<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">While ‘Mission in Britain today’ includes many aspects, this article focuses on the witness of the Church within Britain’s contemporary highly secularized culture. Rather than ‘technical change’, the Church is called to work at ‘adaptive change’, and so to concentrate less on strategies and more on internal renewal. Such adaptive change involves freeing people’s imagination from simplistic and abusive images of God, offering a positive image of God that is inspiring and truly challenging, recognizing the kenotic nature of the Church, and realizing that mission is carried out in a world of grace where God is already present and working</abstract>

Mission in Britain today: some modest reflections and proposals

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">John Wesley summarised Methodism’s mission as spreading ‘scriptural holiness’. This article argues that the praxis of social justice as an expression of holiness is integral to the mission of the Church. The following themes from Wesley’s theology are examined: holiness as love; ‘justice, mercy, and truth’; social holiness; works of mercy as a means of grace; stewardship, and ‘the outcasts of men’. It argues that the praxis of justice, mercy and truth is integral to holiness and hence to mission of the Church. A contextualisation of this theme in the context of secularisation and migration is then developed.</abstract>

Holiness, social justice and the mission of the Church: John Wesley’s insights in contemporary context

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The <italic>Mission-Shaped Church</italic> report by the Church of England prompted the Methodist Church and the Church of England in the UK to respond to the dislocation being felt between the inherited model of church and the missiological challenges of the twenty-first century. The most significant ecumenical development arising from the report was the formation of the Fresh Expressions initiative, whose sole task was to release leaders and communities to found churches for the ‘unchurched’.Examples of Anglican fresh expressions are much researched, but Methodist contributions less so. This essay argues that Methodist people, as people of a holiness movement of mission and ministry, have much to offer to the current ecclesial debate. There is a need for fresh expressions to be denominationally distinctive before they can be distilled into something new.</abstract>

Mission-shaped Methodism and Fresh Expressions

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Holiness

 Holiness is an international journal of Wesleyan theology, published by Wesley House, Cambridge. The journal is dedicated to resourcing and extending the learning of the global Wesleyan/Methodist family, with a particular emphasis on decolonising theological scholarship. Holiness is an open access theological publication, providing an online platform for established and emerging scholars and practitioners in the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition from around the world. The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles in the fields of practical, contextual, biblical, and systematic theology.   Holiness: An International Journal of Wesleyan Theology is an open access platform that aims to resource the global Wesleyan/Methodist family for the transformation of church and world.  Holiness seeks to be    deliberately conversant with the Wesleyan/Methodist theological tradition  globally competent and decolonising in ethos  critically reflective on contemporary contexts  appropriately attentive to the praxis of holiness  creatively expressive of the tradition, while developing it through original research   The journal is read by practitioners and scholars around the world, and assumes a master’s level interest in theology. Readers are likely to be Methodist or Wesleyan in sympathy, but, of course, may also include those critical of the Wesleyan tradition.  The journal is ‘decolonising’ in ethos, in recognition that no particular ecclesial, theological or academic context is the judge and arbiter of all experience. Contributions from the global South as well as the global North are brought together in each issue of Holiness as one aspect of the journal’s commitment to this decolonising task.  Rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, Holiness is especially interested in the lived experience of Christian faith in different contexts around the world, and seeks to contribute to the development of a variety of contextually appropriate, theologically informed practices of holiness.  Articles published by Holiness present original research or offer exemplary reflection on issues in biblical, contextual, pastoral, practical and systematic theology. Some articles provide surveys of academic or practical fields of theological research, while others explore, extend and apply the Wesleyan tradition in particular contexts. Some articles bring insights and methods from other disciplines into conversation with Wesleyan theology and the practice of ministry in the global Methodist family, while others offer devotional exploration of Wesleyan themes. All articles are peer-reviewed and the journal as a whole seeks to contribute to the ongoing scholarly life of the Wesleyan/Methodist family.  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 

Holiness

Volume 1 (2015): Issue 2 (June 2015)

Mission in Britain today: some modest reflections and proposals

Holiness, social justice and the mission of the Church: John Wesley’s insights in contemporary context

Mission-shaped Methodism and Fresh Expressions

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