The Wesleyan Quadrilateral: What is it and is it relevant today?

How does this work in practice? Think about a theological question like, "Is it all right to lie?" To answer this, we would first look at what the Bible says. We would look at what the Church and what other Christians throughout history have said. We would use reason to interpret the Bible and reflect on tradition. Finally, we would think about what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in our collective and personal experiences today.

It is important to stress that in the Quadrilateral, Scripture is the sole authority. Tradition, reason and experience are but aids to interpret Scripture. Our Quadrilateral does not have four equal sides.

There are, however, people who think that one or more of the other sides are equal or even superior to Scripture. For example, imagine that you have children who are married and they now commit adultery. You know the biblical commandment against adultery. But because it is your children whom you love and you want to avoid blaming them, you reinterpret the Bible and argue that the commandment is time-bound to earlier societies and that the Church's teaching against adultery is outdated and incompatible to 21st century life. You find reasons to justify adultery in modern society. What you have done is to elevate your experience above Scripture for personal ends. And people do this all the time with contemporary issues. A proper grasp and application of the Quadrilateral would have provided a clearer, more honest and truthful approach.

Scripture determines what we believe and churches develop doctrines based on Scripture. Individuals and churches may have theologies that differ, which is fine because we are not identical. We certainly need tools to interpret and apply Scripture in different situations and times, and Methodists have a fine methodology in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

1 Oden, Thomas and Longden, Leicester. The Wesleyan Theological Heritage: Essays of Albert C. Outler, 1st edition. Zondervan, 1991. p.35-36

2 The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2016, p. 82 Section 4 – Our Theological Task.

3 Wright, N T. The Last Word; Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture. Harper Collins, 2005. p. 101-102

The mathematically astute may realise that the Venn diagram depicted is hardly a quadrilateral. However, in the age of iPhones and squircles, the editorial team has accepted this as "creative licence" as it explains the Wesleyan Quadrilateral concept well.

About The Artwork

An illustration of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, the four qualities of Reason, Tradition, Experience and Scripture, and how these may be challenged in our modern age. The artist used the parable of the faithful maidens awaiting the bridegroom, with sufficient oil in their lamps. They are holding lamps signifying Reason, Tradition and Experience, casting light on the surrounding Scriptures before them, to signify the all-encompassing importance of the fourth quality.

About The Artist

Yen Tun I is an artist and with the Arts Release ministry with Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ (WEC) missions agency. He seeks to create artworks based on Scripture, with fresh angles on arts and culture.

By Agnes Lee