A Closer Look at Wesley’s Quadrilateral

Opus XX A closer look at Wesley’s Quadrilateral April 24, 2023

Since originally proposed by Colin Williams and further developed by Albert Outler, John Wesley’s Quadrilateral has been praised and ridiculed relentlessly. Most recently, the argument is that the “Quad” should be done away with altogether. In this short paper, I will attempt to convince Methodists need to use the quad as Wesley used the structure of Text, Tradition, Experience, and finally, Reason for biblical studies and “theological deliberations”.

We have had enough of liberal theology and inerrant biblical interpretations to the point of launching a new beginning. Perhaps it is the Third Great Awakening. History will decide the outcome. Ours is to be faithful to the word of God. In doing so, we need a structure to guide our studies.

However, we should look at a reordering of the Quad. May I suggest looking at the Asbury Revival as a starting point. It was obvious to any observer of the events that the congregation responded to the Word of God plainly delivered. The students heard the call and responded with the extended experience over several weeks, even months.

This is my first recommendation: Scripture first and foremost, followed by experience. We preach salvation by grace through faith. (Eph 2:8) grace (charis, G5485) is used 120 times in the NIV and 18 times in Romans alone. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost resulted in three thousand being filled with the Holy Spirit and Baptised into the Way. These new to the faith need encouragement and admonishment, which was offered by the disciples. The first teaching, The Didache, begins with there two ways forward. Life or Death each are en experience.

The second recommendation is tradition, followed by Reason. We who follow the vast cloud of witnesses before us have the advantage of their struggles and victories. If we simply narrow our Tradition to the Church Fathers such as Athanasius, Greogry of Nazianzus, Basil the Great, and John Chrysomstom from the East we would be well informed but not completely informed. That is because we have the Four Fathers from the West, including Ambrose, Jerome, Agustine, and Gregory the Great.

Bible moths have the insight of John and Charles Wesley to understand reason. For John, it is “…I hold divine testimony to be the most reasonable of all evidence whatever. Faith must necessarily at lenght be resolved into reason.”

In closing, I leave you with John Wesley’s argument; “God is true; therefore what he says is true. He hath said this; therefore, this is true.”

Cleve is retired with his wife in Tampa, Fl. He holds an MThS from Drew Theological School