Wesleyan Philosophical Society
Encyclopedia
The Wesleyan Philosophical Society (WPS) is an academic society largely represented by academic institutions affiliated with Christian denomination
s in the Wesleyan
tradition. Despite its primarily Wesleyan orientation, there has been increasing participation from scholars in Catholic, Orthodox, and other Protestant (such as Lutheran and Pentecostal) traditions. Likewise, there are no formal doctrinal or affiliational requirements for membership in the society or participation (including as a presenter) at its conferences. Anyone with an interest in philosophical subjects pertaining to conference themes (broadly construed) is welcome to attend, regardless of his or her personal theological orientation or affiliation.
in Azusa, California
. Brint Montgomery, Thomas Jay Oord
, and Robert Thompson served as the early organizing forces. The society first met in Hobe Sound, Florida
in March 2002. The society has grown steadily since then, featuring up to approximately 30 papers (as space and time allow) per conference in recent years.
.
The society's published books:
in conjunction with its sister society, the Society for the Study of Psychology and Wesleyan Theology (SSPWT). Conference registration also enables participants to attend sessions of SSPWT for no additional charge.
While independent, the WPS has also maintained a relationship with the older Wesleyan Theological Society, meeting each year a day prior to the WTS at the same location.
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s in the Wesleyan
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
tradition. Despite its primarily Wesleyan orientation, there has been increasing participation from scholars in Catholic, Orthodox, and other Protestant (such as Lutheran and Pentecostal) traditions. Likewise, there are no formal doctrinal or affiliational requirements for membership in the society or participation (including as a presenter) at its conferences. Anyone with an interest in philosophical subjects pertaining to conference themes (broadly construed) is welcome to attend, regardless of his or her personal theological orientation or affiliation.
History
The society was conceived during a 2001 meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society meeting at Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
in Azusa, California
Azusa, California
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
. Brint Montgomery, Thomas Jay Oord
Thomas Jay Oord
Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is the author or editor of about twenty books and professor at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho...
, and Robert Thompson served as the early organizing forces. The society first met in Hobe Sound, Florida
Hobe Sound, Florida
Hobe Sound is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,376 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography and climate:...
in March 2002. The society has grown steadily since then, featuring up to approximately 30 papers (as space and time allow) per conference in recent years.
Publications
The WPS has published sample papers of its activities on its official website. These published papers have been selected from conference presentations. Such conference presentations are the result of a peer-review process of selection from a Call for Papers. The site is maintained by Brint Montgomery, professor of Philosophy at Southern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene University
Southern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...
.
The society's published books:
- The Many Facets of Love: Philosophical Explorations. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Thomas Jay OordThomas Jay OordThomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is the author or editor of about twenty books and professor at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho...
, editor. 2006 select Proceedings. - Via Media Philosophy - Holiness Unto Truth. Intersections between Wesleyan and Roman Catholic Voices. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, L. Bryan Williams, editor. 2007 select Proceedings.
- I More than Others: Responses to Evil and Suffering. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Eric Severson, editor. 2009 select Proceedings.
Conferences
WPS meets each year at various sites around the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in conjunction with its sister society, the Society for the Study of Psychology and Wesleyan Theology (SSPWT). Conference registration also enables participants to attend sessions of SSPWT for no additional charge.
While independent, the WPS has also maintained a relationship with the older Wesleyan Theological Society, meeting each year a day prior to the WTS at the same location.
- 2012: Curb Your Enthusiasm? Philosophy and Religious Experience, March 1, 2012 Trevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
, Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... - 2011: Philosophy and Popular Culture: Medium, Message, and 'the Masses'., March 3, 2011, Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... - 2010: Gift and Economy: Ethics, Hospitality and the Market., March 4, 2010, Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
, Azusa, CaliforniaAzusa, CaliforniaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"... - 2009: I More Than the Others:’ A Response to Evil and Suffering, 2009, Anderson University (Indiana)Anderson University (Indiana)Anderson University is an accredited private Christian liberal arts university in Anderson, Indiana. The college is affiliated with the Church of God . Anderson University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and the society. In 2010, U.S...
