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WHDL - 00020088

A Tapestry of Grace: Spiritual Transformation and Corporate Worship in The Wesleyan Church of North America

Rebecca L. Davis

Resource Types

Academic (Thesis, Dissertation, Etc.)

Resource Languages

English

Institutional Repository

Description / Abstract

This thesis addresses the relationship between a Wesleyan understanding of sanctification and the practices of corporate worship. Wesley expected that regular, intentional participation, with faith, in the practices known as the “means of grace” would be conducive to an experience of sanctification brought by the Holy Spirit. This thesis examines that proposition in relation to the current espoused theology and practices of The Wesleyan Church of North America, and the lived experience of regular attenders of that church. Wesleyan theology and liturgical studies are considered separately, with an emphasis on the means of grace as the connection between the two fields. The research is focused specifically on three subjects: the doctrine of sanctification, corporate worship, and the means of grace. The body of knowledge regarding the Wesleyan doctrine of sanctification is quite robust. There are, however, relatively few examples of extant literature from this perspective regarding worship and liturgy. In-depth discussions of the means of grace in Wesley’s thought are also few. Thus, there is a gap in the literature, especially regarding the idea of connecting these three subjects in a scholarly manner as a basis for purposeful practice. This thesis addresses that gap. Eleven Wesleyans shared their stories of transformational experiences. A key finding that resulted was that, while these people all experienced some level of transformation, they did not necessarily perceive a connection between that experience and their participation in corporate worship, a connection which would have been expected, given a Wesleyan understanding of the transformative nature of the means of grace. An analysis of their comments regarding corporate worship revealed that the means of grace was not part of the discourse in their churches. These findings highlight the need for the Wesleyan leaders to reflect theologically on the corporate worship practices of their congregations.