Randy L. Maddox

Last updated
Randy L. Maddox
Randy Maddox March 7 2015 WTS meeting.jpg
Dr. Randy Maddox speaking at the Wesleyan Theological Society meeting in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in March 2015
Nationality American
Education BA, M.Div., Ph.D.
Alma mater Northwest Nazarene University
Nazarene Theological Seminary
Emory University
OccupationProfessor
Known forWesleyan Theology
TitleWilliam Kellon Quick Professor of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies, Duke Divinity School
TermJuly 2005-2020

Randy L. Maddox (born 1953) is an American theologian and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. He served until 2020 as the William Kellon Quick Professor of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies at Duke University. [1] Maddox also serves as the General Editor of the Wesley Works Project, a major scholarly project responsible for producing the first comprehensive and critical edition of the works of John Wesley. [2] He is considered one of the leading authorities on both the theology of John Wesley (1703-1791) and the theological developments of later Methodism.

Contents

Education

Maddox attended Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, ID, graduating with a B.A. degree in 1975. He went on to earn the M.Div. degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, in 1978. In 1982, he graduated with a Ph.D. in theological studies from Emory University. [3]

Career

After receiving the Ph.D degree from Emory University, the early years of Maddox's scholarly career were spent at Sioux Falls College in Sioux Falls, SD (now the University of Sioux Falls). While in Sioux Falls, Maddox also taught at North American Baptist Seminary (now Sioux Falls Seminary). In 1998, he joined the faculty of Seattle Pacific University as the Paul T. Walls Professor of Wesleyan Theology, a position he held for seven years. [4]

Maddox joined the faculty of Duke Divinity School at Duke University in 2005. [5]

Contributions to Wesleyan Theology

Responsible Grace

The publication in 1994 of Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology established Maddox as one of the foremost interpreters of the Wesleyan tradition. Maddox's work in Responsible Grace is noteworthy in aligning John Wesley's theological concerns related to the doctrine of salvation with themes characteristic of the Eastern (or Greek) Christian tradition. According to Maddox, the Western juridical tendencies in Wesley's theology (sin as guilt, grace as pardon, and salvation as being from the penalty of sin) are couched in a larger framework that owes more to an Eastern therapeutic view (sin as disease, grace as power for healing, salvation as being from the plague of sin). [6] In advancing this view of Wesley's doctrine of salvation, Maddox emphasizes the importance of sanctification within Wesley's conception of the via salutis (or “way of salvation”) as an ongoing form of spiritual maturation or growth. [7]

Maddox also brings clarity to the understanding of Wesley's theological method by describing his approach as guided by an abiding “orienting concern.” He names this orienting concern as “responsible grace,” a term that sums up many of the major dynamics of Wesley's doctrine of grace as they relate to God's initiative in salvation and the human response to God. He describes the concept of responsible grace as “an abiding concern to preserve the vital tension between two truths that [Wesley] viewed as co-definitive of Christianity: without God’s grace, we cannot be saved; while without our (grace-empowered, but uncoerced) participation, God’s grace will not save.” [8]

The Nature of Practical Theology and John Wesley as Practical Theologian

Beyond its interpretation of Wesley's soteriology, Responsible Grace also identifies John Wesley as a “practical theologian.” Maddox developed this idea for several years prior to the publication of Responsible Grace, having become convinced that the traditional dismissal of Wesley's theological writing within the academy was the result of a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of his work. [9] Rather than judging Wesley according to the canons of systematic theology, Maddox argues that he ought to be seen as engaging in practical theology—which he defines as a form of reflection that seeks “to unify the various theological concerns (tradition, Scripture, experience, reason, etc.) around the common focus of norming Christian praxis.” [10] From this understanding of the nature of practical theology, Maddox subsequently posited the notion of the “orienting concern” as the way in which consistency in theological claims is measured. [11]

In interpreting Wesley as a practical theologian, Maddox suggests that he resembles the early church fathers of the first few centuries of the Christian era (rather than the systematic theologians of the 19th and 20th centuries). [12] Wesley's theology is occasional and contextual, geared to address specific challenges and problems of the Christian life. It is typically expressed in genres such as sermons, liturgies, hymns, pastoral letters, catechetical works, and doctrinal essays. [13] Maddox argues that such theological activity ought not be seen as a lower or less important expression of theology than the highly technical theology of the modern academy. Rather, practical theology as Maddox describes it is the most characteristic mode of theology in that it is intimately connected to Christian worship and the life of discipleship. [14] Reading Wesley as a theologian in this guise means engaging Wesley's theology on its own terms—as a type of serious theological reflection engaged with the context and practice of the Christian life.

