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25.01.2022 The Journal of Wesleyan Thought has published a new article. Kevin Brown, 'Omri in Context: An Israelite King between History and Theology.' The practice of comparing and contrasting the Hebrew Scriptures with their Ancient Near Eastern background has proven immensely helpful for a better understanding of the biblical text. This paper briefly outlines how the contextual approach developed by William Hallo and Lawson Younger can be adapted to achieve the goal of illuminating... a chosen biblical passage against its wider linguistic, cultural, and archaeological background. The focus is upon 1 Kgs 16:24 which describes Omri’s purchase of Samaria. This biblical account is placed in comparison and contrast with the annals of Ashurnasirpal II which describe his acquiring of Kahlu as the site for the capital city. King Omri and King Ashurnasirpal II were contemporaries. Both kings relocated their nation’s capital and founded the new site within a close chronological timeframe. Yet the record of establishing each city differs considerably. This paper briefly considers the texts concerned, but in particular, highlights the way that a contextual method allows us to see in the biblical account an aspect of the text that would otherwise remain hidden. https://www.acwr.edu.au/journal-of-wesleyan-thought

25.01.2022 CALL FOR PAPERS #ACWR invites you to submit an abstract for their upcoming conference, Spirited Women, to be held from 7 - 9 August in Brisbane. #callforpapers #spiritedwomen Learn more about the conference https://www.acwr.edu.au/2020-conference... Submit your abstract online at https://www.acwr.edu.au/abstracts See more

23.01.2022 ACWR Members and Fellows have been quite prolific of late. Here is a list of some recent publications. Bruce G. Allder (with David A. Ackerman), The Emmaus Model: Discipleship, Theological Education, and Transformation. Lenexa, KS: Global Publications, 2019. Bruce G. Allder, Embodying a Theology of Ministry and Leadership. Lenexa, KS: Global Nazarene Publications, 2018....Continue reading

22.01.2022 #11 "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 .......... Caleb Smith - "Vast, Cool and Unsympathetic: the Church and the World’s First Tale of Robot Overlords" ....... From warfare to YouTube recommendations, every sphere of human activity has begun to feel the influence of artificial intelligence. Mirroring our concerns, creators of fiction have spent decades grappling with the influence of automated decision-making over our lives. Often this t...akes the form of the Rogue AI or Robot Overlord trope, wherein humans are subject to intelligences of immense power and little compassion. A forerunner of this trope can be found in HG Wells' The War of the Worlds. Despite being created 120 years ago, Wells’ Martians meet many of the criteria for a contemporary computer overlord antagonist. They are masters of technology and are unconstrained by human ethics; they possess intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic. However, Wells also has plenty to say about the impact of these vast intellects on matters of religion ....... See more

20.01.2022 The Journal of Wesleyan Thought has published a new article. Glen O'Brien, 'Liberty and Loyalty in the Long Eighteenth Century: A Global History Approach.' Global history focuses on the cultural and social features of international relations. Themes covered by global history in its attempt to connect the ‘local’ with the ‘global’ have included race relations, colonisation, economic forces, migration, and human rights. Religion is an area of study that lends itself well to a g...lobal history approach because religious movements always depend upon transnational networks of piety for their spread and consolidation. W.R. Ward claimed that ‘the first great Protestant awakenings arose from an interweaving of pietism, revivalism, and politics.’ John Wesley’s political writings reflect on the impact of Britain’s global conflicts and provide insights into the political responses of the broader religious world of the eighteenth century. The notion of ‘liberty’ was a significant theme in the mentalities that dominated the Atlantic world of the long eighteenth century (1688-1815) and this article investigates the two overarching themes of ‘liberty’ and ‘loyalty’ that dominate Wesley’s political thought in order to provide insights into the political responses of the broader religious world of that period. See more

