A Wesleyan Arminian Gospel Bibliography:
On Justification, Assurance, and Sanctification

Cannon, William. The Theology of John Wesley: With Special Reference to the Doctrine of Justification. New York: Abingdon, 1946.

Clarke, Adam. Clarke’s Christian Theology. Nicholasville, KY: Schmul, 1990.

Collins, Kenneth. The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2007.

_________. The Scripture Way of Salvation: The Heart of John Wesley’s Theology. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997.

_________. Wesley on Salvation: A Study in the Standard Sermons. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Comfort, Ray. Wesley Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2007.

Dieter, Melvin. Five Views on Sanctification. Edited by Stanley Gundry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987. Chapter 1: “The Wesleyan Perspective.”

Fletcher, John. Five Checks to Antinomianism. Edited by Jeffrey Wallace. Brookfield, MO: Apprehending Truth, 2011.

_________. The Whole Works of John Fletcher. Charleston, SC: Nabu Press, 2010.

Harper, Steve. The Way to Heaven: The Gospel According to John Wesley. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Chapters 4 and 5.

_________. Four Views on Eternal Security. Edited by J. Matthew Pinson. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Chapter 4: “A Wesleyan Arminian View.”

Kaiser Jr., Walter. Five Views on Law and Gospel. Edited by Stanley Gundry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996. Chapter 3: “The Law as God’s Gracious Guidance for the Promotion of Holiness.”

Langford, Thomas. Practical Divinity: Theology in the Wesleyan Tradition. vol. 1. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.

Lindström, Harald. Wesley and Sanctification. Nappanee, IN: Francis Asbury Press, 1980.

Oden, Thomas. John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Chapters 5-11; especially chapters 6, 9, and 10.

Outler, Albert, ed. John Wesley. New York: Oxford University Press, 1964. Part 2, Chapters 1-4.

Smith, Timothy. Whitefield and Wesley on the New Birth. Grand Rapids, MI: Francis Asbury Press, 1986.

Weems, Lovett. The Gospel According to Wesley: A Summary of John Wesley’s Message. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, 1982. 63 pages.

Wesley, John. John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology. Edited by Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1991.

_________. John Wesley’s Theology: A Collection from His Works. Edited by Robert Burtner and Robert Chiles. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1982.

_________. The Works of John Wesley. vols. 1-4: “Sermons.” Edited by Albert Outler. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1984-1987.

Williams, Colin. John Wesley’s Theology Today. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1960.

Wynkoop, Mildred. Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1967.

_________. A Theology of Love: The Dynamic of Wesleyanism. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1972.

Other Arminian, Puritan, and Revivalist Gospel Writings

Arminian View of the Gospel: “You Can Lose Your Salvation”: Arminius, Wesley (above), Barnes, Corner, Finney, Forlines, Goodwin, Hill, Olson, Picirilli, and Walls.

Puritan View of the Gospel: “Once Saved, Always Saved”: Alleine, Baxter, Bunyan, Comfort, Dent, Edwards, MacArthur, Peterson, Spurgeon, Vincent, Watson, and Whitefield.

Personally, I take the Arminian view. I think it has more support in Scripture and makes more sense for living the Christian life (see John 15:6; Rom. 11:16-22; Heb. 3:12-14; 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 2 Pet. 2:20-22; 1 John 5:16). However, I would not “condemn” those who hold to the old Puritan view, because at least their view on lordship salvation encourages practical holiness in daily life. If this requirement of holiness were not present, then I would be forced to say all Calvinists are Antinomians, and there is no hope of a Calvinist getting saved! So, regardless of the fact that “lordship salvation” Calvinists, or old Puritans, believe in “once saved, always saved”: at the same time, at least they preach unless Christians live righteous lives—they are not saved.

Although I think “once saved, always saved” is a false doctrine that encourages “easy-believism,” and a dangerous one at that, I still think Puritan-type Calvinists are worth listening to, because they maintain that “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Puritans like John Bunyan and Richard Baxter, and modern “lordship salvation” advocates like John MacArthur and Ray Comfort, are against the “cheap grace” views of other Calvinists with Antinomian tendencies (i.e., Dispensationalists like Charles Ryrie, Zane Hodges, R. B. Thieme, and Lewis Sperry Chafer. These theologians come from Dallas Theological Seminary; and taught that a saved person can be a “carnal Christian”; and even an ex-Christian is saved!).

Alleine, Joseph. An Alarm to the Unconverted. Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2002.

Arminius, James. The Works of Arminius. 3 vols. Translated by James Nichols and William Nichols. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2007.

Barnes, Albert. The Way of Salvation. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2007.

Baxter, Richard. A Call to the Unconverted. Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000.

_________. Aphorismes of Justification. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2009.

_________. What We Must Do to Be Saved. Lulu.com, 2010.

_________. The Practical Works of Richard Baxter: Selected Treatises. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2010. Includes: “A Treatise of Conversion,” “A Call to the Unconverted,” “Directions and Persuasions to a Sound Conversion,” and other works on meditation, contemplation, prayer, and practical holiness.

Bunyan, John. The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded. Gale ECCO, 2010.

Church of England. Certain Sermons or Homilies Appointed to Be Read in Churches in the Time of Queen Elizabeth. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Library, 2005. Largely by Thomas Cranmer (d. 1556): heavily influenced John Wesley’s views of justification and sanctification (the Gospel of Jesus Christ).

Coffey, John, and Paul Lim, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Puritanism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Comfort, Ray. Hell’s Best Kept Secret. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1989.

_________, and Kirk Cameron. The World’s Greatest Preachers. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2003.

_________, ed. Spurgeon Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2005.

_________, ed. Whitefield Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2006.

_________, ed. Moody Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2009.

_________, ed. Luther Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2010.

Corner, Daniel. The Believer’s Conditional Security: A Study on Perseverance and Falling Away. Washington, PA: Evangelical Outreach, 2000. 801 pages.

