The Way of the Wesleys: A Short Introduction by John R. Tyson (review)

In The Way of the Wesleys, John Tyson has drawn on decades of research, writing, and teaching on the Wesleys to provide a concise and readable introduction to their theology. His focus is on providing a concise explication of the Wesleys’ theology. In fourteen chapters, Tyson covers the topics of the Bible, sin, the new birth, holiness, grace, the Holy Spirit, Christ, Christian perfection, atonement, Trinity, the means of grace, the Lord’s Supper, life in the world, and ecumenism. The nature of a short introduction necessitates a selection of subjects. However, some explanation of the author’s choice of chapter topics and structuring of the book would have been of interest to this reviewer. Why is baptism omitted? Why does the chapter on sin appear before the chapter on grace?

One of the central virtues of this book is its inclusion of Charles Wesley. Although the wider range of writings by John Wesley lead to him being allotted more space than Charles, the writings of the younger Wesley feature extensively in the book, especially his hymns, which shed much light on the topics discussed in the book and remain an underutilized and underappreciated source for Wesleyan theology. Tyson stresses the commonalities between the brothers while not neglecting to point out their differences.

As an introduction to the Wesleys and their writings and thought, The Way of the Wesleys might be read alongside other recent and related publications such as Paul Wesley Chilcote’s John & Charles Wesley: Selections from Their Writings and Hymns—Annotated & Explained (Woodstock, VT, 2011) and Jonathan Dean’s A Heart Strangely Warmed: John and Charles Wesley and their Writings (Norwich, UK, 2014). In comparison, Tyson supplies less biographical material but more explanation in his own words of the Wesleys’ theology than the more anthological works of Chilcote and Dean. At the same time Tyson quotes extensively from the writings of the Wesleys that gives the reader a good sense of their views, in their own words, on each topic.

Tyson has provided an accessible introduction to the wide-ranging and dynamic lived theology of the Wesleys. The Way of the Wesleys can serve as a solid starting point for anyone wanting an overview of their theology. It could be used in introductory courses on the theology of the Wesleys, but, unfortunately, the omission of footnotes diminishes its usefulness as an academic text, although the inclusion of suggested readings and a bibliography somewhat compensate for this absence.