19.01.2022 Churches in the Wesleyan, Holiness, and Pentecostal traditions have sometimes congratulated themselves on the licensing and ordination of women for ministry and yet gender inequity remains an entrenched reality. Though John Wesley (somewhat reluctantly at first) gave limited permission for women to preach, it took more than a century for Methodists to begin to ordain women as elders/presbyters. The nineteenth-century Holiness Movement, informed by a Spirit-focused doctrine of... ministry, gave rise to an unprecedented number of women preachers, evangelists, pastors, missionaries and teachers. A similar pattern emerged in early Pentecostalism. These were not only ‘Spirit-filled’ women but ‘spirited’ women feisty, courageous, disruptive figures who were quite prepared to stand up to patriarchal authority in order to follow their calling. In the succeeding period beyond this radical beginning, there was a return to more male-dominated authority. Today, there are fewer women in positions of authority in Holiness and Pentecostal churches than in the earlier formative period. On the other hand, Methodist and Uniting/United churches have increased the number of women clergy and The Salvation Army has sought to address gender inequity. Papers are invited that focus on the theme of ‘Spirited Women’ from a range of disciplines including gender theory, feminism, biblical studies, history, systematic theology and all cognate disciplines. See more

17.01.2022 The Journal of Wesleyan Thought has published a new article. David R. Wilson, 'Human Flourishing: Perspectives from Maslow, Rogers, Seligman, and Wesley.' This article finds synergy between the positive and human-centred psychology movements of Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Martin Selegman and John Wesley’s doctrine of Christian perfection or ‘entire sanctification.’ It argues that a synergistic approach to psychology and theology produces a fruitful basis for communicating ideas about human flourishing in a secular culture such as Australia. https://www.acwr.edu.au/journal-of-wesleyan-thought

15.01.2022 As you plan your 2020 calendar save the dates for the upcoming ACWR annual conference. Priscilla Pope-Levison is the keynote speaker for the #ACWR #Conference in Brisbane from 7 - 9 August.

14.01.2022 The ACWR conference is *this weekend*! Have you registered yet? Don't miss out!

13.01.2022 #9 in the series: "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 ....... Jonathan Case - "Caught Between the Postmodern and the Modern: Why Are Christians Reluctant to Embrace the Transhumanist Movement?" ....... As heir to the modern dreams of progress, the transhumanist movement is frequently criticized by Christians (often using postmodern analyses) for its attempt to play God, disparagement of the human body, and totalizing eschatology. Yet, wh...en one reads carefully the aims of transhumanist theorists (e.g., Kurzweil, Tegmark, Last) one finds that many of the popular critiques are not very circumspect or well-informed, that transhumanists are largely critical of postmodernism for the same reason that many Christians are, and that Christians and non-Christians alike are already enjoying the benefits of transhumanist thinking and technology. ....... See more

12.01.2022 Congratulations to #ACWR Research Fellow and executive member Rev Dr Arseny Ermakov on the publication of the NBBC, Matthew: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. Adeptly exploring the Gospel of Matthew as narrative, with attention given to underlying Old Testament influences, the authors (Arseny Ermakov and Robert Snow) highlight the Gospel’s emphasis on Christology, community, and the kingdom of heaven. Thoughtful, practical, and challenging, this commentary offers an out...standing examination of this first book of the New Testament. The New Beacon Bible Commentary is an engaging, indispensable reference tool to aid individuals in every walk of life in the study and meditation of God's Word. Written from the Wesleyan theological perspective, it offers insight and perceptive scholarship to help you unlock the deeper truths of Scripture and garner an awareness of the history, culture, and context attributed to each book of study. Readable, relevant, and academically thorough, it offers scholars, pastors, and laity a new standard for understanding and interpreting the Bible in the 21st century.

11.01.2022 We deeply regret to announce that due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the ACWR's Spirited Women Conference scheduled for 7-9 August will be postponed until 2021. The 2021 Conference will retain the theme and it is hoped that our keynote speaker, Dr Priscilla Pope-Levison will still be able to join us in 2021. Please keep following us for updates.

