Pursuing Justice – A Wesleyan Essential

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In the context of international protests against racism many Methodists looked with pride to John Wesley’s opposition to slavery. The founder of Methodism was one of the first prominent church leaders to oppose slavery as an institution and not merely the slave trade or aspects of slavery that were deemed particularly cruel. Wesley was prepared to take a stand against powerful social and economic forces, influential people, and a business sector that was major source of British wealth. However, pride in Wesley can easily slip into a self-serving inactivity in the face of contemporary systems of injustice and cruelty. It is important for all who claim the heritage of Wesley to see that the pursuit of justice in society and opposition to cruelty, injustice, exploitation, and oppression is not an optional extra it belongs to the essential core of Wesleyan Christianity.

It is often noted that Wesley’s influential booklet Thoughts upon Slavery employs a non-religious argument that in his own words set “the Bible out of the question”. However, at key points in his argument Wesley alludes to theological concepts. Concepts that are central components of the core of Wesley’s theology.  

At the end of "Thoughts Upon Slavery" Wesley prays. “O thou God of love, thou who art loving to every man, and whose mercy is over all thy works; though who art the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and who art rich in mercy unto all”. Wesley’s opposition to slavery is grounded in his understanding of who God is. God is love and desires the comprehensive well-being of all human beings. The is so central to Wesley’s theology that asserts. “No Scripture can mean that God is not love, or that his mercy is not over all his works.” (Sermon “Free Grace”). The cruelty and injustice of slavery was a violation of the character and purpose of God – as is all cruelty, injustice, oppression and exploitation.

Central to Wesley’s argument is his reference to the triad of justice, mercy, and truth. Slavery as an institution is wrong because it is contrary to justice and mercy. This triad occurs regularly in Wesley’s writings. It is a summary of the moral character of God; the content of the moral image of God in which human beings are created; the outward expression of love for one’s neighbor; and Wesley’s standard for critiquing societies and institutions. As salvation is the restoration of the image of God it is the process by which human beings are transformed so that they live lives characterized by justice, mercy, and truth. Wesley could thus describe the purpose of Methodism as the promotion of justice, mercy, and truth.

In contrast to many racist views of his time Wesley asserts that the African slaves are “brothers” of the Europeans – children of the same creator. The blood of the slaves like the blood of Abel slain by his brother calls out for justice. In his Sermon “The Almost Christian” Wesley states: “The second thing implied in the being altogether a Christian is, the love of our neighbor. For thus said our Lord in the following words, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ If any man ask, ‘Who is my neighbor’ we reply, Every man in the world; every child of his who is the Father of the spirits of all flesh.” All human beings are siblings and therefore we have a responsibility for the welfare of other human beings and must oppose all that treats them with cruelty and injustice.

Wesley declares that slavery is contrary to natural law. It is important to recognize that, for Wesley, natural law is God’s moral law that human beings are to a limited extent aware of as a result of the universal presence of prevenient grace. What is the content of the natural law? Commenting on Matthew 7:12 Wesley summarizes the entire moral law as “Imitate the God of love.” In relation to other humans this is fulfilling the command to do unto others as we would have them do to us. This is “that glorious rule of mercy as well as justice” as Wesley puts it in “On the Education of Children.”

Wesley claims that his opposition to slavery is motivated by love for enslaved people and for their enslavers.  This might seem a rather trite and simplistic comment, however, when this is seen from the perspective of Wesley’s understanding of salvation it acquires a very different significance: In his letter to the Rev Dr Middleton, he describes a true Christian: “Above all, remembering that God is love, he is conformed to the same likeness. He is full of love to his neighbor; of universal love; not confined to one sect or party; not restrained to those who agree with him in opinions, or in outward modes of worship; or to those who are allied to him by blood or recommended by nearness of place. Neither does he love those only that love him, or that are endeared to him by intimacy of acquaintance. But his love resembles that of Him whose mercy is over all His works. It soars above all these scanty bounds, embracing neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies; yea, not only the good and gentle, but also the forward, the evil and unthankful. For he loves every soul that God has made; every child of man, of whatever place or nation.” When Wesley explains how this love is to be expressed, he often refers to the triad of mercy, justice, and truth.

Wesley’s opposition to slavery and his pursuit of justice for enslaved people is grounded in the fundamental core of his theology – what we might describe as the Wesleyan essentials – God is love; the moral character of God is described in the triad of justice, mercy, and truth; human beings are created in the moral image of the God of love, justice, mercy, and truth; God requires of all people that their relationships with all human beings, who are their siblings, be characterized by justice, mercy, and truth; and salvation is the process by which people are restored in the image of God so that they love their neighbors by treating them with justice, mercy, and truth.

The pursuit of justice and compassion in all areas of life is not an optional extra for people who claim to be Wesleyan – it should be at the core of our identity and mission. This moves beyond the mere pointing with pride to the example of Wesley it is the call to discern the diverse forms of injustice and cruelty in our societies and to take up the costly task of seeking to transform them so that they become characterized by justice and compassion This does not conflict with the oft cited words of Wesley to “do nothing but save souls”, for Wesley a saved soul is one that has been transformed into the image of the God of justice, mercy, and truth. Thus, our failure to pursue justice and compassion is an expression of our need to experience more fully the saving and transforming work of God in our lives.

I have explored these themes in more detail in my article “Imaging the God of Justice and Mercy: Reading the Theological Allusions in John Wesley’s Thoughts upon Slavery” which you can find here.

David N. Field is a Methodist theologian living in Switzerland. He serves  Academic Coordinator of the Methodist e-Academy.