, Anderson, IndianaAnderson, IndianaAnderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is... - 2008: Philosophy and Science: Contemporary Explorations, Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Durham, North CarolinaDurham, North CarolinaDurham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census... - 2007: Themes of Wesleyan and Catholic Thought, Olivet Nazarene UniversityOlivet Nazarene UniversityOlivet Nazarene University is a Christian institution of higher education located in the Kankakee, Illinois village of Bourbonnais. Named for Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907...
, Bourbonnais, IllinoisBourbonnais, IllinoisBourbonnais is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,256 at the 2000 census, but it was estimated to have grown to 19,119 in 2009... - 2006: Love: Investigating its Meaning, History and Expressions,³ Nazarene Theological SeminaryNazarene Theological SeminaryNazarene Theological Seminary is a Christian seminary affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, which was formerly also the location of the headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene...
, Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... - 2005: Political and Social Philosophy, Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle Pacific UniversitySeattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
, Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country... - 2004: Virtue, Reason & Morality: Considering Ethics, Roberts Wesleyan CollegeRoberts Wesleyan CollegeRoberts Wesleyan College is a Christian liberal arts college located in North Chili, New York. It is the first educational institution established for Free Methodists in North America...
, Rochester, New YorkRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... - 2003: Religious Experience, Asbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
, Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... - 2002: Hobe Sound, Florida
Organization
WPS leadership is elected from members of the society at its annual business meeting during its conference. Its executive leadership consists of a President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, the editor of the online journal, promotional secretary, and recent past-presidents.Current leadership
- President: Timothy Crutcher, Southern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...
, Bethany, OklahomaBethany, OklahomaBethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at .... - 1st Vice-President: Teri Merrick, Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
, Azusa, CaliforniaAzusa, CaliforniaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"... - 2nd Vice-President: Joseph Bankard, Northwest Nazarene UniversityNorthwest Nazarene UniversityNorthwest Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nampa, Idaho.-History:Eugene Emerson organized a combination grade school and Bible school in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School...
, Nampa, IdahoNampa, IdahoNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
Past presidents
- 2011-2012: Timothy Crutcher, Southern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...
, Bethany, OklahomaBethany, OklahomaBethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at .... - 2010-2011: Eric Severson, Eastern Nazarene CollegeEastern Nazarene CollegeThe Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
, Quincy, MassachusettsQuincy, MassachusettsQuincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council... - 2009-2010: Heather Ross, Point Loma Nazarene UniversityPoint Loma Nazarene UniversityPoint Loma Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.-History:...
, San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round... - 2008-2009: Robert Thompson, Point Loma Nazarene UniversityPoint Loma Nazarene UniversityPoint Loma Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.-History:...
, San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round... - 2007-2008: L. Bryan Williams, Warner Pacific CollegeWarner Pacific CollegeWarner Pacific College is an urban, Christian liberal arts college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1937, the college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities...
, Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... - 2006-2007: Craig Boyd, Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
, Azusa, CaliforniaAzusa, CaliforniaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"... - 2005-2006: Eric Manchester, Caldwell CollegeCaldwell CollegeCaldwell College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Caldwell, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1939 by the Sisters of St. Dominic, the college is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, chartered by the State of New Jersey and registered with the Regents of the...
, Caldwell, New JerseyCaldwell, New JerseyCaldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, about outside of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,822.... - 2004-2005: Barry Bryant, Memphis Theological SeminaryMemphis Theological SeminaryMemphis Theological Seminary is an ecumenical theological seminary located in Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, but accepts and trains ministerial candidates from other groups as well...
, Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... - 2003-2004: Brint Montgomery, Southern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...
, Bethany, OklahomaBethany, OklahomaBethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at .... - 2002-2003: Thomas Jay OordThomas Jay OordThomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is the author or editor of about twenty books and professor at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho...
, Northwest Nazarene UniversityNorthwest Nazarene UniversityNorthwest Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nampa, Idaho.-History:Eugene Emerson organized a combination grade school and Bible school in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School...
, Nampa, IdahoNampa, IdahoNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...