Holistic Salvation

In recent years Maddox has advanced the understanding of Wesley's doctrine of salvation as it pertains to bodily health and wholeness. [15] Modern day readers of Wesley's Primitive Physick—a manual of medical advice and folk remedies for common illnesses—often view many of its suggested “cures” as humorous. Maddox, on the other hand, has emphasized the way in which Wesley's concern for bodily health is reflective of his understanding of salvation as intended for human life in the present and as encompassing both body and soul. For Wesley, Maddox argues, the reason one would take care of one's physical health is intimately related to God's desire to save whole persons. [16] [17] [18] Maddox also emphasizes the way in which the Wesleyan concern for holistic salvation influenced Wesley's eschatological views as well, which has consequences both for his understanding of the New Creation as well as the place of the animal kingdom within it. [19]

The Wesley Works Project & The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition

Beginning in 1960, Methodist scholars began pursuing the development of a comprehensive and critical edition of John Wesley's corpus of writing. [20] Currently housed in the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition at Duke Divinity School, the Wesley Works Editorial Project is engaged in the publication of a projected 35-volume edition of the Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley. Abingdon Press is serving as the publisher for the series.

In 2003, Maddox was named as the Associate General Editor for the Wesley Works Project; and in 2014 became General Editor. He also serves as a fellow of the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition. In his capacity as the Associate General Editor, Maddox has editorial oversight of the individual volumes currently in research or production. He has personally edited Doctrinal and Controversial Treatises I in 2012, which is Volume 12 in the series and covers aspects of the theological stance of John Wesley in the area of soteriology. [21] For his work on this volume, Maddox received the 2013 Saddlebag Selection Award from the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church, given to "the outstanding book on United Methodist history or a related subject published during a given year." [22] [23]

Maddox's role as a fellow in the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition has also included significant historical work with Charles Wesley's poetry and hymnody. A five-year project under Maddox's leadership was completed in 2012 that successfully compiled all the known verse from Charles Wesley's pen, both published and unpublished. This comprehensive collection of Charles Wesley's hymns and poems is the first of its kind and is intended to serve as a resource both for the study of Charles Wesley's theology and the hymnody of the Methodist tradition. [24]

Theology for the Church

While Maddox's scholarly work has primarily been focused on the interpretation of John Wesley and the later Methodist tradition (and so falls under the heading of historical theology), he has also consistently attempted to translate that work as a resource for contemporary Christian practice. [25] In this sense, Maddox serves as one of the standard bearers for the "neo-Wesleyan revival", which features renewed interest in the theology of John Wesley and the practices of early Methodism amongst Methodists and other Wesleyans from the 1960s to the present. [26]

Notable Influences

Maddox studied under Theodore Runyon at Emory University, a notable Wesleyan theologian and the author of The New Creation: John Wesley’s Theology Today. [27] Runyon was the Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. [28]

Many aspects of Maddox's interpretation of Wesley are developments of themes originally identified by Albert C. Outler (1908-1989), the influential Methodist ecumenist, theologian, and church leader of the 20th century. Some of these include the identification of Wesley as a “folk theologian,” [29] the conviction that Wesley can be seen as a theological mentor for contemporary Christian practice, [30] the conviction that Wesley's theology bears strong resembles to the Eastern Christian tradition, [31] and the methodological construct known as Outler's Quadrilateral. [32]

Bibliography

1984. Toward an Ecumenical Fundamental Theology (Chico, CA: Scholar's Press).

1990. (Ed.) Aldersgate Reconsidered (Nashville: Kingswood Books).

1994. Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology (Nashville: Kingswood Books).

1997. (Co-author with W. Stephen Gunter, Ted A. Campbell, Scott J. Jones, and Rebekah L. Miles) Wesley and the Quadrilateral: Renewing the Conversation (Nashville: Abingdon Press).

1998. (Ed.) Rethinking John Wesley’s Theology for Contemporary Methodism (Nashville: Kingswood Books).

2010. (Ed. with Jason E. Vickers) The Cambridge Companion to John Wesley (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

2012. (Ed.) Doctrinal and Controversial Treatises I, Volume 12 of the Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley (Nashville: Abingdon Press).

