SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

217 Pages·2009·0.82 MB·English

by  John Bailie

THE IMPACT OF LIBERATION THEOLOGY ON METHODISM
IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH REGARD TO
THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION:

BY
JOHN BAILIE

SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE
OF

DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY

IN THE SUBJECT

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

PROMOTER: PROF. E. VAN NIEKERK

JANUARY 2009
THE IMPACT OF LIBERATION THEOLOGY ON METHODISM
IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH REGARD TO
THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION:

(Summary)
There is potential for a schism, within the Methodist Church of
Southern Africa (MCSA) today, between Fundamentalist and
Liberationist Methodists, who struggle to find common identity
and vision.
A question that needs examination is whether it is possible to
develop an authentically, uniting Southern African Methodist
Theology within the current Institutional structure of the MCSA.
For this to become possible, some key areas of discussion are
highlighted in this paper, such as the training of ministers and
the MCSA as Institution.
This paper attempts to enter into conversation between
Fundamental and Liberation Methodism using the Doctrine of
Christian Perfection, 'the Grand Depositum' of Methodism, as a
point of reference and develop an epistemological framework
based on Wesley’s 'quadrilateral' of Scripture, reason, experience
and tradition.
This paper takes as a standpoint the need for an authentically
Southern African Methodist theology, which is both uniting and
transformatory, in order for the MCSA to fulfil its vision of “A
Christ Healed Africa for the Healing of Nations.”
Key Terms:

The Methodist Church of Southern Africa, The Doctrine of
Christian Perfection, John Wesley, Liberation Theology, Reformed
Theology, Fundamentalist Methodism, Liberationist Methodism,
Inculturation, African Theology, Wesley’s Quadrilateral.

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I declare that The Impact of Liberation Theology on
Methodism in South Africa with Regard to the Doctrine of
Christian Perfection is my own work and that all the sources
that I have used or quoted have been indicated and
acknowledged by means of complete references.

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Table of Contents
Chapter One Page
Introduction 8-58
(1.1) Provisional unwrapping of the problem-setting of this paper...........17
(1.1.1) The first sub-problem setting can be formulated as that of
Fundamentalist and Liberationist Methodists.....................20
(1.1.2) The second sub-problem setting can be formulated around the
notion of Church regarding the negativity of schisms and the
potential positive character of break aways:........................22
(1.1.3) The third sub-problem setting is formulated around the notion
of faith in the sense of faith as happening above experience and
faith as an expression of experience:..................................23
(1.1.4) The fourth sub-problem-setting is formulated around the
notion of the Holy Spirits work of renewing sanctification as
purity and perfection and uniqueness and excellence:......24
(1.2) A Working definition for the term “Theology”..................................25
(1.3) A Working definition of John Wesley’s Theology.............................27
(1.4) A Working definition of Liberation Theology...................................32
(1.5) Three Key points for this paper......................................................35
(1.5.1) Methodism in Southern Africa (MCSA)...............................35
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(1.5.2) Liberation Theology in the MCSA......................................43
(1.5.3) The Doctrine of Christian Perfection................................52

Chapter Two Page
A Brief Examination of the Development
of Methodism in Southern Africa 59- 98
(2.1) The MCSA and Wesleyan Theology................................................72
(2.2) Wesleyan Methodism in an African context...................................84

Chapter Three Page
An Understanding of Methodism
in Southern Africa Today 99 - 124
(3.1) Fundamentalist Methodism..........................................................102
(3.2) Liberationist Methodism...............................................................105
(3.3) Symbiotic Methodism...................................................................108
(3.4) The MCSA Today..........................................................................109

Chapter Four Page
Liberation Theology in Methodism
in Southern Africa 125-140
(4.1) The MCSA’s Unique Witness.........................................................126
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(4.2) African Liberation Evangelism......................................................129

Chapter Five Page
Christian Perfection 141 - 179
(5.1) The Doctrine of Christian Perfection...........................................144
(5.1.1) The Silent Doctrine........................................................146
(5.1.2) A Question of Faithfulness.............................................150
(5.1.3) A Question of Experience...............................................164

