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LASTING LEGACY: Outler restored Wesleyan studies Mary Jacobs, Nov 19, 2007
Albert Outler
Lasting Legacy: Albert Outler (1908-1989)
By Mary Jacobs Staff Writer
The book proposal met with extreme skepticism. It was the late 1950s; nobody thought that John Wesley’s writings merited an entire volume for a series titled A Library of Protestant Thought. Nobody would read it, editors argued, and Wesley wasn’t a serious scholar worthy of study.
But one man persuaded the editors to publish the book: Dr. Albert Outler (1908-1989), one of Methodism’s greatest theologians. Outler edited the collection of Wesley’s work, and in the end, that volume outsold all the others in the series. More than 20 years later, it remained the only volume still in print.
Those who knew Outler call him a genius, a bridge builder, a prophet and a multi-faceted “man for all seasons.” But most would agree that his greatest legacy was this: Albert Outler reconnected the Methodist church with its founder, John Wesley.
In the 1950s, Methodists paid little attention to Wesley, according to retired Bishop Richard Wilke. “The church was veering off into various directions,” he said. “It was a time when we were emphasizing social issues instead of conversion and receiving Holy Spirit.”
Outler’s scholarship and his work editing Wesley’s writings changed that. “He revived the serious scholarly study of Wesley as a theologian,” said Ted A. Campbell, a former colleague of Outler’s and associate professor of church history at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology.
Largely because of Outler’s work, followed by that of several scholars inspired by him, “a generation of seminary students has been exposed to the serious study of Wesley,” said Bishop Scott Jones (Kansas Area). “And that has begun to shape the life of the church.”
For example, Bishop Jones traces the current emphasis on “living the United Methodist way,” renewed in recent years, back to the work of Outler.
Methodist born and bred
Albert Outler was born Nov. 17, 1908, in the parsonage of the Methodist church in Thomasville, Ga., where his father, the Rev. John Outler, was pastor.
Although Outler’s parents were not formally educated, his childhood was rich in literature and learning. His older sister Fan took a special interest in his education, teaching him to read and write Latin and reading the Bible to him before he went to sleep every night.
Outler went on to attend Wofford College, Emory University, and finally Yale School of Divinity, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1938 and joined the faculty.
In 1951, to the surprise of many colleagues, Outler gave up his prestigious chair at Yale to join SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, where he remained a professor until his retirement in 1977.
It was at Perkins that Outler left his mark. Many still remember him as an outstanding “teacher of preachers” whose influence is still evident among former students.
“You knew you were in the presence of an extraordinary individual with extraordinary knowledge,” recalls the Rev. David Griffin, pastor at Lutie Watkins Memorial UMC in Llano, Texas, who attended Outler’s systematic theology class while at Perkins from 1969-’72. “He spoke such scholarship and authority.... His lectures were just a joy to listen to.”
“I walked into his class as a fourth-generation pastor,” recalled Bishop Jones. In Outler’s class, “I came to see what it means to be Methodist.”
Outler’s influence extended well beyond the seminary. In the mid-1980s, Outler was part of a “think tank” of theologians involved in the creation of the DISCIPLE Bible study series. His participation brought Wesley’s wisdom into the process.
As the group designed the Bible study, “Outler kept saying to us, ‘Remember the Wesley class meeting,’” Bishop Wilke recalled.
Outler likened the class meeting to the early church, when followers met in homes and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and shared fellowship. He insisted that DISCIPLE study groups should be small, no more than 12 people.
“Outler continually reminded us of our Wesleyan roots and how they were grounded in Scripture,” Bishop Wilke said.
Since then, millions of laypeople have completed the DISCIPLE study.
Outler also coined the term, “the Wesley quadrilateral,” to describe the Methodist understanding of God, rooted in four “considerations”: Scripture, reason, tradition and experience.
Outler forged the concept from Wesley’s writings—in 1771, Wesley referred to “Scripture, reason, and Christian antiquity”—and then added the fourth, “experience,” based on his study of Wesley’s life and Wesley’s experiences of salvation.
The quadrilateral became a familiar phrase in Methodism. But Outler eventually regretted the term, according to Bob Parrott, author of an Outler biography, The Gifted Dilettante.
First, the term led some to assume that Wesley accorded equal weight to all four areas (Wesley considered Scripture as primary). Secondly, Outler felt that some misinterpreted the quadrilateral as a tool for “figuring out” theology.
“Outler believed that you can’t reason your way toward God,” said Dr. Parrott. “Instead, the quadrilateral was meant as a way of allowing God to reach you. It’s a matter of willingness to allow these four considerations to be a channel of God’s truth.”
Dr. Parrott added that Outler chafed at the term “systematic theologian.”
“He wanted to be a coherent theologian,” he said. “But he believed that you can’t systematize God.”
Bishop Jones says the Wesley quadrilateral became a bit of a modern Methodist myth. “The term was never in Wesley’s writings,” he said. “It was Albert’s reconstruction of Wesley’s work. It’s a useful contribution, but it’s not pure Wesley.”
While Outler is remembered largely for his work as a theologian, he was knowledgeable in a wide range of fields, says Dr. Parrott. For example, he published papers exploring the link between psychotherapy and the Christian message, considered groundbreaking at the time.
“I’ve never known a man who had his finger in so many different fields of knowledge,” said Dr. Parrott. “He was a genius.”
Many remember Outler as a gifted speaker, a witty and winsome character at the lectern who sometimes questioned himself in private. “He knew how to hold the audience in the palm of his hands,” said Dr. Campbell. “But privately he had deep feelings of alienation. I don’t know how to account for it. He had such great accomplishments but was not able to internalize them.”
Outler was also a perfectionist, Bishop Jones added. He would have his assistant retype as many as 20 drafts of a sermon, delaying publication while he agonized over each draft.
Another element of Outler’s legacy, says Dr. Campbell, was his contribution to ecumenism. At a time when divisions between denominations ran deep, “he consistently called our attention to the ecumenical core of Christian faith,” he said.
Outler did that through decades of participation in ecumenical dialogues—in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s—as well as through the “historical study of major Christian figures and how they reflected that core of the gospel that is the message of Jesus.”
“He had a grasp of the whole of the Christian tradition,” said Bishop Jones. “He could bring together the early church fathers, as well as Wesley, as well as contemporary trends. His contributions to the ecumenical movement were immense.”
“There was a time when Outler knew more about Methodism than just about anybody on the planet,” said Bishop Wilke. “He was a bridge builder, a church man and a prophet.”
Albert Outler
