Knowra Christian perfection Christian perfection Christian perfection is the doctrine that believers can, through divine grace, become mature in love for God and neighbor. It does not necessarily mean freedom from error or limitation.
Wesleyan theology : A Protestant tradition shaped by John Wesley, emphasizing grace, holy living, and Christian perfection. Wesleyan theology gives the doctrine its most systematic Protestant account.
John Wesley : An eighteenth-century Anglican cleric and founder of Methodism. Wesley made Christian perfection a defining teaching of the Methodist movement.
Grace in Christianity : God’s freely given favor and action that brings forgiveness, transformation, and salvation. The doctrine attributes growth in perfect love to grace rather than unaided human effort.
Augustinianism : A Christian theological tradition shaped by Augustine, especially on grace, sin, and the human will. Its account of continuing sin and dependence on grace differs from Wesley’s optimism about perfect love.
Entire sanctification : A doctrine that God can cleanse believers from inward sin and devote them wholly to love. Wesleyans often use this term for perfection in love within earthly life.
Sermon 40: Christian Perfection : John Wesley’s 1741 sermon explaining Christian perfection as perfect love in this life. This sermon gives a concise account of Wesley’s mature formulation.
Original sin : The Christian teaching that humanity is affected by sin inherited or originating with Adam’s fall. Different accounts of original sin shape what Christians believe perfection must overcome.
Lutheran theology : A Protestant tradition rooted in Martin Luther’s teachings on justification, grace, and faith. Lutheran accounts commonly stress the believer’s continuing sinfulness rather than attainable perfection in love.
Theosis : The Eastern Christian teaching that human beings participate in divine life through grace. It offers a related account of transformation while using a different theological framework.
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection : John Wesley’s work tracing and explaining his teaching on Christian perfection. Wesley gathered the doctrine’s development and answered objections in this book.
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