Tag Archives: experience

Obeying the Bible

b&w bibleYesterday I pointed to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as an interesting way of looking at theological reflection. This system puts Scripture at the top, then gives room for three other voices: Experience, Reason, and Tradition. I want to take some time to look at those four voices and how they speak to us on theological matters.

I think most of us believe that we put more emphasis on Scripture than we actually do. A strict, literal reading of the Bible leads us to some strange places. When someone practices self-mutilation based on Matthew 5:29-30, we don’t applaud them for their literalism; we place them in a psychiatric hospital. Even though 2 Timothy 4:13 is one of the clearest instructions in the New Testament, yet few of us feel the need to travel to Troas to look for Paul’s cloak, scrolls, and parchments.

So we read Scripture through filters, like the three mentioned above: Experience, Reason, and Tradition. Some may say, “We just read the Bible and do what it says,” but that’ just not true. There are other voices in the discussion; the questions we have to decide are which voices deserve to be heard, in what way should we hear them, and how much weight should we give them.

Wesleyan Quadrilateral

I thought I had written about this before, but I can’t find it. For many of you, this is something very familiar. It was new to me when I saw it a few months ago. It’s a method of theological reflection called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (many credit John Wesley with its development) or the Methodist Quadrilateral.

The four sides of this quadrilateral are:

  • Scripture
  • Tradition
  • Reason
  • Experience

One document from the United Methodist Church describes it like this:

“Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. Scripture [however] is primary, revealing the Word of God ‘so far as it is necessary for our salvation.'”

(The Book of Discipline)

When I heard this presented, the speaker said that almost everyone will agree that Scripture should be of primary importance. Where we differ is how we value the other “voices” in this system.

Over the next few days, I want to discuss this system, looking at the different aspects, getting a feel for how different groups might value different items, and trying to get a handle on how I value each of these four voices in the theological discussion.

I hope you’ll join me. I’d like to hear your initial thoughts and reactions.