John Wesley's practice of using exemplary Christian lives as patterns for spiritual formation

Paul A Whiteford

Etd

John Wesley's practice of using exemplary Christian lives as patterns for spiritual formation

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Paul A Whiteford. John Wesley's Practice of Using Exemplary Christian Lives As Patterns for Spiritual Formation. Asbury Theological Seminary. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/76994105-19d3-4354-92f8-70ca6d29dbc7.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

P. A. Whiteford. John Wesley's practice of using exemplary Christian lives as patterns for spiritual formation. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/76994105-19d3-4354-92f8-70ca6d29dbc7

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Paul A Whiteford. John Wesley's Practice of Using Exemplary Christian Lives As Patterns for Spiritual Formation. Asbury Theological Seminary. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/76994105-19d3-4354-92f8-70ca6d29dbc7.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Paul A Whiteford

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In Copyright

Abstract

John Wesley utilized carefully chosen Christian biographies as a means of spiritual formation and direction among early Methodists in the eighteenth century. The purpose of this qualitative study is to evaluate the formational impact of this practice in a small group reading experience in the Marysville, Ohio Church of the Nazarene. Thirteen self-selected members of the church participated in a thirteen week guided reading experience that required the reading of three biographies according to an agreed class schedule. Participants completed forms recording their reflections and spiritual aspirations as they read and also completed a spiritual life questionnaire before and after the thirteen week study. All of the group sessions were recorded on audio tape and transcribed for analysis, as were individual interviews with each participant within one week of the final group session. The research found most participants to be enthusiastic about using the lives of exemplary Christians as models for spiritual living.

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