“...we find consistent and systematic emphasis on repetitive and daily practices throughout Wesley's life and teachings that have the potential to train the person to breathe.” - Chad Maxson
What might “breathing” (the physical act of bringing in & pushing out breath from our lungs) have to do with spirituality in general and Wesleyan Christianity in particular, and how does Taoism figure into the conversation (if, indeed, it does at all)?
In this conversation, Dr Chad Maxson (longtime friend, first time podcast guest) walks us around his recent article hosted in the Wesley Theological Journal entitled Agency & the People of God: How Daoism Makes Christianity More Efficacious. It partially scratches a constant itch of mine, namely the interaction between God’s actions & our own human actions, so I was excited to have had the opportunity to chat with Chad all about it.
(For a video version of this conversation, check out my YouTube channel here.)
Chapters:
02:00 - Exploring Literature and Recommendations
02:32 - The Role of Education in Theology
04:54 - Agency and Revelation in Christianity
08:35 - Wesleyan Perspectives on Grace and Sanctification
11:23 - Wesley's Journey and Spiritual Assurance
14:21 - Empirical Expectations in Faith
17:39 - Understanding Sin and Transformation
20:33 - Theological Reflections on Paul and Wesley
21:28 - The Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit
23:28 - Wesley's Organizational Genius and Its Challenges
25:04 - The Role of Poverty in Spiritual Transformation
27:24 - Sanctification and Relationships
30:21 - Eucharist as a Converting Ordinance
32:12 - Monism vs. Dualism in Christian Thought
37:08 - Daoism as a Wisdom Tradition
41:59 - Breath and Spirituality in Christianity
47:55 - The Nature of Grace and Human Agency
Keywords:
Christianity, Agency, Wesleyanism, Holiness Movement, Daoism, Spirituality, Transformation, Grace, Empirical Expectations, Breath
