The modern West continues to appeal to concepts such as justice, equality, dignity, rights, freedom, and human flourishing.
Yet increasingly, there is little agreement about what these terms actually mean or why they should matter. Public moral discourse has become fragmented because it often retains Christian moral vocabulary while abandoning the theological foundations that originally gave that vocabulary coherence.
This disconnect leaves both the Church and wider society struggling to communicate moral truth in a way that is intellectually coherent and publicly persuasive.
Research Question
How has the erosion of the doctrine of the imago Dei contributed to the fragmentation of moral language in the modern West, and how might a Wesleyan account of moral formation—particularly through the means of grace and sanctification—offer a constructive response?
Project Overview
This project examines the relationship between Christian theological anthropology and the coherence of moral language in contemporary Western ethical discourse. It argues that the erosion of the doctrine of the imago Dei has contributed to a fragmentation of moral reasoning in the modern West, a condition identified by thinkers such as Alasdair MacIntyre and Charles Taylor. Drawing on Augustine’s concept of ordo amoris, the project explores how disordered love contributes to this fragmentation. In response, it proposes that John Wesley’s account of moral formation—particularly through the means of grace and sanctification—offers a constructive framework for recovering moral coherence in a post-Christian context.
Background and Context
Contemporary Western ethical discourse is often marked by a lack of shared moral language and coherent frameworks for reasoning about concepts such as justice, dignity, and the good. Alasdair MacIntyre has famously described this condition as a form of moral fragmentation, in which inherited moral terms persist but are detached from the theological and teleological frameworks that once gave them meaning.
Similarly, Charles Taylor has traced the emergence of the modern self within a secular age, highlighting the shift toward expressive individualism and the loss of a shared moral horizon.
This project situates these developments within a theological account of the human person, arguing that the erosion of the doctrine of the imago Dei has played a significant role in this fragmentation. Historically, Christian theological anthropology provided a foundation for moral reasoning by grounding human dignity, purpose, and moral responsibility in the nature and character of God. As this framework has been weakened or abandoned, moral language has increasingly lost its coherence and stability.
Theological and Philosophical Framework
This project engages key figures in both historical theology and contemporary moral philosophy. Augustine’s concept of ordo amoris provides a framework for understanding moral disorder as a misalignment of love, while Thomas Aquinas’s account of natural law and teleology offers a vision of moral reasoning grounded in the nature and ends of human beings.
In the modern context, the work of Alasdair MacIntyre and Charles Taylor provides a diagnosis of moral fragmentation and the conditions of secular modernity. Oliver O’Donovan’s contributions to theological ethics further inform the relationship between moral order, authority, and the Christian narrative.
Building on this foundation, the project turns to John Wesley as a constructive theological voice. Wesley’s emphasis on sanctification and the means of grace offers an account of moral formation that is both communal and transformative, providing a potential pathway for recovering moral coherence in a fragmented cultural context.
Proposed Contribution
This project aims to contribute to contemporary Christian ethics by bringing Wesleyan theology into conversation with modern moral philosophy. In doing so, it seeks to articulate a constructive account of moral formation capable of addressing the fragmentation of moral language in the modern West. By situating Wesley’s theology within this broader conversation, the project offers a distinct contribution that is both theologically grounded and responsive to the challenges of a post-Christian cultural context.
Methodological Approach
This project employs an interdisciplinary approach that integrates:
- Historical theology (Augustine, Aquinas, Wesley)
- Moral and political philosophy (MacIntyre, Taylor)
- Constructive theological ethics
The study seeks not only to diagnose a cultural and ethical condition but also to offer a constructive theological response grounded in the Wesleyan tradition.