Insights from holiness traditions for faith practice today

Abstract

This study offers insights into holiness traditions, with the aim of applying them in faith practice today. The concept of holiness is ancient and therefore has often been relegated to the fringes in terms of theological importance in this present-day world. Through exploring several holiness traditions and the development of these traditions, it is evident to see that holiness has been crucial in adding value to faith practice over many centuries. For instance, the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement grew from John Wesley’s emphasis on holiness, which he often referred to as Christian Perfection. He was influenced not only by the Scriptures and his contemporaries, but by the Church Fathers and spiritualities such as the Quakers, Quietists, Reformers, Puritans and Pietists. Ascetic Spirituality involved holiness as being physical separation from the society and the wickedness associated with it. Reformed Spirituality was founded on the Protestant Reformation and emphasises the importance of reforming to conservative views of the Scripture in order to spiritually cleanse the institutionalised church and individual Christians from corruption. Puritan Spirituality extended this to beyond the church into family and community life, emphasising piety or purity as essential for a Christian and as essential to Christianise society at large. Pentecostal Spirituality emphasised the importance of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in order to sanctify a believer’s life. The Emerging Church Movement aimed to build bridges across denominations and reach those outside the institutionalised church through living an authentic faith open to conversation. Inter-religious Dialogue extended this inclusive approach by forming a dialogue between different world religions to form solutions to global issues, such as poverty and human slavery. Through these traditions, holiness has been emphasised in different ways. For instance, it moved from being initially individualistic and exclusive to more communal, global and inclusive. Each tradition offers insights on how to live out faith practice for today.