_________. The Myth of Eternal Security. Washington, PA: Evangelical Outreach, 2003. 230 pages.

Demarest, Bruce. The Cross and Salvation. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1997. Academic and Evangelical. From a historical approach, presents in an encyclopedic fashion, all of the different soteriological views of the church throughout the ages.

Dent, Arthur. The Plain Man’s Path-Way to Heaven. Gale ECCO, 2010.

Duewel, Wesley. Revival Fire. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995.

_________. Ablaze for God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Edwards, Jonathan. Sermons of Jonathan Edwards. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005.

Finney, Charles. Sermons on Gospel Themes. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2007.

_________. Lectures on Revivals of Religion. Edited by Richard Friedrich. Hayden, ID: Alethea in Heart, 2005.

_________. Lectures on Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Edited by Richard Friedrich. Hayden, ID: Alethea in Heart, 2003. Has some Pelagianism: or teaches “natural ability” to obey God’s commandments; be warned.

_________. The Original Memoirs of Charles G. Finney. Edited by Garth Rosell and Richard Dupuis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

_________. Finney’s Lessons on Romans. 3 vols. Edited by L. G. Parkhurst, Jr. Edmond, OK: Agion Press, 2006.

Forlines, F. Leroy. Classical Arminianism: A Theology of Salvation. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2011.

Goodwin, John. A Treatise on Justification. Gale ECCO, 2010. Edited by John Wesley; had a heavy Gospel influence on him. Goodwin was an Arminian Puritan preacher; and died in 1665.

Heitzenrater, Richard. Wesley and the People Called Methodists. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.

Hill, Stephen. White Cane Religion: And Other Messages From the Brownsville Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1997.

_________. The God Mockers: And Other Messages From the Brownsville Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1997.

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. Revival. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1987.

_________. Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1972.

MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.

McLoughlin William. Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 1978.

Olson, Roger. Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

_________. Against Calvinism. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

Peterson, Robert. Hell on Trial. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1995.

Picirilli, Robert. Grace, Faith, Free Will: Contrasting Views of Salvation: Calvinism and Arminianism. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2002.

_________. Romans. “CLEAR Study Series.” Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1975. 340 pages. A Reformed Arminian Bible commentary.

Pratney, Winkie. Revival: Principles to Change the World. Pensacola, FL: Christian Life Books, 1984.

Randall House Bible Commentary. Edited by Robert Picirilli. A Reformed Arminian Bible commentary published by the Free Will Baptists.

Forlines, F. Leroy. Romans. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1987. 396 pages.

Harrison, Paul, and Robert Picirilli. James, 1, 2 Peter, and Jude. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1992.

Marberry, Thomas, Robert Picirilli, and Daryl Ellis. Galatians through Colossians. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1988.

Ravenhill, Leonard. Revival God’s Way. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House, 1986.

_________. Why Revival Tarries. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House, 1987.

Shank, Robert. Life in the Son. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1989. Classic work against “once saved, always saved.”

Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979.

The Theologians of Methodism. Nicholasville, KY: Schmul, 1992.

Vincent, Thomas. Fire and Brimstone. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1999.

Walls, Jerry, and Joseph Dongell. Why I Am Not a Calvinist. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.

Watson, Thomas. A Body of Divinity. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1957.

Wesleyan Bible Commentary. Edited by Charles Carter. A Wesleyan Arminian Bible commentary published by scholars from various Wesleyan and Methodist denominations.

Carter, Charles, R. Duane Thompson, Charles Ball, Leo Cox, and Harvey Blaney. Hebrews-Revelation. vol. 6. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966. 523 pages.

Dayton, Wilbur, Charles Carter, Clarence Zahniser, George Turner, W. O. Klopfenstein, Roy Nicholson, and George Failing. Romans-Philemon. vol. 5. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966. 675 pages.

Whitefield, George. Sermons of George Whitefield. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2009.

Current Issues Related to Gospel-Centered Apologetics

Graham, Billy. The Jesus Generation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1971. Addresses issues concerning the hippie revolution of the sixties, the response of the Jesus movement, and how things like atheism, communism, materialism, fatherlessness, and the New Age movement, are still hindering Americans from believing in the Gospel. Chapter 11: “Turning On,” is a revealing look at the watered-down gospel of “The Four Spiritual Laws,” that was being preached by Campus Crusade for Christ from the sixties till today. Graham touched it up a little bit. To me, it definitely shows the need for old-time Puritan and Wesleyan Gospel preaching: on deep soteriological doctrines like the atonement, justification, sanctification, and regeneration.

Kinnaman, David. UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…and Why It Matters. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.

McDowell, Josh. More Than a Carpenter. Wheaton, IL: Living Books, 1977. The arguments in this book were essential during McDowell’s preaching on college campuses during the Jesus movement. He focuses on defending the historical reliability of the Gospels; and argues for the reality of Jesus and His resurrection. The only thing I would change regarding his arguments for Christ’s resurrection, is instead of relying only on the testimonies of the apostles, and their martyrdoms: I would also appeal to modern spiritual experiences of the presence of Christ during worship, and dreams and visions of the risen Christ by direct revelations.

_________, and Don Stewart. Handbook of Today’s Religions. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1980. Contains informative chapters on every major cult and world religion; and provides Evangelical arguments against each ideology. It includes “The Four Spiritual Laws” of Campus Crusade for Christ at the end of the book.

Rhodes, Ron. Answering the Objections of Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2006.

Ridenour, Fritz. So What’s the Difference? Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001.

Zacharias, Ravi, and Norman Geisler, eds. Who Made God?: And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.