Interview with Dr. Ryan Danker on Dynamic Grace: The Story of Early Methodism
Interview with Dr. Ryan Danker on Dynamic Grace: The Story of Early Methodism
The Good News editorial team recently sat down with Dr. Ryan Danker, Director of the John Wesley Institute, to discuss his new book, Dynamic Grace: The Story of Early Methodism. In the following conversation, Dr. Danker reflects on the life and ministry of John Wesley, the rise of early Methodism, and why Wesley’s vision of grace, holiness, and encounter with God continues to speak powerfully to the Church today.
Good News: For those who may be new to John Wesley, can you please briefly introduce who he was and why he still matters today?
Ryan Danker: John Wesley was a fascinating man, an eighteenth-century Anglican priest, theologian, and strong-willed leader of the early Methodist movement. He was a driven man, educated at Oxford, and committed to the restoration of vital Christianity. He wrote an enormous number of books, tracts, and sermons, and we know more about his day-to-day activities than any other figure in all of church history because he kept meticulous notes of each day. He wanted every moment to count for God. What drove him was a passion to see lives changed by a dynamic encounter with the living God, and this passion was contagious! As a person, he would probably drive many of us crazy today, but as a faithful worker in God’s vineyard, he was a powerhouse.
GN: What inspired you to write this book, and what gap did you hope to fill for readers, especially those without a formal theological background?
RD: I was initially asked to write a shorter history of Methodism for another work and that project simply grew and grew. What inspired me to continue writing were the many people that I’ve met over the years who are interested in the Wesley brothers and early Methodism but are unlikely to have the time to read a full academic biography of these figures or an academic history of early Methodism. They’re interested in Wesley, and particularly interested in the passion and growth of early Methodism, and so I wanted to write an accessible book that anyone can pick up and enjoy. This is a book that can be read in 30 minutes. But it also includes a bibliography for anyone who wants to dive in and explore the topic further.
GN: Can you give us an overview of the book and how it helps readers understand both the historical context of Wesley’s life and the development of his theology?
RD: The book is focused on the life of John Wesley and the rise of Methodism, but I start by looking at the context. England was in a time of renewal when Wesley was born. The nation had been through a great amount of turmoil in the previous century, and they were still climbing their way out it. But this effort to climb out of the mess of past turmoil, civil wars, and social strife gave birth to a fresh vision of restoration. So I place both the life of the Wesley brothers and the rise of Methodism within that vision. I highlight major influences and turning points, including the “three rises of Methodism” that were key to Wesley’s theological development. What I want to do is try to help the reader grasp the power of the Evangelical Revival, an international revival that swept up figures like the Wesleys and so many others from Central Europe to the American colonies. The book describes the early organizational structures of Methodism, structures designed for spiritual growth. And one chapter is dedicated entirely to holiness, the driving message behind Wesley’s ministry. The book closes with a description of Wesley’s last years—including some of the controversies—and explores the lasting impact of the early Wesleyan movement. It really is focused on the 18th c. even if I try to point out contemporary movements inspired by that early work.
GN: Wesley’s theology can sometimes feel complex. What are a few key themes or “takeaways” you hope readers will walk away with after finishing the book?
RD: This was a key part of the book. I not only wanted to tell the story in an accessible (but also accurate) way, but it’s so important to get Wesley’s theology right. His theology is simple in some regards and complex in others. What most people fail to grasp is what he took for granted: his Anglican heritage. He worked within that worldview, was formed by it, embraced it, and lived it to his dying breath. But for many reasons, that worldview isn’t easily understood by many outside of Anglicanism. Some have tried to make Wesley into an English version of Martin Luther, an Eastern Orthodox theologian, or even a Billy Graham on horseback, but he was none of these things. He was an evangelical Anglican who loved the Book of Common Prayer and wanted to restore the vision of early Christianity. This can be seen clearly in his understanding of grace, a term so often used in the Wesleyan world and so often misunderstood. For Wesley, grace wasn’t simply “unmerited favor” (a Reformed approach), but the very power of the Holy Spirit! Grace is dynamic, relational, and transforming. Grace empowers the Christian life, a life of service and holy love. This is at the heart of his vision, and it enables us to see why he taught that Christian perfection (wholeness in Christ) is possible in this life. I wrote the book so that the reader might understand grace and holiness as Wesley taught them, which I think is vital to Wesleyan teaching and living today.
GN: How do you hope this book will be used in the life of the Church, whether by pastors, small groups, or individual readers?
RD: I remember hearing about Wesley as a teenager and wanting to know more about him. That curiosity led me to my career as a Wesley scholar, but on a personal level what I found was a man and a movement focused on Christ. We only point to Wesley because he points to Christ. This book can be read by pastors and laity alike and I hope that the story of early Methodism inspires their faith. It can easily serve as an introduction to Methodism for new church members or be used in a small group setting meant to ignite an interest in the Wesleyan heritage, and what it means to be a part of the Wesleyan movement. If it lights a fire in someone’s heart to go deeper or to experience the transformation that Wesley preached, that would be wonderful.
GN: In your view, what is one aspect of Wesley’s life or teaching that the Church today most needs to recover or pay closer attention to?
RD: There are many things that I think the church today should recover from Wesley, but as you’ve only given me one, I will say his firm belief that an encounter with God will actually change us. His ministry was a ministry of encounter. He taught that we encounter God in prayer, and he prayed fervently. If you visit the room where he prayed just off of his bedroom in London, you can still see the marks in the floor where he knelt for hour after hour. He taught that we encounter God in Scripture! When we approach Scripture prayerfully, it’s not just a depository of knowledge, but a means to encounter the One who inspired its writing. He taught that in the sacraments, particularly Holy Communion, that it’s much more than a ritual or a remembrance, but an actual encounter with God. He craved God’s presence. He believed in encounter, and he saw the fruit of it. If we can recapture that vision of the Christian life, it will change us dramatically.
Dynamic Grace: The Story of Early Methodism is now available for purchase.
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