Within the pages of this book, an international group of Methodist scholars are united in the belief that another church and another world are not only necessary but possible. Holiness traditions, even though at times addressing matters too narrowly and at other times to triumphantly, are in agreement that the status quo in both church and world can be improved upon significantly. The question is not whether but how does this happen and how far does it go. Amidst ongoing discussions of reforms, reformations, and revolutions, this volume argues that comprehensive transformations are afoot.
Our expectations are not built on shallow optimism or wide-spread beliefs in progress; they are built on evangelical expectations and holiness histories as they have shaped up since the beginnings of evangelical holiness movements. Recent decades, in particular, have rekindled broader perspectives that push beyond reductionistic focuses on individuals, closed communities, or particular church bodies. The hope of the gospel that is at the heart of the Methodist evangelical holiness traditions needs to be tested and verified in concrete transformations, which will be spelled out in the chapters of this book.