2015. (Ed. with Paul W. Chilcote) A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Kansas City: Beacon Hill).

2018. (Ed.) The Journal Letters and Related Biographical Items of The Rev. Charles Wesley, M.A. (Nashville: Kingswood Books).

2018. (Ed. with James Donat) Medical and Health Writings, Volume 32 of the Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley(Nashville: Abingdon).

2022. (Ed. with S. H. Lancaster & K. D. Yates) Doctrinal and Controversial Treatises III, Volume 14 of the Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley (Nashville: Abingdon).

A full list of Maddox's publications, and access to digital copies of most, is available through the Divinity Archives at Duke Divinity School [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methodism</span> Group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity

Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significant early leaders in the movement. They were named Methodists for "the methodical way in which they carried out their Christian faith". Methodism originated as a revival movement within the 18th century Church of England and became a separate denomination after Wesley's death. The movement spread throughout the British Empire, the United States, and beyond because of vigorous missionary work, today claiming approximately 80 million adherents worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wesley</span> Founder of the Methodist movement (1703–1791)

John Wesley was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Methodist movement that continues to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiness movement</span> Set of beliefs and practices which emerged from 19th-century Methodism

The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emphasis on the doctrine of a second work of grace, generally called entire sanctification or Christian perfection and by the belief that the Christian life should be free of sin. For the Holiness Movement "the term 'perfection' signifies completeness of Christian character; its freedom from all sin, and possession of all the graces of the Spirit, complete in kind." A number of evangelical Christian denominations, parachurch organizations, and movements emphasize those beliefs as central doctrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas C. Oden</span> American theologian and author

Thomas Clark Oden (1931–2016) was an American Methodist theologian and religious author. He is often regarded as the father of the paleo-orthodox theological movement and is considered to be one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. He was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. He remained faculty emeritus until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Henry Willimon</span> American methodist bishop

William Henry Willimon is a retired American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church who served the North Alabama Conference for eight years. He is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School. He is former Dean of the Chapel at Duke University and is considered by many as one of America's best-known and most influential preachers. A Pulpit & Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership survey determined that he was one of the two most frequently read writers by pastors in mainline Protestantism alongside the Roman Catholic writer Henri Nouwen. His books have sold over a million copies. He is also Editor-At-Large of The Christian Century. His 2019 memoir Accidental Preacher was released to wide acclaim, described by Justo L. Gonzalez as "An exceptional example of theology at its best."

Albert Cook Outler was a 20th-century American Methodist historian, theologian, and pastor. He was a professor at Duke University, Yale University, and Southern Methodist University. He was a key figure in the 20th-century ecumenical movement.

Edwin Lewis (1881–1959) was an American Methodist theologian primarily associated with Drew University in New Jersey.

Prevenient grace is a Christian theological concept that refers to the grace of God in a person's life which precedes and prepares to conversion. The concept was first developed by Augustine of Hippo, was affirmed by the Second Council of Orange (529) and has become part of Catholic theology. It is also present in Reformed theology, through the form of an effectual calling leading some individuals irresistibly to salvation. It is rooted in Arminian theology, according to which it is dispensed universally in order to enable people to respond to the offer of salvation, though it does not ensure personal acceptance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Clarke</span> British theologian

Adam Clarke was a British Methodist theologian who served three times as President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. A biblical scholar, he published an influential Bible commentary among other works. He was a Wesleyan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Watson (Methodist)</span>

Richard Watson (1781–1833) was a British Methodist theologian, a leading figure of Wesleyan Methodism in the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Harkness</span> American philosopher

Georgia Elma Harkness (1891–1974) was an American Methodist theologian and philosopher. Harkness has been described as one of the first significant American female theologians and was important in the movement to legalize the ordination of women in American Methodism.

Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by pure love of God and other people as well as personal holiness or sanctification. Various terms have been used to describe the concept, such as entire sanctification, perfect love, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, baptism by fire, the second blessing, and the second work of grace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesleyan Quadrilateral</span> Methodology for theological reflection that is credited to John Wesley

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, or Methodist Quadrilateral, is a methodology for theological reflection that is credited to John Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement in the late 18th century. The term itself was coined by 20th century American Methodist scholar Albert C. Outler.

