Skip to main content

THEO 577 - Theology Seminar Wesley

Teacher Dr. G. Sommer
Semester Spring Duration 8 Weeks
Frequency Every three years
Credits 5 ECTS Workload 150 Hours
Module format Intensive
Applicability There is a focus on the special German history of the Holiness Movement leading to Pentecostalism; in particular, their specific political and social parameters in this country. It is a necessary preparation for THEO 593 Jonathan Paul and the German Pentecostal Movement.
Course structure See module and courses
Contact time 40 Hours Self-Study 110 Hours
Participation requirement See access to the program
Evaluation
Evaluation Hours Weight
Phase 1 60 20%
Required Reading & Journal
60 20%
Phase 2 40 40%
Participation 30 20%
Presentation 10 20%
Phase 3 50 40%
Research Paper 50 40%
Total 150 100%
Content of the Module This course offers a survey of the history and contents of the Holiness movement from John Wesley and the Methodist Church; Holiness preachers in Britain and the USA; the Keswick Higher Life Movement; the Welsh Revival as precursors to the Pentecostal movement.
Learning Objectives
  • To give a presentation on the development of the Holiness movement.
  • To explain the present-day situation of the Pentecostal movement considering the history of the Holiness movement.
  • To analyze certain theological positions, which are important for the development of the Holiness movement. 
  • To consider the life of selected people, who are important for the Holiness movement.
  • A detailed study of two different churches and movements, which the Holiness movement has strongly influenced. 
  • To reflect on the lessons of the history of the Holiness movement for present-day Christian ministry. 
Outline
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. John Wesley and the Methodist church
  • 3. The Keswick Movement
  • 4. The Holiness Movement and its Impact on Society
  • 5. Three Voices Wake a Sleeping Church (1854)
  • 6. Moody, Terry and Gray
  • 7. Methodists and the Holiness Movement
  • 8. The most important representatives of the Holiness movement in the German-speaking area, Jellinghaus, Jonathan Paul, Baroness von Brasch, Hedwig von Reden etc
  • 9. The Evangelization and Mission movement in the German-speaking area
  • 10. Theological problems of the Holiness movement.
  • 11. The Fellowship movement (“Die Gemeinschaftsbewegung”)
  • 12. The specific difficulties of free churches (“Freikirchen”) in Prussia and the German Empire. 
  • 13. The end of the classic Holiness movement and the formation of Pentecostalism.
Examination See Evaluation
Core Literature Textbooks: 
• Dieter, Easterday Melvin, The Holiness Revival of the Nineteenth Century Metuchen 1980. 
• Synan, Vinson, The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition. Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century, Grand Rapids/ Cambridge2 1997.
• Voigt, Karl Heinz, Freikirchen in Deutschland (19. und 20. Jahrhundert) (KGE III/6), Leipzig 2004. 

Reading List:
• Geldbach, Erich, Freikirchen – Erbe, Gestalt und Wirkung (BenshH 70), 2. völlig neu bearbeitete Auflage, Göttingen 2005. 
• Heimbucher, Kurt: Dem Auftrag verpflichtet – Die Gnadauer Gemeinschaftsbewegung, Gießen, 1988
• Holthaus, Stephan: Heil - Heilung - Heiigung, Gießen, 2005 
• Raedel, Christoph, Methodistische Theologie im 19. Jahrhundert. Der deutschsprachige Zweig der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche, Göttingen 2004.
• Smith, Timothy L., Called Unto Holiness. Volume One. The Story of the Nazarenes—The Formative Years, Kansas City 1962.
• Sommer, Gottfried: Die “Belowianer” In Hinterpommern – Ihr Weg vom enthusiastischen Aufbruch zur Bildung einer Freikirche, Heverlee (Leuven), 2010
• Vetter, Ekkehart: Jahrhundertbilanz – erweckungsfasziniert und durststreckenerprobt, Bremen 2009.
• Voß, Klaus Peter: Ökumene und freikirchliches Profil. Beiträge zum zwischenkirchlichen Gespräch (FBTh 14), Berlin 2008. 
• Zimmerling, Peter, Die Charismatische Bewegung, Göttingen 2009. 
Other information


Back to top