Radical Grace : Justice for the Poor and Marginalised - Charles Wesley's Views for the Twenty-First Century

An exploration of the radical theology found in the sermons, journal, poems and letters of the great Methodist preacher Charles Wesley. In Radical Grace, Dr Kimbrough brings together the writings of Charles Wesley on the theme of justice for the poor and the marginalized, drawing upon his sermons, manuscript journal, poetry and a few letters. The author studies the theology of these texts (most of which were unpublished at the time of his death) and evaluates its viability both at the time of writing and today. Wesley's views of how Christians may 'use the grace divine' in seeking justice for the poor have radical implications, advocating behaviour that is often quite contrary to generally accepted Christian practise. This volume argues that the radical grace he espouses is consistent with Holy Scripture and should indeed be practised by Christians today. The liturgies and musical settings of some of the hymn texts addressing the poor and marginalized provide a pragmatic means for the worshipping community to integrate the principles of radical grace into their theology and praxis.