This is a sub-page for the Justification (theology) page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John William Fletcher</span> British Methodist cleric

John William Fletcher was a Swiss-born English divine and Methodist leader. Of French Huguenot stock, he was born in Nyon in Vaud, Switzerland. Fletcher emigrated to England in 1750 and there he became an Anglican vicar. He began to work with John Wesley, becoming a key interpreter of Wesleyan theology in the 18th century and one of Methodism's first great theologians. Fletcher was renowned in Britain for his piety and generosity; when asked if he had any needs, he responded, "...I want nothing but more grace."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott J. Jones</span>

Scott Jameson Jones is an American former bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 2004, serving until his retirement and subsequent resignation from the episcopal office in January 2023. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised in Illinois, Indiana and Colorado.

Mildred Olive Bangs Wynkoop was an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, who served as an educator, missionary, theologian, and the author of several books. Donald Dayton indicates that "Probably most influential for a new generation of Holiness scholars has been the work of Nazarene theologian Mildred Bangs Wynkoop, especially her book A Theology of Love: The Dynamic of Wesleyanism." The Wynkoop Center for Women in Ministry located in Kansas City, Missouri is named in her honour. The Timothy L. Smith and Mildred Bangs Wynkoop Book Award of the Wesleyan Theological Society also jointly honours her "outstanding scholarly contributions."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesleyan theology</span> Protestant Christian theological tradition

Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles Wesley. More broadly it refers to the theological system inferred from the various sermons, theological treatises, letters, journals, diaries, hymns, and other spiritual writings of the Wesleys and their contemporary coadjutors such as John William Fletcher.

William James Abraham was a Northern Irish theologian, analytic philosopher, and Methodist pastor known for his contributions to the philosophy of religion, religious epistemology, evangelism, and church renewal. Abraham spent most of his career in the United States and was the Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He previously taught at Seattle Pacific University and was a visiting professor at Harvard Divinity School. Abraham was associated with the Confessing Movement in the United Methodist Church and was a proponent of canonical theism, a church renewal movement that looks to the canons of the ancient ecumenical church as a source for renewing mainline Protestant churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth J. Collins</span>

Kenneth J. Collins is an American Wesleyan theologian and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. He is a professor of Historical Theology and Wesley Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is a leader in Wesley Studies, and his work The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace has been translated into Portuguese and Korean. He is the Director of the Wesleyan Studies Summer Seminar.