Chapter Six Page
The Uniqueness of the Methodist Witness 180-204
In Southern Africa
(6.1) A Comprehensive Liberation.......................................................184
(6.1.1) A Theology of Praxis......................................................188
(6.1.2) A Merging of Faith & Works........................................195
(6.1.3) A Combination of Lay and Clergy................................201
(6.1.4) “Uniformed Missionaries”............................................203
Chapter Seven Page
A Way Forward 205 - 264
(7.1) Liberating Hermeneutic...............................................................217
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(7.1.1) Religion and Spirituality................................................228
(7.1.2) Learned Ministry...........................................................240
(7.1.3) Liberation Through Grace.............................................251
(7.2) A Way Forward...........................................................................259

Chapter Eight Page
265-275
Bibliography.......................................................................................265

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Chapter One:
Introduction:
There is little doubt that there is a potential schism developing within
Methodism in Southern Africa (MCSA), primarily between those whom can
loosely be termed Fundamentalist Methodists, who advocate a return to a
more ‘pure’ form of Methodism, promoting a return to Wesleyan doctrinal
roots and those who may loosely be termed Liberationist Methodists,
tending toward unifying Methodism with theologies which have common
ground with liberation theologies.(More will be said about these streams
later in the paper.)
Schisms are not new, Wesley was asked the question:
“Do you not entail a schism upon the Church? That is, is it not probable
that your hearers after your death will be scattered into all sects and
parties, or that they will form themselves into a distinct sect?” 1 - a
question, which has in many senses turned out to be prophetic for Methodism
worldwide.
Schisms, however, are found at various levels in the life of the church
universal, they have also been a part of the life of early Methodism in South
Africa.

1 Cracknell :2005: 249
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The reasons for schisms are varied and distinct definitions are difficult and
complex and these difficulties are particularly relevant in terms of early
Methodism in Southern Africa. Millard in her examination of the causes of
schisms in the Ethiopian type churches points out that these churches
started the first break aways from mission churches. Ethiopian-type churches
are, as opposed to the Zionist-type churches, those Africanist churches which broke
away from the mission churches of the mainline denominations to reclaim African
self government. The Ethiopian Church became the foundation for the “Ethiopian
movement”, which because of its later connection with the American-based
African Episcopal Church was considered “anti-white” and was treated with fear
and suspicion by government officials and white leaders of the churches. This view
was unfair and these Independent churches then became known as “separatist
churches”, a term considered derogatory by church members today.2 A view that sees
these churches as the forerunners to liberation theologies may be more accurate.
Xozwa states: “there was a time in South Africa when the "ETHIOPIAN PROBLEM" was
discussed with interest and almost with anxiety, not only by missionaries, but also by
politicians, scholars, and others interested in the welfare of the country. This occurred in
the years after the Boer war of 1899-1902, and in the days of the Zulu rebellion of 1906.
It was then feared that the Ethiopian movement was an African political underground
movement aiming at ousting the white man from South Africa, or at least, that it might
establish a pan-African National Church which would cause harm by hampering the

2 Millard: 1995:1
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Evangelization of the Africans.”3 But, at the same time, Van der Spuy cites that “the
Ethiopian styled churches retained a strong desire to keep Western connections and
therefore their desire was not to discard Scripture, tradition or experience rather to
develop an African framework from which to formulate an African ontology.”4
Nevertheless, the definitions of these churches are also difficult as Pass asserts that
the term African Instituted Churches (AIC) generally means “churches in
Africa, by Africans and for Africans”.
There are alternative terms, such as Africa Independent Churches, African
Initiated Churches and African International Churches, all maintaining the
same definition as AIC’s and they refer to churches that emerged outside of
mission churches and independent churches instituted as a result of the
work by “classical missions”. Classical missional churches are also then in
need of being defined: they are missionary organizations of “mainline
churches” from Europe and North America. The term “mainline churches”
is often used for the Catholic Church, and for the churches coming from the
main-stream of the Reformation.5
These views are in themselves papers on their own but few would deny today that
these movements have much in common generally with Liberation Theologies of
today, particularly with regard to their methodology and liberative intent. As Millard 6
puts it: after a time the secessionist church often modified both structure and

3 Xozwa: 1989: 3
4 Van der Spuy: Chapter - Reformed African Indigenous Church in Kitshoff M.C,1996, African Independent
Churches Today: 107
5 Paas 2006: 140
6 Millard : 1995: 11
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