10.01.2022 #15 in the series: "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 ....... Glen O'Brien - "The Awakening of Maria in Fritz Lang's Metropolis" ....... This presentation will explore the themes of dystopia and utopia in Metropolis, the 1927 silent film by German film maker Fritz Lang. It will focus on the iconic scene in which the robot 'Maria' is brought to life in order to reflect on the anticipated positive and negative social impacts of advancing Ar...tificial Intelligence. ....... See more

10.01.2022 #13 "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 ....... Caleb Stewart - "Posthuman metaphysics and Darwinism: A therapeutic response" ....... Biotechnology and intelligent systems are in line with most historical device paradigms. However, what makes present-day technology different from Galileo’s telescope, the printing press, or the combustion engine is it aims to transcend biology and supplant humans with cyborgs or artifacts versus transform c...ulture and master nature chronicling the societal effects stemming from Darwinian metaphysics can provide a tool for predicting posthuman social implications a therapeutic approach to address posthumanism where theology can clarify what it means to be human in light of technological innovation. Here, John Wesley may provide an example by integrating 18th century scientific models from the Enlightenment period, technological trends from the Industrial Revolution and the nature of imago Dei into a cohesive theological framework. ....... See more

09.01.2022 #10 in the series: "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 ....... Pam Reed - "Intelligent Robots, Sentient Animals and Humans Living with Dementia: the incompatibility of Peter Singer’s ethics and Christianity in relation to Personhood" ....... What makes a person? Can personhood be lost? For ethicist Peter Singer the essential criterion for personhood is sentience the ability to think and communicate. This allows for the possibility of som...e animals to be considered persons, as well as intelligent robots. It also means that some humans, especially those with severe disabilities, may never achieve personhood. Additionally, by this criterion, personhood has the potential to be lost in a person with severe dementia In contrasting Singer’s views with a Christian view of human life, writings by John Wyatt on bioethics and John Swinton on dementia will be among those considered. ....... See more

08.01.2022 #14 "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 ....... David Wilson - "The Dehumanisation of a Post-Human Future" ...... Behaviouristic psychology speaks of human nature as matter alone and a product of deterministic forces; Humanistic psychology presents human nature as holistically matter and 'spirit' with an ability to transcend; Scripture presents human nature in at least five different pictures incorporating some of what Behaviourism teaches..., some of what Humanism teaches, and some that neither view touches on A post-human future with its emphasis on mechanisation is more in line with Behaviourism (and even a Reformed idea of determinism), than it is with Scripture. A Wesleyan understanding of Biblical anthropology is holistic with an emphasis on freedom and dignity and argues strongly against the dehumanisation of humans in every way. ....... See more

07.01.2022 Please consider attending or presenting at what looks like an outstanding conference in Oxford in June 2020. John Wesley 300: June 2020 Conference 17-20 June...Continue reading

03.01.2022 *3 weeks* until #ACWRConf2019 Register at: https://www.acwr.edu.au/m/acwr-2019-conference-registration (Maria from 'Metropolis 1927' will be disappointed if you don't register!)

02.01.2022 The nineteenth-century Holiness Movement, informed by a Spirit-focused doctrine of ministry, gave rise to an unprecedented number of women who were not only ‘Spirit-filled’ women but ‘spirited’ women feisty, courageous, disruptive figures who were quite prepared to stand up to patriarchal authority in order to follow their calling. In the succeeding period beyond this radical beginning, there was a return to more male-dominated authority. Today, there are fewer women in positions of authority in churches than in the earlier formative period. Submit your abstract by 17 May for the 2020 #ACWR #Conference and take the opportunity to speak to our theme Spirited Women. #Callforpapers #spiritedwomen

01.01.2022 #12 in the series: "Papers to get excited about at the ACWR 2019 Conference" #ACWRConf2019 ....... Grenville Kent - "Sexbots, love and marriage: a meeting of minds?" ....... A.I. pundit David Levy has predicted human-robot marriage by 2050. At an International Conference on Love and Sex with Robots he said a robot makes an ideal partner not jealous, boastful, arrogant, rude, self-seeking or easily angered, unless of course you want them to be and that a robot can hav...e personhood. One counter-argument is that a robot cannot love (or have personhood) because it has no free will: its internal processes are just physical matter operating algorithms. Yet materialist anthropology like that of Daniel Dennett and Yuval Noah Harari sees human minds as nothing more than that: survival algorithms chugging away on physical machinery. They think human free will is an illusion Are human thought and experience different from that of a machine? Could that show human personhood is unique and inimitable in some ways? ....... See more