Perceiving Wesley: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF EPISTEMOLOGICAL USES OF PERCEPTION IN JOHN WESLEY’S THEOLOGY

Abstract

There is a growing reevaluation of theological systems in view of current trends in religious epistemology. John Wesley, however, has often been side stepped as a serious contributor to this discussion given the “folk-theologian” identity associated with his success. Against this tendency, I suggest that Wesley had a rationally grounded religious epistemology regarding perception that was consistent throughout his life. I suggest that he was heavily invested in rationally defending his theological system by defending his religious epistemology of perception and that the former cannot be had without the latter. Finally, I conclude that Wesley’s system needs to be reevaluated against these findings and that his system has value for the debates surrounding religious epistemology in today’s discussion.