An Anglo-Syrian Monk: John Wesley's Reception of Pseudo-Macarius

Abstract

The article offers a methodological reflection on the history of the reception of the works of Pseudo-Macarius (second half of the fourth century AD) in the thought of John Wesley, the English theologian and founder of the Methodist movement. The survey of the state of the art is carried out looking for motives and trends in Wesleyan scholarship. Michel de Certeau’s reflections on “reception” guide the analysis of the presence of Pseudo-Macarius in Wesley.

Keywords

• methodism
• hermeneutics
• history of historiography
• reception of early christian texts