References

  1. ↑ Randy L. Maddox faculty webpage on the Duke Divinity School website: https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/randy-l-maddox (accessed September 8, 2021).
  2. ↑ Wesley Works Editorial Project webpage https://wesley-works.org/ (accessed September 8, 2021).
  3. ↑ Randy L. Maddox Curriculum Vitae on the Duke Divinity School website: https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/randy-l-maddox (accessed September 8, 2021).
  4. ↑ Clint Kelly, “The Practical Theologian: Wesleyan Scholar of International Repute Joins the SPU Faculty,” Online Response: Seattle Pacific University’s Web Magazine for Alumni, Parents, and Friends (Autumn 1998). Online at: http://www.spu.edu/depts/uc/response/autumn98/theologian.html (accessed October 7, 2013).
  5. ↑ Jonathan Goldstein, “Remembering and Renewal: Three New Wesleyan Scholars Join Divinity,” Divinity Magazine 5:1 (Fall 2005). Online at: "Divinity Online Edition - Fall 2005 Feature Article - Remembering & Renewal Three New Wesleyan Scholars Join Divinity". Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2013-11-06. (accessed October 7, 2013).
  6. ↑ Randy L. Maddox, Responsible Grace (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1994), 73-87 and 143-145.
  7. ↑ On the argument for using via salutis over the similar term ordo salutis, see Maddox, Responsible Grace, 157-158.
  8. ↑ Maddox, Responsible Grace, 19.
  9. ↑ See, e.g., Randy L. Maddox, “John Wesley—Practical Theologian?” Wesleyan Theological Journal 23 (1988): 122-147. Cf. Randy L. Maddox, “Reclaiming an Inheritance: Wesley as Theologian in the History of Methodist Theology,” in Rethinking Wesley’s Theology for Contemporary Methodism, ed. Randy L. Maddox (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1998), 213-226.
  10. ↑ Randy L. Maddox, “The Recovery of Theology as a Practical Discipline,” Theological Studies 51 (1990): 665.
  11. ↑ Maddox, “The Recovery of Theology as a Practical Discipline,” 669-672.
  12. ↑ “When his work is considered as a whole, Wesley’s theological activity is analogous to the early Christian approach to theology per se as a practical endeavor” (Maddox, “John Wesley—Practical Theologian?” 130).
  13. ↑ Randy L. Maddox, “Reading Wesley as a Theologian,” Wesleyan Theological Journal 30:1 (Spring 1995): 26-39.
  14. ↑ Maddox, “Reclaiming an Inheritance: Wesley as Theologian in the History of Methodist Theology,” in Rethinking Wesley’s Theology for Contemporary Methodism, 225.
  15. ↑ See, e.g., Randy L. Maddox, “John Wesley on Holistic Health and Healing,” Methodist History 46:1 (October 2007): 4-33.
  16. ↑ “Q&A with Randy Maddox,” Faith & Leadership (July 31, 2012), Online publication of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School (LEADD). Online at: http://www.faithandleadership.com/randy-maddox-john-wesley-says-take-care-yourself (accessed September 8, 2021).
  17. ↑ John Shorb, “The Holistic Vision of John Wesley: Q&A with Randy Maddox Part I,” Church Health Reader (October 25, 2010). Online at: https://chreader.org/holistic-vision-john-wesley/ (accessed September 8, 2021).
  18. ↑ John Shorb, “John Wesley’s The Primitive Physick: Q&A with Randy Maddox, Part II,” Church Health Reader (February 10, 2011). Online at: https://chreader.org/john-wesleys-primitive-physick/ (accessed September 8, 2021).
  19. ↑ Randy L. Maddox, “Reclaiming Holistic Salvation A Wesleyan Agenda for the 21st Century,” Response 26:3 (Summer 2003). Online at: https://spu.edu/depts/uc/response/Summer2k3/holisticsalvation.html (accessed September 8, 2021).
  20. ↑ Detailed Description of the Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley: https://wesley-works.org/test-page/ (accessed September 8, 2021).
  21. ↑ “New Books from Duke Divinity Faculty,” Divinity Magazine 12:2 (Spring 2013). Online at: https://divinity.duke.edu/news/divinity-magazine?page=1 (accessed September 8, 2021).
  22. ↑ "Saddlebag Selection of the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church," The Historical Society of the United Methodist Church website: http://www.historicalsocietyunitedmethodistchurch.org/publications/saddlebag.php Archived 2014-01-03 at the Wayback Machine (accessed December 4, 2013).
  23. ↑ "General Commission on Archives and History Hosts 2013 HSUMC Annual Meeting," Historian's Digest 53:4 (Fall 2013): 3.
  24. ↑ See side bar on page: https://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/cswt (accessed September 8, 2021).
  25. ↑ Among numerous other examples, see Randy L. Maddox, "Wesley's Prescription for 'Making Disciples of Jesus Christ'—Insights for the 21st century Church," Quarterly Review 23:1 (2003): 15-28; and Randy L. Maddox, "The United Methodist Way: Living the Christian Life in Covenant with Christ and One Another," available at: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/the-united-methodist-way (accessed September 8, 2021).
  26. ↑ See, e.g., Andrew C. Thompson, "Wesleyan evangelism is worth understanding," United Methodist Reporter 158:47 (March 23, 2012).
  27. ↑ Theodore Runyon, The New Creation: John Wesley’s Theology Today (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998).
  28. ↑ Theodore Runyon Abingdon Press Author Page: http://www.abingdonpress.com/theodore_runyon (accessed November 3, 2013).
  29. ↑ Albert C. Outler, “Towards a Re-Appraisal of John Wesley as a Theologian,” in The Wesleyan Theological Heritage: Essays of Albert C. Outler, ed. Thomas C. Oden and Leicester R. Longden (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 43-44.
  30. ↑ Albert C. Outler, “John Wesley as Theologian: Then and Now,” in The Wesleyan Theological Heritage: Essays of Albert C. Outler, 57-58.
  31. ↑ Albert C. Outler, ed., John Wesley (New York: Oxford University Press, 1964), 9-10.
  32. ↑ See Andrew C. Thompson, “Outler’s Quadrilateral, Moral Psychology, and Theological Reflection in the Wesleyan Tradition,” Wesleyan Theological Journal 46:1 (Spring 2011): 49-72.
  33. ↑ http://divinityarchive.com/handle/11258/39130 (accessed September 8, 2021).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.