2025 Meeting
2025 Annual Meeting
60th Annual Meeting
Wesleyan Theological Society
Partakers in the Divine Nature
March 14-15, 2025, Baylor University
Partakers in the Divine Nature
Keynote Address: Khaled Anatolios, John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
Presidential Address: Justus H. Hunter, Associate Professor of Church History, United Theological Seminary
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60th Annual Meeting
Wesleyan Theological Society
Partakers in the Divine Nature
March 14-15, 2025, Baylor University
Partakers in the Divine Nature
Keynote Address: Khaled Anatolios, John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
Presidential Address: Justus H. Hunter, Associate Professor of Church History, United Theological Seminary
The Wesleyan tradition seeks to take seriously the dual confession of Revelation 15:4, “only God is holy,” and 1 Peter 1:16, “be holy as I am holy.” Elsewhere, St. Peter says divine gifts – faith, life, and knowledge – are given in order that we might become “partakers in the divine nature.” Wesleyans have sought to articulate this Scriptural conviction in varied doctrines of sanctification and holiness, doctrines that have been both instruments of unity and division. Moreover, the last generation considered the Wesleyan view of sanctification and holiness in conversation with diverse strands of Christian tradition, especially the Greek traditions of early Christianity and those of Reformed Scholasticism. Given recent developments in our understanding of the “Greek East” and “Latin West,” as well as ongoing tensions over conceptions of holiness and sanctification among members of the Wesleyan traditions, it is a suitable time to consider the theological, biblical, historical, and practical considerations related to the claim that God invites us to partake of his own holiness and righteousness.
The theme should be interpreted broadly. Proposals that do not fit the theme will be welcome as well, as space permits. Potential topics that could be explored:
● Biblical views of holiness, sanctification, divinity, and participation
● Hermeneutical implications of holiness
● The varied nuances of the terms “holiness,” “deification,” “union,” and “sanctification” in historical contexts
● Perspectives on holiness, deification, and sanctification from outside the Anglo-American world
● Conceptions of holiness, deification, and sanctification from outside of the Wesleyan tradition
● Wesley’s doctrine of holiness, deification, and sanctification
● Holiness as a means of unity and division in the Wesleyan or broader Christian tradition
● Preaching and worship as means of holiness, deification, and sanctification
● Christian formation for the sake of holiness, deification, and sanctification
● Depictions of holiness, deification, and sanctification in the arts and popular culture
● The place of holiness, deification, and sanctification in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2024 – Details at wtsociety.com
WTS Section Chairs
2024-2025
Biblical Studies
Jenny Matheny
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
jenny_matheny@baylor.edu
Brad Kelle
Point Loma Nazarene University
BradKelle@pointloma.edu
Ecumenical and Interfaith Studies
Kelly Yates
Indiana Wesleyan University
kelly.yates6249@indwes.edu
Historical Studies
Ryan Danker
The John Wesley Institute
rdanker@wbs.edu
Intercultural Studies
Nell Becker Sweeden
Nazarene Theological Seminary
nbeckersweeden@nts.edu
Moral Theology
Gregory P. Van Buskirk
Wesley Works Digitization Project
greg.vanbuskirk@gmail.com
Philosophy
Thomas Jay Oord
Northwind Theological Seminary
tjoord@nnu.edu
Practical Theology/ Christian Formation
Robert E. Haynes
World Methodist Evangelism
drrobhaynes@gmail.com
Systematic Theology
Tom McCall
Asbury Theological Seminary
thomas.mccall@asburyseminary.edu
Theological Education
L. Michaels
Eastern Nazarene College
lisa.michaels@enc.edu
Theology and Preaching
Levi Jones
Nazarene Theological Seminary
lcjones@nts.edu
Theology and Science
Thomas Herman-Webster
Maryknoll Press
THermans-Webster@Maryknoll.org
Theology, Culture, and the Arts
Philip Tallon
Houston Christian University
ptallon@hbu.edu
Women’s Studies
Kimberley Majeski
Christian Women Connection
kmajeski@wchog.org
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2024