God save the king!? Followers of John Wesley today need a more adequate political theology than Wesley’s support for the British monarchy. In my latest article, I offer an appraisal of the Wesleyan political theology of Theodore R. Weber (1928–2023), Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Emory University and founding member and former president of the Society of Christian Ethics.
Weber made a compelling case for a trinitarian, redemption-focused political theology—inclusive of individuals as well as institutions—based on the imago Dei, God’s gracious activity in human history, and the ministry of reconciliation to which Christians are called. He spoke to and from a position of privilege to hold those in power—persons such as himself in countries such as the United States—accountable to God and neighbor. His political theology provides a clear refutation of US Christian nationalism, and he complemented his rhetoric with social action in political institutions and through the church, attempting to live out the theology he espoused.
Stephens, Darryl W. 2026. “Redeeming Politics: An Appraisal of the Wesleyan Political Theology of Theodore R. Weber in a Time of Christian Nationalism.” Religions 17, no. 5: 508. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17050508.
As Weber’s political theology is put in critical conversation with other Wesleyan scholars as well as representatives of other theological traditions, the full impact of his intellectual legacy will become clearer.