The influence of Clement of Alexandria upon the thought of John Wesley

The relation between the theology of John Wesley and the Eastern Church fathers has posed a challenge to Wesleyan scholarship since the Founder of Methodism's death. While many within the circle of Methodist studies have asserted that such a relationship exists, only a few have sought to address and resolve various problems attendant to the demonstration of a theological dependency by Wesley upon the Eastern fathers.

John Wesley stated in a letter to Lloyd's Evening Post, published in 1767, that a description of perfect Christian character created by Clement of Alexandria (fl. 200 A.D.) had served as inspiration for his own Character of a Methodist, published in 1742. Since Character of a Methodist was one of Wesley's earliest essays on the doctrine of Christian perfection, the precise use Wesley made of Clement and the identification of various loci within the Clementine corpus upon which Wesley may have drawn have been particular concerns.

This dissertation investigates the twofold claim that John Wesley had in fact been a careful reader of Clement of Alexandria and that certain aspects of Wesley's soteriology bear a striking resemblance to views articulated by Clement over fifteen hundred years earlier. Specific evidence is provided in references to Clement made by Wesley, by contemporary attestations and allusions, and by a comparison of theological constructs and emphases. The Anglican Church's historic practice of establishing doctrine through appeal to the church fathers and Wesley's own frequent allusions to the fathers provide indirect support for the claims being advanced. The historical and cultural disparities Wesley undoubtedly encountered in appropriating a late second century source would have presented a significant challenge. John Henry Newman's Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine provides a model for understanding how Wesley may have overcome these disparities, while maintaining the substance of Clement's theological insight. the substance of Clement's theological insight.