused, or even just frustrated by John Wesley's puzzling relationship with punctuation.
In any case, I think I got the gist of things well enough, and I'm glad I read this book. It's a good one to have in my bookcase and on my finished shelf.
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